Pub Date : 2025-10-09DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.012
Raphael Apeaning , Puneet Kamboj , Mohamad Issa Hejazi
The Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 °C, ideally 1.5 °C, places significant emphasis on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies. However, the global landscape for CDR deployment remains uneven, with significant disparities in technological capacity, economic readiness, and regional ambition. This study investigates how limited access to CDR technologies could exacerbate global economic inequality under a 1.5 °C pathway. Using the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM v6.0), six scenarios ranging from unrestricted CDR availability to constrained deployment are evaluated. Our findings reveal that constrained CDR availability significantly increases median global carbon prices, rising from $588/tCO2 under the full CDR portfolio scenario to $937/tCO2 by 2055 in the most restrictive scenario. By 2100, some regions face prices exceeding $3000/tCO2, underscoring stark regional inequalities. These elevated carbon prices could deepen economic disparities—particularly in developing nations and fossil fuel-dependent economies. Furthermore, constrained CDR availability could also amplify inequalities in energy and food security, disproportionately affecting poorer regions. The study underscores the need for equitable CDR access to support a just global transition to a low-carbon future, offering valuable insights for policymakers designing more equitable climate strategies.
{"title":"Bridging the divide: How unequal carbon dioxide removal deployment threatens climate equity and global mitigation feasibility","authors":"Raphael Apeaning , Puneet Kamboj , Mohamad Issa Hejazi","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 °C, ideally 1.5 °C, places significant emphasis on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies. However, the global landscape for CDR deployment remains uneven, with significant disparities in technological capacity, economic readiness, and regional ambition. This study investigates how limited access to CDR technologies could exacerbate global economic inequality under a 1.5 °C pathway. Using the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM v6.0), six scenarios ranging from unrestricted CDR availability to constrained deployment are evaluated. Our findings reveal that constrained CDR availability significantly increases median global carbon prices, rising from $588/tCO<sub>2</sub> under the full CDR portfolio scenario to $937/tCO<sub>2</sub> by 2055 in the most restrictive scenario. By 2100, some regions face prices exceeding $3000/tCO<sub>2</sub>, underscoring stark regional inequalities. These elevated carbon prices could deepen economic disparities—particularly in developing nations and fossil fuel-dependent economies. Furthermore, constrained CDR availability could also amplify inequalities in energy and food security, disproportionately affecting poorer regions. The study underscores the need for equitable CDR access to support a just global transition to a low-carbon future, offering valuable insights for policymakers designing more equitable climate strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"60 ","pages":"Pages 229-244"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145325691","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 : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.014
Bo Wang , Jianlong Zhou , Fang Chen , Heimo Müller , Andreas Holzinger
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming technology in society and is increasingly seen as a critical tool for addressing complex global challenges, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These seventeen goals, grouped into societal, economic, and environmental domains, present both opportunities and risks when intersecting with artificial intelligence. While artificial intelligence has the capacity to accelerate sustainable development, it may also exacerbate inequalities, environmental degradation, or other unintended harms if ethical concerns are not adequately addressed. Despite a growing body of research on ethical frameworks for artificial intelligence, there remains a lack of empirical understanding of how users perceive its potential, its ethical implications, and the principles that should guide its deployment in sustainable development contexts. It is natural to raise the questions: How do Sustainable Development Goals and goal groups affect these user perceptions? To answer these questions, we conducted a comprehensive human-subject study examining variations in user perceptions across 17 Sustainable Development Goals and three overarching goal groups. Our findings reveal substantial variation in perceived potential and ethical priorities depending on the specific goal, while the perceived importance of ethical considerations remains consistent across goal groups. The novelty of this study lies in combining the AI–SDG context with empirical and perception-based evidence, and our results highlight the necessity of incorporating user perspectives into the design and governance of artificial intelligence systems to ensure ethically aligned and socially accepted progress toward sustainable development.
