Life cycle assessment of emerging technologies: Evaluation techniques at different stages of market and technical maturity. (15th October 2019)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Life cycle assessment of emerging technologies: Evaluation techniques at different stages of market and technical maturity. (15th October 2019)
- Main Title:
- Life cycle assessment of emerging technologies: Evaluation techniques at different stages of market and technical maturity
- Authors:
- Bergerson, Joule A.
Brandt, Adam
Cresko, Joe
Carbajales‐Dale, Michael
MacLean, Heather L.
Matthews, H. Scott
McCoy, Sean
McManus, Marcelle
Miller, Shelie A.
Morrow, William R.
Posen, I. Daniel
Seager, Thomas
Skone, Timothy
Sleep, Sylvia - Other Names:
- Bergerson Joule guestEditor.
Cucurachi Stefano guestEditor.
Seager Thomas guestEditor. - Abstract:
- Abstract: Life cycle assessment (LCA) analysts are increasingly being asked to conduct life cycle‐based systems level analysis at the earliest stages of technology development. While early assessments provide the greatest opportunity to influence design and ultimately environmental performance, it is the stage with the least available data, greatest uncertainty, and a paucity of analytic tools for addressing these challenges. While the fundamental approach to conducting an LCA of emerging technologies is akin to that of LCA of existing technologies, emerging technologies pose additional challenges. In this paper, we present a broad set of market and technology characteristics that typically influence an LCA of emerging technologies and identify questions that researchers must address to account for the most important aspects of the systems they are studying. The paper presents: (a) guidance to identify the specific technology characteristics and dynamic market context that are most relevant and unique to a particular study, (b) an overview of the challenges faced by early stage assessments that are unique because of these conditions, (c) questions that researchers should ask themselves for such a study to be conducted, and (d) illustrative examples from the transportation sector to demonstrate the factors to consider when conducting LCAs of emerging technologies. The paper is intended to be used as an organizing platform to synthesize existing methods, procedures andAbstract: Life cycle assessment (LCA) analysts are increasingly being asked to conduct life cycle‐based systems level analysis at the earliest stages of technology development. While early assessments provide the greatest opportunity to influence design and ultimately environmental performance, it is the stage with the least available data, greatest uncertainty, and a paucity of analytic tools for addressing these challenges. While the fundamental approach to conducting an LCA of emerging technologies is akin to that of LCA of existing technologies, emerging technologies pose additional challenges. In this paper, we present a broad set of market and technology characteristics that typically influence an LCA of emerging technologies and identify questions that researchers must address to account for the most important aspects of the systems they are studying. The paper presents: (a) guidance to identify the specific technology characteristics and dynamic market context that are most relevant and unique to a particular study, (b) an overview of the challenges faced by early stage assessments that are unique because of these conditions, (c) questions that researchers should ask themselves for such a study to be conducted, and (d) illustrative examples from the transportation sector to demonstrate the factors to consider when conducting LCAs of emerging technologies. The paper is intended to be used as an organizing platform to synthesize existing methods, procedures and insights and guide researchers, analysts and technology developer to better recognize key study design elements and to manage expectations of study outcomes. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Journal of industrial ecology. Volume 24:Number 1(2020:Feb.)
- Journal:
- Journal of industrial ecology
- Issue:
- Volume 24:Number 1(2020:Feb.)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 24, Issue 1 (2020)
- Year:
- 2020
- Volume:
- 24
- Issue:
- 1
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2020-0024-0001-0000
- Page Start:
- 11
- Page End:
- 25
- Publication Date:
- 2019-10-15
- Subjects:
- early stage technology assessment -- environmental impacts -- industrial ecology -- life cycle assessment (LCA) -- research and development (R&D) -- unintended consequences
Industrial ecology -- Periodicals
Product life cycle -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals
Industrial management -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals
Écologie industrielle -- Périodiques
658.56 - Journal URLs:
- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1530-9290 ↗
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1111/jiec.12954 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 1088-1980
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 5005.630000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 12961.xml