Despite rising knowledge and application of S-LCA in social sustainability assessments, there are still challenges in identifying and implementing indicators that capture social matters. Social indicators are fundamental in S-LCA for being the means by which social impacts are measured. However, the wide profusion of different nomenclatures, definitions, calculation methods, etc., brings S-LCA into a challenging position where practices are still fragmented and, thus, case studies cannot be compared. This work sought to: 1) Analyse and provide a descriptive overview of worker-related indicators applied in S-LCA studies that used primary and secondary data; 2) Examine the adherence of the indicators to the S-LCA framework and ILO standards; and 3) Harmonise these indicators towards a more standardised conceptualization and application. The study encompassed a systematic literature review of case studies on S-LCA that used primary and secondary data indicators, applying a date coverage from 2009 to 2025. In total 219 papers were selected. The mapped indicators were analysed and compared against different criteria to identify similarities, discrepancies, and foundations in international standards, such as the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) and the Guidelines for S-LCA for Products and Organisations. Whenever information was lacking when verifying the indicators' completion or definition in relation to the reference documents, new indicators were proposed and/or better founded. The final list resulted in 149 comprehensive and consistent primary data indicators, and 92 secondary data, across 11 worker's subcategories. The harmonised lists can be applicable across different industries and socioeconomic contexts, supporting comparability and standardisation in S-LCA studies.
{"title":"Harmonising indicators for the stakeholder worker in social life cycle assessment","authors":"Arij Mohamad Radwan Omar Chabrawi , Abdurrahman Agus Syahroni , Joana Fedato Pogoda , Marzia Traverso","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite rising knowledge and application of S-LCA in social sustainability assessments, there are still challenges in identifying and implementing indicators that capture social matters. Social indicators are fundamental in S-LCA for being the means by which social impacts are measured. However, the wide profusion of different nomenclatures, definitions, calculation methods, etc., brings S-LCA into a challenging position where practices are still fragmented and, thus, case studies cannot be compared. This work sought to: 1) Analyse and provide a descriptive overview of worker-related indicators applied in S-LCA studies that used primary and secondary data; 2) Examine the adherence of the indicators to the S-LCA framework and ILO standards; and 3) Harmonise these indicators towards a more standardised conceptualization and application. The study encompassed a systematic literature review of case studies on S-LCA that used primary and secondary data indicators, applying a date coverage from 2009 to 2025. In total 219 papers were selected. The mapped indicators were analysed and compared against different criteria to identify similarities, discrepancies, and foundations in international standards, such as the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) and the Guidelines for S-LCA for Products and Organisations. Whenever information was lacking when verifying the indicators' completion or definition in relation to the reference documents, new indicators were proposed and/or better founded. The final list resulted in 149 comprehensive and consistent primary data indicators, and 92 secondary data, across 11 worker's subcategories. The harmonised lists can be applicable across different industries and socioeconomic contexts, supporting comparability and standardisation in S-LCA studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"63 ","pages":"Pages 52-74"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.013
Xiao Wu , Yilong Xiao , Yang Xie , Yang Lan , Jiayi Li , Yi Zhao , Meng Xu
Solid fuel combustion in rural residences constitutes a critical environmental determinant of population health disparities in northern China. While multiple initiatives promoting clean energy adoption have been implemented, the geographical heterogeneity in policy-derived indoor health benefits and their distributional equity remain poorly understudied. By integrating the technology optimization model with the health economy model, this study evaluated how rural household energy transitions influence indoor pollution exposure, population health outcomes, and the distribution of health improvements across provinces. Findings demonstrate that, besides reducing CO2 emissions, transitioning to clean fuels would substantially avoid approximately 76,000 pollution-related mortalities in 2035, and substantially narrow interprovincial disparities in health outcomes. Specifically, Shandong would achieve the most considerable absolute cumulative health benefits (206 billion USD, 26.8 % of the regional total), and Beijing shows the highest relative gain (138.8 %). Tianjin attains the highest benefit-cost ratio (6.64) by 2035 in the Rapid scenario, whereas Shanxi's ratio is the lowest due to high transition costs. Results underscore the need for regionally tailored clean energy policies targeting the rural residential sector to maximize emission reductions, enhance public health, and promote interprovincial health equity in clean energy transitions.