{"title":"Ethical AI for sustainable development: User perceptions across the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals","authors":"Bo Wang , Jianlong Zhou , Fang Chen , Heimo Müller , Andreas Holzinger","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming technology in society and is increasingly seen as a critical tool for addressing complex global challenges, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These seventeen goals, grouped into societal, economic, and environmental domains, present both opportunities and risks when intersecting with artificial intelligence. While artificial intelligence has the capacity to accelerate sustainable development, it may also exacerbate inequalities, environmental degradation, or other unintended harms if ethical concerns are not adequately addressed. Despite a growing body of research on ethical frameworks for artificial intelligence, there remains a lack of empirical understanding of how users perceive its potential, its ethical implications, and the principles that should guide its deployment in sustainable development contexts. It is natural to raise the questions: <strong>How do Sustainable Development Goals and goal groups affect these user perceptions?</strong> To answer these questions, we conducted a comprehensive human-subject study examining variations in user perceptions across 17 Sustainable Development Goals and three overarching goal groups. Our findings reveal substantial variation in perceived potential and ethical priorities depending on the specific goal, while the perceived importance of ethical considerations remains consistent across goal groups. The novelty of this study lies in combining the AI–SDG context with empirical and perception-based evidence, and our results highlight the necessity of incorporating user perspectives into the design and governance of artificial intelligence systems to ensure ethically aligned and socially accepted progress toward sustainable development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"60 ","pages":"Pages 176-185"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269704","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 : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.016
Leonardo Vásquez-Ibarra , Ricardo Rebolledo-Leiva , Pedro Vargas-Ferrer , Antonio Carlos Farrapo Junior , Diogo A. Lopes Silva
Assessing the environmental performance of systems from an absolute perspective is a recent trend for achieving a sustainable world. We present a framework for evaluating different power generation scenarios for Chile and their effects in terms of absolute sustainability performance. In this context, seven energy transition scenarios to 2060 are analyzed, including a business-as-usual scenario, high fossil fuel prices, climatic variability in terms of extreme droughts, a fully renewable system, different levels of hydrogen production, and a conservative case considering a low growth in electricity demand. The scenarios were modeled using the Open Source Energy Modeling System (OSeMOSYS), while environmental impacts were calculated using life cycle assessment methodology for five midpoint categories: global warming, freshwater eutrophication, marine eutrophication, ozone depletion, and water consumption. The planetary boundaries were calculated following a top-down approach under different downscaling-upscaling methods. Electricity demand ranges from 121 TWh in the conservative scenario to 353 TWh in the case of high (2.72 Mton) hydrogen production by 2060. For the remaining scenarios, electricity demand is around 205 TWh, aligned with projections from the Chilean government. In terms of environmental impacts, all prospective scenarios showed an average reduction of 66 % across all evaluated categories, shifting the main contributor to these impacts from fossil fuels (baseline scenario) to photovoltaic and wind energy. Although none of the scenarios fully operate within the safe operating space of the planetary boundaries, a fully renewable matrix and a conservative increase in electricity demand are identified as the most favorable scenarios. To operate within the planetary boundaries across all categories, the Chilean electricity mix must not only increase the share of renewable sources but also reduce per capita electricity consumption by up to one-half by 2060, relying exclusively on renewable sources. This research is expected to have implications for policymaking and research on the transition of power generation towards the climate targets of Chile.
