Critical analysis of life cycle impact assessment methods addressing consequences of freshwater use on ecosystems and recommendations for future method development

摘要: Purpose Anthropic water uses can affect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems through various pathways. To address these impacts in life cycle assessment, an array of impact assessment methods be applied. The currently well-known review carried out by the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative’s WULCA working group (Kounina et al. Int J Assess 18(3):707–721, 2013) recommends that practitioners “simultaneously apply all indicators to evaluate damage on ecosystem quality cautiously sum up score into a single metric”. This call for caution is attributed fact reviewed cover different targets. Their characterisation factors units also vary. However, lacks detailed analysis compatibilities coherence between identifies inconsistencies overcome further method harmonisation. precisely aim this study.