{"title":"Uncovering the indoor health co-benefits of rural residential energy transition in Northern China","authors":"Xiao Wu , Yilong Xiao , Yang Xie , Yang Lan , Jiayi Li , Yi Zhao , Meng Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solid fuel combustion in rural residences constitutes a critical environmental determinant of population health disparities in northern China. While multiple initiatives promoting clean energy adoption have been implemented, the geographical heterogeneity in policy-derived indoor health benefits and their distributional equity remain poorly understudied. By integrating the technology optimization model with the health economy model, this study evaluated how rural household energy transitions influence indoor pollution exposure, population health outcomes, and the distribution of health improvements across provinces. Findings demonstrate that, besides reducing CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, transitioning to clean fuels would substantially avoid approximately 76,000 pollution-related mortalities in 2035, and substantially narrow interprovincial disparities in health outcomes. Specifically, Shandong would achieve the most considerable absolute cumulative health benefits (206 billion USD, 26.8 % of the regional total), and Beijing shows the highest relative gain (138.8 %). Tianjin attains the highest benefit-cost ratio (6.64) by 2035 in the Rapid scenario, whereas Shanxi's ratio is the lowest due to high transition costs. Results underscore the need for regionally tailored clean energy policies targeting the rural residential sector to maximize emission reductions, enhance public health, and promote interprovincial health equity in clean energy transitions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"63 ","pages":"Pages 1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145941460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.011
Seok Peng Ngan , Sue Lin Ngan , DongHui Zhao , Puan Yatim , Mohd Helmi Ali , Hon Loong Lam
Governance, a core pillar of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks, is essential for promoting accountability, transparency, and ethical management. Despite its significance, the governance dimension remains less developed than the environmental and social dimensions. This gap arises from divergent interpretations, inconsistent standards, and changing stakeholder expectations. The comparability of ESG ratings is undermined, oversight mechanisms are weakened, and the risk of greenwashing increases. These challenges erode stakeholder trust and reduce the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives. In response to these challenges, this study introduces the Governance–Life Cycle Assessment (G-LCA) framework, which integrates life cycle thinking into governance assessment. The methodology begins with textual analysis of international ESG standards to identify a universal set of governance indicators. Expert-derived weightings are then assigned to these indicators for the agriculture, food, and electronics industries using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). A composite Governance Index (GI) is developed, and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) is applied to construct governance impact categories. The framework is demonstrated through a case study of Malaysia's palm oil sector. Results are validated against SPOTT transparency scores and Sustainalytics ESG Risk ratings, strengthening the robustness and credibility of the G-LCA framework. The results highlight the governance strengths within an organization and also expose bottlenecks and gaps that require further attention to ensure timely improvement. A comparative analysis highlights how governance priorities vary across organizations, demonstrating the framework's ability to capture sector-specific contexts and governance dynamics. The study concludes that the G-LCA framework provides a systematic, replicable, and scalable approach to governance assessment. It enables cross-industry benchmarking, strengthens the comparability of ESG reporting, and aligns governance practices with stakeholder expectations. The outcome of this work enables practitioners to identify governance hotspots and bottlenecks in improving sustainability initiatives, informs policymakers in developing consistent and effective governance standards, and supports researchers in advancing theoretical and empirical studies on ESG governance.