{"title":"Absolute sustainability assessment of the power generation sector: a prospective insight towards the Chilean decarbonization targets","authors":"Leonardo Vásquez-Ibarra , Ricardo Rebolledo-Leiva , Pedro Vargas-Ferrer , Antonio Carlos Farrapo Junior , Diogo A. Lopes Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessing the environmental performance of systems from an absolute perspective is a recent trend for achieving a sustainable world. We present a framework for evaluating different power generation scenarios for Chile and their effects in terms of absolute sustainability performance. In this context, seven energy transition scenarios to 2060 are analyzed, including a business-as-usual scenario, high fossil fuel prices, climatic variability in terms of extreme droughts, a fully renewable system, different levels of hydrogen production, and a conservative case considering a low growth in electricity demand. The scenarios were modeled using the Open Source Energy Modeling System (OSeMOSYS), while environmental impacts were calculated using life cycle assessment methodology for five midpoint categories: global warming, freshwater eutrophication, marine eutrophication, ozone depletion, and water consumption. The planetary boundaries were calculated following a top-down approach under different downscaling-upscaling methods. Electricity demand ranges from 121 TWh in the conservative scenario to 353 TWh in the case of high (2.72 Mton) hydrogen production by 2060. For the remaining scenarios, electricity demand is around 205 TWh, aligned with projections from the Chilean government. In terms of environmental impacts, all prospective scenarios showed an average reduction of 66 % across all evaluated categories, shifting the main contributor to these impacts from fossil fuels (baseline scenario) to photovoltaic and wind energy. Although none of the scenarios fully operate within the safe operating space of the planetary boundaries, a fully renewable matrix and a conservative increase in electricity demand are identified as the most favorable scenarios. To operate within the planetary boundaries across all categories, the Chilean electricity mix must not only increase the share of renewable sources but also reduce per capita electricity consumption by up to one-half by 2060, relying exclusively on renewable sources. This research is expected to have implications for policymaking and research on the transition of power generation towards the climate targets of Chile.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"60 ","pages":"Pages 186-199"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269705","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 : 2025-10-02DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.013
Giuseppe de Leo, Giovanni Miragliotta
Autonomous cars are increasingly promoted as transformative technologies for urban mobility, yet their sustainability implications remain contested. Existing studies often focus on isolated aspects like environmental, social, or economic implications without providing an integrated perspective. This study addresses this gap by systematically reviewing existing review papers on this topic through the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, 49 review articles published between 2009 and 2024 were identified, screened, and analysed. The results highlight that environmental benefits mainly stem from improved traffic efficiency, optimized driving behaviour, and reduced emissions, especially when combined with electrification. However, rebound effects, resource-intensive production, and unregulated usage may limit net gains. Socially, autonomous cars promise improved safety and greater mobility access for elderly and disabled populations, yet concerns about affordability, trust, labour displacement, and ethical dilemmas persist. Economically, they offer potential cost reductions, productivity gains, and new service models, but high capital costs, regulatory uncertainty, and limited evidence on long-term viability constrain widespread adoption. Overall, the TBL framework reveals strong synergies - such as shared autonomous cars enhancing both environmental and social outcomes - alongside trade-offs where benefits in one domain may create risks in another. The study concludes that the sustainability of these vehicles depends less on technological performance than on governance, deployment strategies, and societal acceptance. Future research should prioritize longitudinal analyses of pilot projects, cross-pillar trade-off assessments, and regionally grounded perspectives beyond high-income contexts.
