Search

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a highly interdisciplinary field that requires knowledge from different domains to be gathered and interpreted together. Although there are relatively few major data sources for LCA, the data themselves are presented with highly heterogeneous formats, interfaces, and distribution mechanisms. The lack of agreement among data providers for descriptions of processes and flows creates substantial barriers for information sharing and reuse of practitioners’ models. Nevertheless, the many data resources share a common logic. The use of Semantic Web technologies and text mining techniques can facilitate the interpretation of data from diverse sources. Numerous existing efforts have been made to articulate a knowledge model for LCA. In March of 2015 a joint workshop was held that brought together leading international domain experts with ontology engineers to develop a set of simple models called ontology design patterns (ODPs) for LCA information. In this paper we build on the outcomes of the workshop, as well as prior published works, to derive a minimal “consensus model” for LCA. We use the consensus model to derive a description of an LCA “catalog” that can be used to express the semantic content of a data resource. We generate catalogs of several prominent databases, and make those catalogs available to the public for independent use. Finally, we “link” those catalogs to existing knowledge models using JSON-LD, a linked data format that can expose the catalog contents to Semantic Web tools. We then show by example how the catalogs may be used to answer questions about the scope, coverage, and comparability of data, both within and across data sources, that are difficult to answer when the contents of the catalogs are provided independently and inconsistently. We discuss how the use of semantic catalogs can help address challenges that initiatives such as the “Global Network of Interoperable LCA Databases – Global LCA Data Access” are facing today.

Environmental implications of the whole supply-chain of products, both goods and services, their use, and waste management, i.e. their entire life cycle from "cradle to grave" have to be considered to achieve more sustainable production and consumption patterns. Progress toward environmental sustainability requires enhancing the methodologies for environmental integrated assessment and promoting their use in different domains. In the context of Life Cycle Assessment of products, in the last years, several methodologies have been developed for Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) and some efforts have been made towards their harmonisation. In this context, the Joint research centre (JRC) of the European Commission led a “science to decision support” process which resulted in the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook. The Handbook provides guidelines to methods and assessments to assess emissions into air, water and soil, as well as the natural resources consumed in terms of their contributions to different impacts on human health, natural environment, and availability of resources. Those guidelines come from a comprehensive process of selection of methods based on a set of scientific and stakeholder acceptance criteria and involving experts, advisory groups and the public. In this “from science to decision support” process a number of research needs, critical issues and challenges for LCIA emerged and are presented here as a basis for development, both in terms of comprehensiveness of the impact coverage and of the further mainstreaming of sustainability concept., JRC.H.8-Sustainability Assessment

La adecuada gestión de problemas complejos y de alta relevancia pública, como los relativos a la mejora del medio ambiente y de los estándares de sostenibilidad, requiere de la utilización de metodologías participativas e integradoras. Bajo este supuesto, se ha desarrollado la aproximación metodológica llamada «evaluación ambiental integrada participativa » (Participatory Integrated Environmental Assessment), que combina procedimientos de integración de conocimientos diversos mediante el uso de técnicas cualitativas basadas en el diálogo como forma de participación. El presente texto describe y obtiene conclusiones a partir de la comparación de cuatro casos de este tipo llevados a cabo en Cataluña. L'adequada gestió de problemes complexes i d'alta rellevància pública com els relatius a la millora del medi ambient i dels estàndars de sostenibilitat requereix la utilització de metodologies participatives i integradores. Amb aquest supòsit, s'ha desenvolupat la metodologia anomenada «avaluació ambiental integrada participativa» (Participatory Integrated Environmental Assessment), que combina procediments d'integració de coneixements diversos mitjançant l'ús de tècniques qualitatives basades en el diàleg com a forma de participació. El present text descriu i obté conclusions a partir de la comparació de quatre casos d'aquest tipus realitzats a Catalunya. La gestion correcte des problèmes complexes et de grand intérêt public comme ceux portant sur l'amélioration de l'environnement et des standards de développement durable requiert l'utilisation de méthodologies participatives et intégratives. C'est sur cette base que l'on a développé l'approche méthodologique appelée «évaluation environnementale intégrée et participative», qui combine des procédés d'intégration de connaissances diverses au moyen de l'utilisation de techniques qualitatives basées sur le dialogue comme forme de participation. Le texte en question décrit et obtient des conclusions à partir de la comparaison de quatre cas de ce type réalisés en Catalogne. The adequate management of complex problems having a high degree of public relevance, such as those concerning the improvement of the environment or standards of sustainability, require the use of participatory and integrated methodologies. A methodological approach has been developed in accordance with this supposition. Called Participatory Integrated Environmental Assessment, it combines procedures of the integration of diverse types of knowledge through the use of qualitative techniques, based on dialogue as the form of participation. The text describes the procedure and draws conclusions through a comparison of four cases of this type that have been carried out in Catalonia.