{"title":"Pioneering sustainable governance reporting: A novel governance-life cycle assessment framework","authors":"Seok Peng Ngan , Sue Lin Ngan , DongHui Zhao , Puan Yatim , Mohd Helmi Ali , Hon Loong Lam","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Governance, a core pillar of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks, is essential for promoting accountability, transparency, and ethical management. Despite its significance, the governance dimension remains less developed than the environmental and social dimensions. This gap arises from divergent interpretations, inconsistent standards, and changing stakeholder expectations. The comparability of ESG ratings is undermined, oversight mechanisms are weakened, and the risk of greenwashing increases. These challenges erode stakeholder trust and reduce the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives. In response to these challenges, this study introduces the Governance–Life Cycle Assessment (G-LCA) framework, which integrates life cycle thinking into governance assessment. The methodology begins with textual analysis of international ESG standards to identify a universal set of governance indicators. Expert-derived weightings are then assigned to these indicators for the agriculture, food, and electronics industries using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). A composite Governance Index (GI) is developed, and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) is applied to construct governance impact categories. The framework is demonstrated through a case study of Malaysia's palm oil sector. Results are validated against SPOTT transparency scores and Sustainalytics ESG Risk ratings, strengthening the robustness and credibility of the G-LCA framework. The results highlight the governance strengths within an organization and also expose bottlenecks and gaps that require further attention to ensure timely improvement. A comparative analysis highlights how governance priorities vary across organizations, demonstrating the framework's ability to capture sector-specific contexts and governance dynamics. The study concludes that the G-LCA framework provides a systematic, replicable, and scalable approach to governance assessment. It enables cross-industry benchmarking, strengthens the comparability of ESG reporting, and aligns governance practices with stakeholder expectations. The outcome of this work enables practitioners to identify governance hotspots and bottlenecks in improving sustainability initiatives, informs policymakers in developing consistent and effective governance standards, and supports researchers in advancing theoretical and empirical studies on ESG governance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"63 ","pages":"Pages 34-51"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.002
Ahmed Refaat Elmasry , Miguel Moldes , Gyu-Eun Cho , Carmen R.Tubio , Pablo Acuña , Gianluigi Creonti , Ali Rezaei , Diogo Garcia , Ilaria Bolliri , Daniele Pullini , Simone Barletta , Giulia Molinari , Dustin Holohan , Ozlem Turkarslan , Feride Nur Sasal , Mathieu Chirat , Théo Remy-Lorit , Luciano Macera , Merkur Smajlaj , Engy Ghoniem , Ahmed Elmarakbi
This study introduces a novel integrated circular design framework that embeds different methodologies, including eco-design strategies, material selection strategies, design for assembly/disassembly, design for recycling, and multi-parameter engineering optimisation, into the earliest stages of development across 11 industrial use cases (UCs). By linking functional lightweighting, design and advanced graphene-related material (GRM)-based multifunctional (GRM-bM) solutions in a unified assessment approach, a demonstration is presented of how qualitative and cross-sector convergence can deliver high-performance products with enhanced recyclability and reduced environmental burden without relying on post hoc LCA. The novelty of this work lies not only in the conceptual advancement of a circular design framework but also in its practical implementation within operational and industrial environments involving complex graphene and GRM-bM systems. This work presents a scalable approach for integrating sustainability into material-intensive systems, from concept to pre-production. Technical and environmental specifications of the UCs, encompassing the automotive, aerospace, water treatment, hydrogen storage, and energy generation sectors, have been considered. A conceptual study has provided a realistic manufacturing scenario and cost analysis, ensuring the feasibility and practicality of the proposed solutions. Furthermore, eco-design concepts are presented to optimise advanced graphene and GRM-bM, feasibility, manufacturing technologies, and recyclability. In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDG), this work contributes to delivering graphene-enabled components that maintain mechanical integrity, cut mass by up to 22 %, and achieve projected recyclability above 90 %. In comparison, conceptual manufacturing studies indicate a 20 % energy-saving and 10 % cost reduction. Collectively, these results demonstrate a transferable, scale-ready pathway to high-performance materials that meet the EU Green Deal and UN-SDG ambitions.