{"title":"Sustainability of autonomous cars: Environmental, social, and economic insights from a systematic review","authors":"Giuseppe de Leo, Giovanni Miragliotta","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Autonomous cars are increasingly promoted as transformative technologies for urban mobility, yet their sustainability implications remain contested. Existing studies often focus on isolated aspects like environmental, social, or economic implications without providing an integrated perspective. This study addresses this gap by systematically reviewing existing review papers on this topic through the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, 49 review articles published between 2009 and 2024 were identified, screened, and analysed. The results highlight that environmental benefits mainly stem from improved traffic efficiency, optimized driving behaviour, and reduced emissions, especially when combined with electrification. However, rebound effects, resource-intensive production, and unregulated usage may limit net gains. Socially, autonomous cars promise improved safety and greater mobility access for elderly and disabled populations, yet concerns about affordability, trust, labour displacement, and ethical dilemmas persist. Economically, they offer potential cost reductions, productivity gains, and new service models, but high capital costs, regulatory uncertainty, and limited evidence on long-term viability constrain widespread adoption. Overall, the TBL framework reveals strong synergies - such as shared autonomous cars enhancing both environmental and social outcomes - alongside trade-offs where benefits in one domain may create risks in another. The study concludes that the sustainability of these vehicles depends less on technological performance than on governance, deployment strategies, and societal acceptance. Future research should prioritize longitudinal analyses of pilot projects, cross-pillar trade-off assessments, and regionally grounded perspectives beyond high-income contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"60 ","pages":"Pages 159-175"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269703","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 : 2025-09-27DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.009
Utkarsh S. Chaudhari , David W. Watkins , Robert M. Handler , Barbara K. Reck , Anne T. Johnson , Tasmin Hossain , Damon S. Hartley , Vicki S. Thompson , David R. Shonnard
Various recycling technologies are emerging to implement circular economy in plastics supply chain systems. However, the environmental and socio-economic trade-offs of plastics in circular economy are not well understood at a systems level. Particularly, quantifying these trade-offs as a function of end-of-life (EOL) management decisions, including transition of recycling technologies, systems level metrics such as circularity, recycled content, and the need for fossil-derived plastics are not well understood. The present study addressed these research gaps by applying a systems analysis modeling approach that utilizes material flow analysis, life cycle assessment, socio-economic data, and system optimization techniques for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging supply chains in the United States. Pareto-front trade-offs between conflicting environmental and socio-economic impacts as well as those between socio-economic impacts and circularity were explored using the epsilon constraint method. The Pareto-front trade-off analysis revealed the transition of EOL management strategies for PET packaging systems, including changes in selection of recycling technologies, to aid decision making process by quantifying studied system metrics. Transitioning from environmentally optimal to socio-economically optimal systems led to increased employment (by 17 %), wages (by 26 %), and revenues (by 6 %) but also led to increased global warming potential (GWP; by 65 %), energy consumption (by 59 %), and reliance on fossil PET in the system (by 78 %). Finally, the results show that there is not a unique set of recycling technologies to achieve a sustainable circular economy of PET packaging system, instead it depends on the decision maker's objectives and targeted metrics of the system.
{"title":"Environmental and socio-economic Pareto-front trade-off analysis of U.S. PET packaging material in a circular economy","authors":"Utkarsh S. Chaudhari , David W. Watkins , Robert M. Handler , Barbara K. Reck , Anne T. Johnson , Tasmin Hossain , Damon S. Hartley , Vicki S. Thompson , David R. Shonnard","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Various recycling technologies are emerging to implement circular economy in plastics supply chain systems. However, the environmental and socio-economic trade-offs of plastics in circular economy are not well understood at a systems level. Particularly, quantifying these trade-offs as a function of end-of-life (EOL) management decisions, including transition of recycling technologies, systems level metrics such as circularity, recycled content, and the need for fossil-derived plastics are not well understood. The present study addressed these research gaps by applying a systems analysis modeling approach that utilizes material flow analysis, life cycle assessment, socio-economic data, and system optimization techniques for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging supply chains in the United States. Pareto-front trade-offs between conflicting environmental and socio-economic impacts as well as those between socio-economic impacts and circularity were explored using the epsilon constraint method. The Pareto-front trade-off analysis revealed the transition of EOL management strategies for PET packaging systems, including changes in selection of recycling technologies, to aid decision making process by quantifying studied system metrics. Transitioning from environmentally optimal to socio-economically optimal systems led to increased employment (by 17 %), wages (by 26 %), and revenues (by 6 %) but also led to increased global warming potential (GWP; by 65 %), energy consumption (by 59 %), and reliance on fossil PET in the system (by 78 %). Finally, the results show that there is not a unique set of recycling technologies to achieve a sustainable circular economy of PET packaging system, instead it depends on the decision maker's objectives and targeted metrics of the system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"60 ","pages":"Pages 141-158"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145222564","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 : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.011
Anna Boncompagni, Guido Cristini, Cristina Zerbini
