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Additional file 2. Ecosystem services categorization.

Additional file 3. Soil ecosystem services.

De kennis van de 3D structuur van actieve bestanddelen van chirale medicijnen is zeer belangrijk, aangezien stereo-isomeren dikwijls een verschillende activiteit vertonen. Er zijn meerdere technieken beschikbaar om deze Absolute Configuratie te bepalen (eenkristal x-straal diffractie bijv.). Een nieuwe methode die sterk in opmars is en heel wat voordelen biedt is gebaseerd op het vibrationeel circulair dichroïsme (VCD). Het VCD fenomeen is een gevolg van de optische activiteit van een medium (chirale molecule in oplossing bijv.) en is de differentiële absorptie van circulair gepolariseerd infrarood straling. In een VCD spectrum zit de stereochemische informatie van de chirale molecule vervat, aangezien de moleculen die elkaars spiegelbeeld zijn VCD intensiteiten hebben van gelijke intensiteit maar met tegengesteld teken. Om deze stereochemische informatie echter de extraheren wordt er gebruikt gemaakt van kwantum chemische berekeningen om de VCD spectra van moleculen met gekende stereochemie te simuleren, zodat deze dan kunnen worden vergeleken met experimentele spectra. Op basis van de overeenkomst tussen experimentele en theoretische spectra kan de absolute configuratie worden toegewezen. In dit proefschrift is de sterkte van deze techniek bevestigd; 21 chirale moleculen uit de farmaceutische industrie (Johnson & Johnson) en organische synthese zijn met succes onderzocht. Een belangrijke conclusie is dat deze methode mits de nodige voorzorgen kan worden toegepast in een industriële omgeving en krachtiger kan zijn dan eenkristal x-straal diffractie.

Purpose Social indicators are not easy to be quantitatively analyzed, although at the local scale, the social impacts might be relevant and important. Using the existing approaches for both quantitative and semi-qualitative measurements, this study aims to assess the social impacts of a company working on algae production systems in Belgium through social life cycle analysis (SLCA). By highlighting the opportunities and challenges on the way of applying the existing SLCA approaches at company level, the objective of this study is to contribute to the development of a suitable and clear SLCA approach when a company is considered as the unit of analysis. Methods Based on the list of potential social impact categories suggested by the United Nations Environment Program/Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (UNEP/SETAC) guidelines (2009) for SLCA, three stakeholder groups (workers, consumers, and local community) and three subcategories associated with each stakeholder group were identified as the most relevant for carbon capture and utilization technologies. Company and sector level data were collected using existing documents and reports, and the data were analyzed and scored using a combined quantitative and semi-quantitative approach to develop a social assessment model for the case study. Results and discussion The company appears to perform well for all the evaluated social indicators except the one related to the subcategory "equal opportunity/discrimination for workers" for which the share of women employed is lower compared with the sector-level data. The results of our assessment were further discussed regarding the challenges and limitations of performing SLCA at the company level. Based on our experience, the validity of the outcomes is significantly influenced by the data availability, the generality of the indicators introduced within the UNEP/SETAC guidelines, and the subjectivity in data collection for the semi-quantitative assessment among others. Conclusions By highlighting the difficulties and challenges of applying the SLCA at the company level, our study provides a starting point for improving the quantitative assessment and monitoring social implications at the company level within a regional foreground in Europe.

The concept of the circular economy is being proposed as an alternative for the current linear economy. However, little research has been done on how to integrate this topic within education. Serious games are suggested as an appropriate way to create awareness about and stimulate behavioral change toward sustainable development. Therefore, the serious game ecoCEO has been developed to introduce the circular economy concept within upper secondary education. The game's intention is to introduce students to the challenge of resource scarcity, circular product design, sustainable entrepreneurship and circular business models. EcoCEO has been tested among 42 students, whose written reflections were qualitatively examined. EcoCEO appears successful, at least partially, in contrasting the circular economy with the linear economy and in conveying relevant concepts such as recycling and reuse. EcoCEO also illustrates the importance of the circular economy within the context of material scarcity. Moreover, most students in our case study seem to have a good impression of the role and responsibilities of a (sustainable) entrepreneur. Despite its difficulty level, the majority of the students reported having fun while playing ecoCEO.