{"title":"A comprehensive circular design framework for graphene-enhanced industrial systems: cross-sectoral methodology and multi-criteria evaluation","authors":"Ahmed Refaat Elmasry , Miguel Moldes , Gyu-Eun Cho , Carmen R.Tubio , Pablo Acuña , Gianluigi Creonti , Ali Rezaei , Diogo Garcia , Ilaria Bolliri , Daniele Pullini , Simone Barletta , Giulia Molinari , Dustin Holohan , Ozlem Turkarslan , Feride Nur Sasal , Mathieu Chirat , Théo Remy-Lorit , Luciano Macera , Merkur Smajlaj , Engy Ghoniem , Ahmed Elmarakbi","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study introduces a novel integrated circular design framework that embeds different methodologies, including eco-design strategies, material selection strategies, design for assembly/disassembly, design for recycling, and multi-parameter engineering optimisation, into the earliest stages of development across 11 industrial use cases (UCs). By linking functional lightweighting, design and advanced graphene-related material (GRM)-based multifunctional (GRM-bM) solutions in a unified assessment approach, a demonstration is presented of how qualitative and cross-sector convergence can deliver high-performance products with enhanced recyclability and reduced environmental burden without relying on post hoc LCA. The novelty of this work lies not only in the conceptual advancement of a circular design framework but also in its practical implementation within operational and industrial environments involving complex graphene and GRM-bM systems. This work presents a scalable approach for integrating sustainability into material-intensive systems, from concept to pre-production. Technical and environmental specifications of the UCs, encompassing the automotive, aerospace, water treatment, hydrogen storage, and energy generation sectors, have been considered. A conceptual study has provided a realistic manufacturing scenario and cost analysis, ensuring the feasibility and practicality of the proposed solutions. Furthermore, eco-design concepts are presented to optimise advanced graphene and GRM-bM, feasibility, manufacturing technologies, and recyclability. In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDG), this work contributes to delivering graphene-enabled components that maintain mechanical integrity, cut mass by up to 22 %, and achieve projected recyclability above 90 %. In comparison, conceptual manufacturing studies indicate a 20 % energy-saving and 10 % cost reduction. Collectively, these results demonstrate a transferable, scale-ready pathway to high-performance materials that meet the EU Green Deal and UN-SDG ambitions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"62 ","pages":"Pages 84-116"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.010
Armin Siegrist , Joseph Dumpler , Jing Huo , Ashley Green , Paride Azzari , Joachim Baumann , Moritz Goessler , Stephan Pfister , Alexander Mathys
The central dietary role of proteins and the high environmental burden of animal-based food require a transition to more sustainable protein sources. Plant protein extracts are the primary commercial alternatives, yet their environmental impacts remain poorly quantified. We present the first regionalized life cycle assessment of soy, pea, and wheat proteins, based on a harmonized modelling platform to evaluate 19 global value chains supplying the European market. The model relies on fully parameterized foreground inventories to assess the uncertainty and model sensitivity related to variable process efficiencies, methodological choices (e.g., economic allocation), and transport distances through Monte-Carlo analysis. Water stress, health impacts through particulate matter emissions, and land-use-related biodiversity loss were quantified based on country-specific characterization factors along with global warming impacts. Resulting environmental impacts vary by up to three orders of magnitude. These wide ranges underscore how regional factors like energy systems and climatic conditions critically determine environmental footprints, necessitating transparency for downstream manufacturers. Additionally, results for single value chains varied by a factor of 1.5 to 3, highlighting the relevance of efficient process design for minimizing environmental impacts. A global sensitivity analysis reveals that protein content in raw materials, extraction yields, renewable energy, and transport are the primary leverage points for reducing impacts across all value chains. Our publicly available modelling platform and dataset can readily be applied to other plant protein value chains to optimize protein processing in the future.