Research has identified a “halo effect” in consumer perceptions, whereby sustainable products are often seen as healthier than conventional alternatives. When consumers perceive a food product as sustainable, they are more likely to associate it with health benefits as well. This study investigates the presence of this sustainability-halo effect by examining the relationship between consumer sensitivity to sustainable eating and the choices consumers make in relation to healthy food. Specifically, we assess whether sensitivity to sustainability in food consumption enhances sensitivity to healthy eating, attitudes toward healthy foods, and purchase intentions. Additionally, we also examine the potential correlation between sensitivity to healthy eating and sensitivity to sustainable eating. To test those relationships, we applied an extended conceptual model of the intention to buy healthy products, sending a structured questionnaire to a sample of 1100 respondents. The data were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The findings confirm the existence of a sustainability-halo effect, demonstrating that greater sensitivity to sustainable eating positively influences attitudes toward healthier food choices and the intention to purchase healthier food products. The results also show that the two variables, sensitivity to healthy eating and sensitivity to sustainable eating, are positively correlated. This effect underscores the interconnected nature of sustainability and health-conscious consumption, suggesting that promoting one aspect may naturally reinforce the other. These insights have significant implications for policy development and dietary guidelines, advocating for an integrated approach to health and sustainability rather than treating them in isolation. Moreover, this finding presents a strategic opportunity for food producers and marketers to align sustainability and nutrition in their messaging, fostering both health-conscious and environmentally responsible consumption behavior.
{"title":"From sustainability to health: Investigating the halo effect in food consumption behavior","authors":"Anna Boncompagni, Guido Cristini, Cristina Zerbini","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research has identified a “halo effect” in consumer perceptions, whereby sustainable products are often seen as healthier than conventional alternatives. When consumers perceive a food product as sustainable, they are more likely to associate it with health benefits as well. This study investigates the presence of this sustainability-halo effect by examining the relationship between consumer sensitivity to sustainable eating and the choices consumers make in relation to healthy food. Specifically, we assess whether sensitivity to sustainability in food consumption enhances sensitivity to healthy eating, attitudes toward healthy foods, and purchase intentions. Additionally, we also examine the potential correlation between sensitivity to healthy eating and sensitivity to sustainable eating. To test those relationships, we applied an extended conceptual model of the intention to buy healthy products, sending a structured questionnaire to a sample of 1100 respondents. The data were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The findings confirm the existence of a sustainability-halo effect, demonstrating that greater sensitivity to sustainable eating positively influences attitudes toward healthier food choices and the intention to purchase healthier food products. The results also show that the two variables, sensitivity to healthy eating and sensitivity to sustainable eating, are positively correlated. This effect underscores the interconnected nature of sustainability and health-conscious consumption, suggesting that promoting one aspect may naturally reinforce the other. These insights have significant implications for policy development and dietary guidelines, advocating for an integrated approach to health and sustainability rather than treating them in isolation. Moreover, this finding presents a strategic opportunity for food producers and marketers to align sustainability and nutrition in their messaging, fostering both health-conscious and environmentally responsible consumption behavior.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"60 ","pages":"Pages 111-122"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145222565","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 : 2025-09-24DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.010
Marta Diez-Viera , Eva Sevigné-Itoiz , Joan Manuel F. Mendoza
The decommissioning of wind turbines is expected to generate large volumes of composite wind turbine blade (WTB) waste that should be handled properly to avoid negative effects on the environment. Despite the growing interest in sustainable life cycle management (LCM) strategies applicable to WTBs, circularity indicators are still rarely used to support decision-making processes. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the scope and practical applicability of circularity indicators across WTB-LCM pathways, stages, and processes. A systematic literature review was conducted covering 158 peer-reviewed papers and identifying 120 circularity indicators, which were subsequently screened using three complementary matrices (extended RACER, circular composite design, and wind sector-specific criteria). This process led to the selection of 13 indicators considered most relevant to the wind industry. Although no single indicator comprehensively captures circularity across all stages and dimensions, the Materials Efficiency Metric was identified as the most suitable for the beginning and middle stages of the life cycle, while the Carbon Footprint Formula was considered most appropriate for the end-of-life stage. Nonetheless, both exhibit relevant limitations for decision-support in practice, as none of the selected indicators fully captures composite-specific quality parameters, such as fibre degradation, resin compatibility, or the potential for reintegration into high-value applications. Building on these findings, the study identifies three main directions for future research: (i) the development of circularity indicators that incorporate underlooked life cycle stages, such as installation, operation and maintenance; (ii) the integration of material quality parameters, such as fibre integrity and resin compatibility, into the design of new indicators; and (iii) the analysis of empirical case studies to determine the maximum circularity performance that could be achieved across the LCM of WTB, in order to support the development of circular innovations. These areas are essential for advancing more comprehensive, system-level assessments and supporting effective strategies for the sustainable energy transition.
