LC‐IMPACT: A regionalized life cycle damage assessment method
Journal of Industrial Ecology, vol. 24, pp. 1201–1219
Abstract
Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) is a lively field of research, and data and models are continuously improved in terms of impact pathways covered, reliability, and spatial detail. However, many of these advancements are scattered throughout the scientific literature, making it difficult for practitioners to apply the new models. Here, we present the LC-IMPACT method that provides characterization factors at the damage level for 11 impact categories related to three areas of protection (human health, ecosystem quality, natural resources). Human health damage is quantified as disability adjusted life years, damage to ecosystem quality as global species extinction equivalents (based on potentially disappeared fraction of species), and damage to mineral resources as kilogram of extra ore extracted. Seven of the impact categories include spatial differentiation at various levels of spatial scale. The influence of value choices related to the time horizon and the level of scientific evidence of the impacts considered is quantified with four distinct sets of characterization factors. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method with an illustrative life cycle assessment example of different fuel options in Europe (petrol or biofuel). Differences between generic and regionalized impacts vary up to two orders of magnitude for some of the selected impact categories, highlighting the importance of spatial detail in LCIA. This article met the requirements for a gold – gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges.
Authors 32
-
Francesca Verones corresponding
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Affiliation as printed
Department of Energy and Process Engineering Industrial Ecology Programme Trondheim Norway
Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Industrial Ecology Programme, Trondheim, Norway
-
ETH Zurich · Institute of Environmental Engineering
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich Zurich Switzerland
Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
-
Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology
Affiliation as printed
GIRO Program Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology Barcelona Spain
GIRO Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
-
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis · Radboud University Nijmegen
Affiliation as printed
Department of Environmental Science Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen The Netherlands
Ecosystem Services and Management Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Laxenburg Austria
Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Ecosystem Services and Management Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
-
ETH Zurich · Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health · Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Affiliation as printed
Department of Civil Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur Kanpur India
Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich Zurich Switzerland
Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India
Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
-
Technical University of Denmark
Affiliation as printed
Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Group, Department of Technology, Management and Economics Technical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Group, Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
-
Stefano Cucurachi Aachen Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) Department of Industrial Ecology Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands Department of Industrial Ecology
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Department of Industrial Ecology Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Department of Industrial Ecology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
-
ETH Zurich · Agroscope · Institute of Environmental Engineering
Affiliation as printed
Agroscope Competence Division Plants and Plant Products Wädenswil Switzerland
Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich Zurich Switzerland
Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
-
Technical University of Denmark
Affiliation as printed
Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Group, Department of Technology, Management and Economics Technical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Group, Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
-
Technical University of Denmark
Affiliation as printed
Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Group, Department of Technology, Management and Economics Technical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Group, Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
-
Radboud University Nijmegen · PRé Consultants
Affiliation as printed
Department of Environmental Science Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen The Netherlands
PRé Sustainability Amersfoort The Netherlands
Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
-
Technical University of Denmark
Affiliation as printed
Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Group, Department of Technology, Management and Economics Technical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Group, Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
-
Reinout Heijungs Aachen Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) Department of Industrial Ecology Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands Department of Industrial Ecology
Leiden University · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
Department of Econometrics and Operations Research Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam The Netherlands
Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Department of Industrial Ecology Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
Department of Econometrics and Operations Research, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Department of Industrial Ecology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
-
University of Michigan · Quantis (Switzerland) · École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Affiliation as printed
Quantis EPFL Innovation Park Lausanne Switzerland
School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan
Quantis, EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
-
ETH Zurich · Institute of Environmental Engineering
Affiliation as printed
Dr. Knoell Consult GmbH Mannheim Germany
Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich Zurich Switzerland
Dr. Knoell Consult GmbH, Mannheim, Germany
Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
-
Danish Technological Institute
Affiliation as printed
Buildings & Environment Danish Technological Institute Taastrup Denmark
Buildings & Environment Danish Technological Institute Taastrup Denmark
-
Technical University of Denmark
Affiliation as printed
Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Group, Department of Technology, Management and Economics Technical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Group, Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
-
Affiliation as printed
Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis Paul Scherrer Institute Villigen Switzerland
Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
-
CIRAIG · Polytechnique Montréal
Affiliation as printed
Mathematical and Industrial Engineering Department CIRAIG ‐ Polytechnique Montréal Montréal Canada
-
Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology
Affiliation as printed
GIRO Program Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology Barcelona Spain
GIRO Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
-
Technical University of Denmark
Affiliation as printed
Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Group, Department of Technology, Management and Economics Technical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark
Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Group, Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
-
ETH Zurich · Institute of Environmental Engineering
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich Zurich Switzerland
Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
-
Affiliation as printed
PRé Sustainability Amersfoort The Netherlands
-
Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences
Affiliation as printed
Institute for Industrial Ecology (INEC) Pforzheim University Pforzheim Germany
Institute for Industrial Ecology (INEC), Pforzheim University, Pforzheim, Germany
-
Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology
Affiliation as printed
IRTA – Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology Barcelona Spain
-
CIRAIG · Polytechnique Montréal
Affiliation as printed
Chemical Engineering Department CIRAIG – Polytechnique Montreal Montreal Canada
-
European Commission · Joint Research Centre
Affiliation as printed
Joint Research Centre European Commission Ispra Italy
Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Ispra, Italy
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Environmental Science Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen The Netherlands
Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Environmental Science Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen The Netherlands
Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
-
European Commission · Joint Research Centre
Affiliation as printed
Joint Research Centre European Commission Ispra Italy
Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Ispra, Italy
-
Radboud University Nijmegen · PRé Consultants
Affiliation as printed
Department of Environmental Science Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen The Netherlands
PRé Sustainability Amersfoort The Netherlands
Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
-
Affiliation as printed
Department of Environmental Science Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen The Netherlands
Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Cited by 252 stored of 256
No patents citing this paper on Lens.org (checked 2026-10-11).