{"title":"A parametric LCA platform for modelling environmental impacts in plant protein processing: Application to pea, soy, and wheat protein isolates and concentrates","authors":"Armin Siegrist , Joseph Dumpler , Jing Huo , Ashley Green , Paride Azzari , Joachim Baumann , Moritz Goessler , Stephan Pfister , Alexander Mathys","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The central dietary role of proteins and the high environmental burden of animal-based food require a transition to more sustainable protein sources. Plant protein extracts are the primary commercial alternatives, yet their environmental impacts remain poorly quantified. We present the first regionalized life cycle assessment of soy, pea, and wheat proteins, based on a harmonized modelling platform to evaluate 19 global value chains supplying the European market. The model relies on fully parameterized foreground inventories to assess the uncertainty and model sensitivity related to variable process efficiencies, methodological choices (e.g., economic allocation), and transport distances through Monte-Carlo analysis. Water stress, health impacts through particulate matter emissions, and land-use-related biodiversity loss were quantified based on country-specific characterization factors along with global warming impacts. Resulting environmental impacts vary by up to three orders of magnitude. These wide ranges underscore how regional factors like energy systems and climatic conditions critically determine environmental footprints, necessitating transparency for downstream manufacturers. Additionally, results for single value chains varied by a factor of 1.5 to 3, highlighting the relevance of efficient process design for minimizing environmental impacts. A global sensitivity analysis reveals that protein content in raw materials, extraction yields, renewable energy, and transport are the primary leverage points for reducing impacts across all value chains. Our publicly available modelling platform and dataset can readily be applied to other plant protein value chains to optimize protein processing in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"62 ","pages":"Pages 127-138"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.009
Shuxin Xie , Fanxin Meng , Diling Liang , Yuliang Wang , Yajing Zhang , Hui Li , Sai Liang , Lixiao Zhang , Zhifeng Yang
China faces the challenge of advancing socioeconomic development while mitigating biodiversity loss to fulfill the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. As a key socioeconomic factor, economic structure transition would significantly influence production processes and the associated biodiversity loss. Since such loss often transcends administrative boundaries through interlinked production activities, it is essential to examine the impacts of economic structure transition from a supply chain perspective. This study innovatively reveals how multi-regional economic structure transitions contributed to changes in provincial biodiversity loss along China's supply chains. Focusing systematically on land-driven biodiversity loss (LBL) and carbon-driven biodiversity loss (CBL), we find that overall losses declined by 33.8 % from 2007 to 2017 due to economic structure transition. Less developed western provinces mainly contributed to LBL reductions (46.9 %), while CBL reductions were primarily led by the more developed eastern provinces (72.2 %). Specifically, western China accounted for 71.2 % and 64.7 % of the national LBL reduction resulting from transitions in local production and final demand structures, respectively. In contrast, economic structure transitions in the North and East Coast regions played a critical role in mitigating both LBL and CBL in other regions. Unfortunately, production structure changes in the west and center of China induced external CBL increments during the study period. Our findings highlight economic structure transition as a strategic pathway for biodiversity conservation in China. The proposed framework can support spatially explicit policymaking and foster cross-regional cooperation that aligns socioeconomic development with biodiversity goals.
{"title":"How economic structure transitions drive biodiversity loss: Evidence from China's supply chains","authors":"Shuxin Xie , Fanxin Meng , Diling Liang , Yuliang Wang , Yajing Zhang , Hui Li , Sai Liang , Lixiao Zhang , Zhifeng Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>China faces the challenge of advancing socioeconomic development while mitigating biodiversity loss to fulfill the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. As a key socioeconomic factor, economic structure transition would significantly influence production processes and the associated biodiversity loss. Since such loss often transcends administrative boundaries through interlinked production activities, it is essential to examine the impacts of economic structure transition from a supply chain perspective. This study innovatively reveals how multi-regional economic structure transitions contributed to changes in provincial biodiversity loss along China's supply chains. Focusing systematically on land-driven biodiversity loss (LBL) and carbon-driven biodiversity loss (CBL), we find that overall losses declined by 33.8 % from 2007 to 2017 due to economic structure transition. Less developed western provinces mainly contributed to LBL reductions (46.9 %), while CBL reductions were primarily led by the more developed eastern provinces (72.2 %). Specifically, western China accounted for 71.2 % and 64.7 % of the national LBL reduction resulting from transitions in local production and final demand structures, respectively. In contrast, economic structure transitions in the North and East Coast regions played a critical role in mitigating both LBL and CBL in other regions. Unfortunately, production structure changes in the west and center of China induced external CBL increments during the study period. Our findings highlight economic structure transition as a strategic pathway for biodiversity conservation in China. The proposed framework can support spatially explicit policymaking and foster cross-regional cooperation that aligns socioeconomic development with biodiversity goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"62 ","pages":"Pages 117-126"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-22DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.012
Shuxian Zheng , Zihan Ye , Kepeng Lu , Tong He , Yize Liu , Lixiao Zhang , Yan Hao
While global photovoltaic (PV) trade facilitates the transition to low-carbon energy, its supply chains entail significant cross-border transfers of embodied greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, existing research and practices largely overlook the monitoring and accounting of non-CO₂ GHGs, resulting in substantial biases in climate responsibility allocation. To address this gap, this study incorporates non-CO₂ GHGs into a comprehensive analysis of cross-border embodied emissions in PV supply chains by integrating life cycle assessment with social network analysis. We quantify the transfer pathways of embodied carbon emissions across global PV supply chain segments and major economies. The results reveal that although non-CO₂ GHGs contribute a minor share of total emissions, their exclusion leads to a 20 %–28 % underestimation of emission impacts in silicon wafer and module production stages, while carbon leakage in economies like China is understated by 14 %–20 %. The embodied carbon network of PV supply chains exhibits distinct small-world characteristics and regional modular structures, with China dominating mid-to-downstream sectors, whereas Europe and the U.S. outsource high-carbon segments to shift emission burdens. Scenario analysis further demonstrates that extreme climate policies, while effective in curbing carbon leakage, may trigger trade risks, whereas a combined approach of green electricity transition and regional supply chain optimization offers a more viable pathway for decarbonizing PV trade. This study advocates for establishing international carbon accounting standards and policy frameworks encompassing multiple GHGs to equitably and effectively address hidden climate risks in global PV trade.