{"title":"Critical assessment of the scope and applicability of circularity indicators for the sustainable life cycle management of wind turbine blades","authors":"Marta Diez-Viera , Eva Sevigné-Itoiz , Joan Manuel F. Mendoza","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The decommissioning of wind turbines is expected to generate large volumes of composite wind turbine blade (WTB) waste that should be handled properly to avoid negative effects on the environment. Despite the growing interest in sustainable life cycle management (LCM) strategies applicable to WTBs, circularity indicators are still rarely used to support decision-making processes. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the scope and practical applicability of circularity indicators across WTB-LCM pathways, stages, and processes. A systematic literature review was conducted covering 158 peer-reviewed papers and identifying 120 circularity indicators, which were subsequently screened using three complementary matrices (extended RACER, circular composite design, and wind sector-specific criteria). This process led to the selection of 13 indicators considered most relevant to the wind industry. Although no single indicator comprehensively captures circularity across all stages and dimensions, the Materials Efficiency Metric was identified as the most suitable for the beginning and middle stages of the life cycle, while the Carbon Footprint Formula was considered most appropriate for the end-of-life stage. Nonetheless, both exhibit relevant limitations for decision-support in practice, as none of the selected indicators fully captures composite-specific quality parameters, such as fibre degradation, resin compatibility, or the potential for reintegration into high-value applications. Building on these findings, the study identifies three main directions for future research: (i) the development of circularity indicators that incorporate underlooked life cycle stages, such as installation, operation and maintenance; (ii) the integration of material quality parameters, such as fibre integrity and resin compatibility, into the design of new indicators; and (iii) the analysis of empirical case studies to determine the maximum circularity performance that could be achieved across the LCM of WTB, in order to support the development of circular innovations. These areas are essential for advancing more comprehensive, system-level assessments and supporting effective strategies for the sustainable energy transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"60 ","pages":"Pages 123-140"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145222566","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 : 2025-09-18DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.006
Emilia Filippi, Monia Niero, Filippo Corsini, Marco Frey
Although Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is widely used in the literature to quantify the impact of products designed according to circularity principles, the analysis of circular business models (CBMs) remains a niche topic. In recent years, some empirical studies have highlighted the urgency of addressing this issue; however, the literature remains fragmented, and a more structured approach is needed for further progress.
This paper aims to fill this gap through a systematic literature review of 60 studies that combine LCA and life-cycle-based (LC-based) methodologies with other methods to assess the environmental sustainability of CBMs. The findings reveal that most studies rely on conventional LCA, which is frequently combined with Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and other qualitative or quantitative methods. There is also growing interest in hybrid and emerging approaches such as Business Model LCA (BM-LCA). LC-based methodologies are often used to compare the environmental impacts of linear business models (BM) and CBMs or to guide the transition from linear BMs toward the design of new CBMs. Particular emphasis is also placed on adopting CBMs such as product service systems, CBMs that extend product lifespan or industrial symbiosis, rather than CBMs focused on using circular materials. A comprehensive coverage across a wide range of sectors emerges.
