Search

International audience

International audience

Life cycle analysis (LCA), as it is currently applied, can lead to biased results. The use of LCA information is particularly sensitive when taken in the context of government regulatory frameworks. Indeed, instead of encouraging companies to reduce their impact on the environment, certifications obtained through LCA studies may produce the opposite effect: as they tend to reward industry averages rather than enterprise-specific results they can destroy all incentive for companies to reduce their environmental impacts. In this thesis we propose an in-depth analysis of management aspects in LCA and discuss how they could contribute to produce good quality LCA studies. For this, a case study was conducted on the sustainability evaluation of a biodiesel produced from Brazilian palm oil within the framework of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED). Three main findings emerge from this doctoral work. The first refers to the analysis of the sustainability evaluation required by RED with a particular emphasis on its application to the Brazilian context of palm oil production. The second refers to the concrete answers produced from the biodiesel evaluated, particularly with respect to greenhouse gas emissions. The third result concerns the identification of latent needs in terms of LCA data quality assessment; L’analyse de cycle de vie (ACV), telle qu’elle est pratiquée aujourd’hui, peut conduire à des résultats biaisés. L’utilisation de cet outil s’avère particulièrement sensible dans des cadres réglementaires. En effet, au lieu d’inciter les entreprises à réduire leurs impacts sur l’environnement, les certifications obtenues à partir des ACV risquent de produire un effet contraire : comme elles tendent à récompenser des moyennes industrielles plutôt que les résultats propres aux entreprises, elles peuvent détruire toute incitation pour ces dernières à agir correctement sur le plan environnemental. Dans cette thèse nous proposons des éléments de réflexion en matière de gestion pouvant être utiles à l’évolution de l’ACV à partir d’une étude de cas sur l’évaluation de la soutenabilité d’une filière biodiesel issu d’huile de palme brésilienne dans le cadre de la Directive EnR. Trois principaux résultats émergent de ce travail doctoral. Le premier se rapporte à la réflexion que nous menons sur l’évaluation de la durabilité imposée par la Directive EnR. Le deuxième renvoie aux réponses concrètes sur l’évaluation de la filière biodiesel évaluée à l’égard de la Directive, notamment par rapport aux émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Le troisième résultat concerne l’identification des besoins latents en matière d’évaluation de qualité des données d’ACV

This study provides an in-depth analysis of the process of electric mobility transition by using two case studies – Norway and Brazil. From a socio-technical perspective, it explores the interaction between technology and society, and proposes adapted multi- level perspective (MLP) models to each country as tools for analyzing the two different contexts of technological transition. The models account for urban trends as relevant drivers in electric mobility transitions, contributing to fill a gap in the literature related to the lack of empirical support on the importance of spatial scales in sustainability transitions analyses. Following a pathway case strategy, a particular focus is given on the causal mechanisms of electric mobility transition in both cases. The aim is to investigate whether the instruments adopted in Norway – one of the world’s most advanced market for electric vehicles – would also be potentially effective in Brazil. The study concludes that the instruments adopted in Norway, responsible for overcoming the challenges for a successful transition, would most likely not be effective in the Brazilian context. The promising pathway for the introduction of electric vehicles in Brazil would be either by the electrification of public transportation, especially buses, and/or the hybridization strategy, through the development of the hybrid flex fuel technology. Este estudo fornece uma análise do processo de transição da mobilidade elétrica usando dois estudos de caso – Noruega e Brasil. A partir de uma perspectiva sócio- técnica, explora a interação entre tecnologia e sociedade e propõe modelos adaptados de perspectiva multinível (MLP) para cada país como ferramentas para avaliar os dois diferentes contextos de transição tecnológica. Os modelos consideram fatores urbanos como relevantes na transição da mobilidade elétrica. Dessa forma contribui para preencher uma lacuna na literatura referente à falta de suporte empírico sobre a importância de se considerar escalas espaciais em análises de transições de sustentabilidade. Seguindo uma metodologia que analisa dois estudos de casos, um enfoque particular é dado para os mecanismos causais da transição da mobilidade elétrica em ambos os casos. O objetivo é investigar se os instrumentos adotados na Noruega – um dos mercados mais avançados do mundo para veículos elétricos – também seriam eficazes no Brasil. O estudo conclui que os instrumentos adotados na Noruega, responsáveis pela superação dos desafios para uma transição bem-sucedida, possivelmente não seriam eficazes no contexto brasileiro. O caminho para a introdução de veículos elétricos no Brasil seria a eletrificação do transporte público, especialmente ônibus, e/ou a estratégia de hibridização, através do desenvolvimento da tecnologia híbrida flex fuel.