{"title":"Accounting for non-CO2 greenhouse gases in global PV trade: Implications for climate responsibility and policy","authors":"Shuxian Zheng , Zihan Ye , Kepeng Lu , Tong He , Yize Liu , Lixiao Zhang , Yan Hao","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While global photovoltaic (PV) trade facilitates the transition to low-carbon energy, its supply chains entail significant cross-border transfers of embodied greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, existing research and practices largely overlook the monitoring and accounting of non-CO₂ GHGs, resulting in substantial biases in climate responsibility allocation. To address this gap, this study incorporates non-CO₂ GHGs into a comprehensive analysis of cross-border embodied emissions in PV supply chains by integrating life cycle assessment with social network analysis. We quantify the transfer pathways of embodied carbon emissions across global PV supply chain segments and major economies. The results reveal that although non-CO₂ GHGs contribute a minor share of total emissions, their exclusion leads to a 20 %–28 % underestimation of emission impacts in silicon wafer and module production stages, while carbon leakage in economies like China is understated by 14 %–20 %. The embodied carbon network of PV supply chains exhibits distinct small-world characteristics and regional modular structures, with China dominating mid-to-downstream sectors, whereas Europe and the U.S. outsource high-carbon segments to shift emission burdens. Scenario analysis further demonstrates that extreme climate policies, while effective in curbing carbon leakage, may trigger trade risks, whereas a combined approach of green electricity transition and regional supply chain optimization offers a more viable pathway for decarbonizing PV trade. This study advocates for establishing international carbon accounting standards and policy frameworks encompassing multiple GHGs to equitably and effectively address hidden climate risks in global PV trade.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"62 ","pages":"Pages 55-69"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-17DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.007
J.J. Ma , Y.P. Li , G.H. Huang , P.P. Wang , Y.X. Zhou , J.T. Liu
Intensifying regional and sectoral competition for scarce water under rapid economic growth has heightened water-use inequities, calling for rational water resource planning in arid regions. This study develops a non-deterministic optimization-driven input-output model (abbreviated as IFFP-MRIO) through coupling interval-fuzzy full-infinite programming (IFFP) with multi-regional input-output model (MRIO). IFFP-MRIO can (i) explore optimal water allocation schemes under uncertainties expressed as functional intervals and fuzzy memberships through IFFP, (ii) link the optimization outputs to MRIO to identify sectoral direct and indirect water footprints along supply chains, and (iii) disclose impacts of various water-use policies on system benefits and sectoral water-allocation schemes. IFFP-MRIO is then applied to Inner-Shaan-Ning region in the Yellow River Basin, where five policy scenarios are designed to examine the impacts of policy incentives and technology progress on sectoral water footprints as well as address the inequity caused by water resource shortage. Results demonstrate that (i) when introducing equity principles, the water allocation to sectors to high economic benefits (i.e., construction, other service, other advanced manufacturing, metal manufacturing, food) would reduce by [5.71, 11.13] × 109 m3; (ii) compared to BAU, regional groundwater use would reduce [0.22, 4.52] × 109 m3 under resource sustainability scenario; (iii) uncertainties have significant impacts on system benefit and sectoral water-allocation schemes. The results can effectively balance the equity, economy and sustainability of water-resource allocation at both the regional and the sectoral levels.