The study's implications are significant for both researchers and managers. For researchers, the review highlights the need for standardisation efforts to refine tools for assessing CBMs. For managers, the review offers an 8-step operational framework to conduct LC-based analyses for CBM implementation.
{"title":"Beyond the life cycle: assessing business models for the circular economy through life-cycle-based methodologies","authors":"Emilia Filippi, Monia Niero, Filippo Corsini, Marco Frey","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is widely used in the literature to quantify the impact of products designed according to circularity principles, the analysis of circular business models (CBMs) remains a niche topic. In recent years, some empirical studies have highlighted the urgency of addressing this issue; however, the literature remains fragmented, and a more structured approach is needed for further progress.</div><div>This paper aims to fill this gap through a systematic literature review of 60 studies that combine LCA and life-cycle-based (LC-based) methodologies with other methods to assess the environmental sustainability of CBMs. The findings reveal that most studies rely on conventional LCA, which is frequently combined with Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and other qualitative or quantitative methods. There is also growing interest in hybrid and emerging approaches such as Business Model LCA (BM-LCA). LC-based methodologies are often used to compare the environmental impacts of linear business models (BM) and CBMs or to guide the transition from linear BMs toward the design of new CBMs. Particular emphasis is also placed on adopting CBMs such as product service systems, CBMs that extend product lifespan or industrial symbiosis, rather than CBMs focused on using circular materials. A comprehensive coverage across a wide range of sectors emerges.</div><div>The study's implications are significant for both researchers and managers. For researchers, the review highlights the need for standardisation efforts to refine tools for assessing CBMs. For managers, the review offers an 8-step operational framework to conduct LC-based analyses for CBM implementation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"60 ","pages":"Pages 18-35"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109672","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 : 2025-09-17DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.008
Raül López i Losada , Cecilia Larsson , Mark V. Brady , Fredrik Wilhelmsson , Katarina Hedlund
The European Green Deal (EGD) aims for agriculture to contribute positively to climate change mitigation and nature preservation while meeting growing societal needs for food, energy, and biomaterials. Delivering comprehensive policy action efficiently requires decision-support tools to assess the outcomes of interventions across multiple, and potentially conflicting, goals. By means of agent-based (territorial) life cycle assessment, we evaluate the effect of removing coupled cattle support and pricing greenhouse gas emissions of agricultural products in two regions in Southern Sweden as representative cases for intensive and extensive agriculture in the EU. Regional production features influenced policy outcomes by affecting the profitability of possible production activities, and thereby the economic viability of alternatives to cattle. Production changes abroad were critical for the environmental lifecycle performance of the evaluated policy reforms, given the relatively low environmental impacts of Swedish production compared to global averages. Our ex-ante approach offers decision support by discerning the implications of policy interventions on the regional structure of production and subsequent effects on the environment, considering both regional and global aspects of the EGD objectives for agriculture. Ultimately, we hope our analysis can facilitate policymaking to speed the transition of agriculture towards EGD objectives.