{"title":"Unveiling multi-regional water footprints towards equity and sustainability: A non-deterministic optimization-driven input-output model","authors":"J.J. Ma , Y.P. Li , G.H. Huang , P.P. Wang , Y.X. Zhou , J.T. Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intensifying regional and sectoral competition for scarce water under rapid economic growth has heightened water-use inequities, calling for rational water resource planning in arid regions. This study develops a non-deterministic optimization-driven input-output model (abbreviated as IFFP-MRIO) through coupling interval-fuzzy full-infinite programming (IFFP) with multi-regional input-output model (MRIO). IFFP-MRIO can (i) explore optimal water allocation schemes under uncertainties expressed as functional intervals and fuzzy memberships through IFFP, (ii) link the optimization outputs to MRIO to identify sectoral direct and indirect water footprints along supply chains, and (iii) disclose impacts of various water-use policies on system benefits and sectoral water-allocation schemes. IFFP-MRIO is then applied to Inner-Shaan-Ning region in the Yellow River Basin, where five policy scenarios are designed to examine the impacts of policy incentives and technology progress on sectoral water footprints as well as address the inequity caused by water resource shortage. Results demonstrate that (i) when introducing equity principles, the water allocation to sectors to high economic benefits (i.e., construction, other service, other advanced manufacturing, metal manufacturing, food) would reduce by [5.71, 11.13] × 10<sup>9</sup> m<sup>3</sup>; (ii) compared to BAU, regional groundwater use would reduce [0.22, 4.52] × 10<sup>9</sup> m<sup>3</sup> under resource sustainability scenario; (iii) uncertainties have significant impacts on system benefit and sectoral water-allocation schemes. The results can effectively balance the equity, economy and sustainability of water-resource allocation at both the regional and the sectoral levels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"62 ","pages":"Pages 38-54"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-17DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.008
Ajinkya Arun Atkare , Jonathan C. Allen , Minliang Yang
Significant progress has been made in animal production systems to better understand the environmental footprints in animal-source foods by applying life-cycle assessment (LCA). However, prior LCA studies heavily focused on quantifying environmental footprints based on physical units, with less attention on the nutritional value of foods. Given that animal-source foods play a vital role in providing key nutrients, it's critical to integrate both nutrition and environmental impacts to better understand the sustainability of foods. Hence, this study aims to assess the nutritional-based cradle-to-gate environmental impacts of five animal-source foods, including pork sausage, pork ham, pork bacon, beef sausage, and beef steak, via nutrition-based LCA approach. Nutritional-environmental footprint (NEF) was quantified based on three functional units: per serving, per 50 g protein, and per 100 kcal energy. Both ranking and actual value method were applied to assess and compare each food's combined environmental and nutritional footprints. Results show that relative to pork products, beef products generally score higher environmental footprints; however, beef steak tends to rank higher when considering nutrition parameters alone. When nutritional and environmental footprints are integrated into NEF scores, pork bacon tends to receive lower NEF scores than other products under most scenarios. Although the choice of assessment methods and functional units impacts NEF scores and the product ranking, the overall pattern remains consistent. These outcomes provide insights for various stakeholders such as the animal industry to identify sustainability hotspots, policymakers to establish evidence-based product recommendations and certification guidelines, and consumers to make informed decisions.
{"title":"Integrating nutritional and environmental impacts of animal-source foods via nutrition-based life-cycle assessment (nLCA)","authors":"Ajinkya Arun Atkare , Jonathan C. Allen , Minliang Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Significant progress has been made in animal production systems to better understand the environmental footprints in animal-source foods by applying life-cycle assessment (LCA). However, prior LCA studies heavily focused on quantifying environmental footprints based on physical units, with less attention on the nutritional value of foods. Given that animal-source foods play a vital role in providing key nutrients, it's critical to integrate both nutrition and environmental impacts to better understand the sustainability of foods. Hence, this study aims to assess the nutritional-based cradle-to-gate environmental impacts of five animal-source foods, including pork sausage, pork ham, pork bacon, beef sausage, and beef steak, via nutrition-based LCA approach. Nutritional-environmental footprint (NEF) was quantified based on three functional units: per serving, per 50 g protein, and per 100 kcal energy. Both ranking and actual value method were applied to assess and compare each food's combined environmental and nutritional footprints. Results show that relative to pork products, beef products generally score higher environmental footprints; however, beef steak tends to rank higher when considering nutrition parameters alone. When nutritional and environmental footprints are integrated into NEF scores, pork bacon tends to receive lower NEF scores than other products under most scenarios. Although the choice of assessment methods and functional units impacts NEF scores and the product ranking, the overall pattern remains consistent. These outcomes provide insights for various stakeholders such as the animal industry to identify sustainability hotspots, policymakers to establish evidence-based product recommendations and certification guidelines, and consumers to make informed decisions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"62 ","pages":"Pages 28-37"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-16DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.006
Hazem Eltohamy , Katharina Gompf , Robert Istrate , Jeroen Guinée , Diana Bartaune , Bernhard Steubing
Road transportation is responsible for one fifth of European Union's total greenhouse gases (GHGs), besides other environmental concerns. Thus, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is increasingly used in the automotive sector to guide environmental strategies and policy compliance, emphasizing the importance of methodological choices and their standardization. This study examines three recent and influential LCA guidelines in Europe developed through major harmonization initiatives: TranSensus LCA, Catena-X, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Automotive LCA guidelines. A qualitative comparison of methodological choices and assumptions in these guidelines was conducted to identify areas of overlap, divergences, and flexibilities within each guideline. The analysis showed broad alignment across guidelines, with divergences mainly in electricity modeling and addressing multifunctionality problems, where also degrees of freedom within guidelines remain. Applied to a battery electric vehicle LCA, a quantitative comparison across guidelines (based on a basic expected application of each guideline) demonstrated less than a 10 % difference in most impact categories. Furthermore, the intra-guideline choices (flexibilities) were tested in the LCA model, showing larger variations relative to the basic application of each guideline (e.g., −27 % and +11 % change in climate change impacts when shifting to the Circular Footprint Formula (CFF) and static electricity modeling, respectively, in UNECE guidelines). These findings suggest that horizontal harmonization across guidelines is well advanced, but vertical harmonization within guidelines requires improvement. Future improvements could include more detailed guidance in some parts like CFF application to reduce subjectivity, automation of application, and comprehensiveness in impact categories and life cycle stages coverage.
{"title":"Do emerging guidelines for automotive life cycle assessment lead to consistent results? The case of battery electric vehicles","authors":"Hazem Eltohamy , Katharina Gompf , Robert Istrate , Jeroen Guinée , Diana Bartaune , Bernhard Steubing","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Road transportation is responsible for one fifth of European Union's total greenhouse gases (GHGs), besides other environmental concerns. Thus, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is increasingly used in the automotive sector to guide environmental strategies and policy compliance, emphasizing the importance of methodological choices and their standardization. This study examines three recent and influential LCA guidelines in Europe developed through major harmonization initiatives: TranSensus LCA, Catena-X, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Automotive LCA guidelines. A qualitative comparison of methodological choices and assumptions in these guidelines was conducted to identify areas of overlap, divergences, and flexibilities within each guideline. The analysis showed broad alignment across guidelines, with divergences mainly in electricity modeling and addressing multifunctionality problems, where also degrees of freedom within guidelines remain. Applied to a battery electric vehicle LCA, a quantitative comparison across guidelines (based on a basic expected application of each guideline) demonstrated less than a 10 % difference in most impact categories. Furthermore, the intra-guideline choices (flexibilities) were tested in the LCA model, showing larger variations relative to the basic application of each guideline (e.g., −27 % and +11 % change in climate change impacts when shifting to the Circular Footprint Formula (CFF) and static electricity modeling, respectively, in UNECE guidelines). These findings suggest that horizontal harmonization across guidelines is well advanced, but vertical harmonization within guidelines requires improvement. Future improvements could include more detailed guidance in some parts like CFF application to reduce subjectivity, automation of application, and comprehensiveness in impact categories and life cycle stages coverage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"63 ","pages":"Pages 191-202"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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