{"title":"Advancing sustainability transformations in agriculture: An agent-based life cycle assessment for supporting policymaking","authors":"Raül López i Losada , Cecilia Larsson , Mark V. Brady , Fredrik Wilhelmsson , Katarina Hedlund","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The European Green Deal (EGD) aims for agriculture to contribute positively to climate change mitigation and nature preservation while meeting growing societal needs for food, energy, and biomaterials. Delivering comprehensive policy action efficiently requires decision-support tools to assess the outcomes of interventions across multiple, and potentially conflicting, goals. By means of agent-based (territorial) life cycle assessment, we evaluate the effect of removing coupled cattle support and pricing greenhouse gas emissions of agricultural products in two regions in Southern Sweden as representative cases for intensive and extensive agriculture in the EU. Regional production features influenced policy outcomes by affecting the profitability of possible production activities, and thereby the economic viability of alternatives to cattle. Production changes abroad were critical for the environmental lifecycle performance of the evaluated policy reforms, given the relatively low environmental impacts of Swedish production compared to global averages. Our ex-ante approach offers decision support by discerning the implications of policy interventions on the regional structure of production and subsequent effects on the environment, considering both regional and global aspects of the EGD objectives for agriculture. Ultimately, we hope our analysis can facilitate policymaking to speed the transition of agriculture towards EGD objectives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"60 ","pages":"Pages 96-110"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145160087","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 : 2025-09-16DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.007
Ryleen Balawanth , Thayla Zomer , Paulo Gonçalves , Paulo Savaget
As companies intensify efforts to decarbonize their supply chains to mitigate climate-related risks, their responses often remain fragmented and uncoordinated, limiting overall effectiveness and missing opportunities for synergy. This study analyzes disclosures from 1095 European firms reported to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) to examine these varied responses. Using qualitative thematic coding, we identified six macro-themes, each representing a distinct causal-effect pathway that companies adopt in their decarbonization efforts: (i) diagnosing climate-related risks, (ii) collaborating within the supply chain to reduce emissions, (iii) adopting energy-efficient practices, (iv) implementing sustainable practices that minimize waste, (v) fostering enablers of sustainable behavior, and (vi) redesigning supply chain networks. These pathways highlight the strategies companies use to address climate risks within their supply chains. Adopting a systems dynamics perspective, we map the feedback processes governing these decarbonization strategies, illustrating how different pathways interact and generate either beneficial or detrimental outcomes. The findings contribute to the field of sustainable supply chain management by elucidating the dynamic interplay between various climate risk response strategies, their impact on supply networks, and their ultimate influence on climate risk performance. Specifically, we demonstrate the iterative nature of diagnostic efforts and associated responses, and how collaboration can drive a continuous cycle of innovation that integrates incremental and transformative efforts. The causal loop diagrams developed in this study provide managers and policymakers tools to anticipate the outcomes of their supply chain strategies, enabling better-informed decisions that align with sustainability objectives.
{"title":"Supply chain management in response to climate change: A system dynamics approach","authors":"Ryleen Balawanth , Thayla Zomer , Paulo Gonçalves , Paulo Savaget","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.09.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As companies intensify efforts to decarbonize their supply chains to mitigate climate-related risks, their responses often remain fragmented and uncoordinated, limiting overall effectiveness and missing opportunities for synergy. This study analyzes disclosures from 1095 European firms reported to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) to examine these varied responses. Using qualitative thematic coding, we identified six macro-themes, each representing a distinct causal-effect pathway that companies adopt in their decarbonization efforts: (i) diagnosing climate-related risks, (ii) collaborating within the supply chain to reduce emissions, (iii) adopting energy-efficient practices, (iv) implementing sustainable practices that minimize waste, (v) fostering enablers of sustainable behavior, and (vi) redesigning supply chain networks. These pathways highlight the strategies companies use to address climate risks within their supply chains. Adopting a systems dynamics perspective, we map the feedback processes governing these decarbonization strategies, illustrating how different pathways interact and generate either beneficial or detrimental outcomes. The findings contribute to the field of sustainable supply chain management by elucidating the dynamic interplay between various climate risk response strategies, their impact on supply networks, and their ultimate influence on climate risk performance. Specifically, we demonstrate the iterative nature of diagnostic efforts and associated responses, and how collaboration can drive a continuous cycle of innovation that integrates incremental and transformative efforts. The causal loop diagrams developed in this study provide managers and policymakers tools to anticipate the outcomes of their supply chain strategies, enabling better-informed decisions that align with sustainability objectives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"60 ","pages":"Pages 36-51"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109671","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}