Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Adapting the LCA framework to environmental assessment in land planning

  • LIFE CYCLE SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
  • Published:
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Since the implementation of the European directive (EC/2001/42) on strategic environmental assessment, an ex ante evaluation has become mandatory for plans and programs. This requirement could have significant consequences for the environment. Local authorities, who are in charge of land planning issues, must therefore conduct such assessments. However, they are faced with lack of uniform methodology. The aim of this paper is thus to propose a methodological framework for the required environmental assessment stages in land planning.

Methods

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been identified as a promising tool to perform environmental assessment at a meso-level (i.e., territories). Yet, the standardized LCA framework has never been used for assessing the environmental impacts of a territory as such, which can be explained by the complexity that its application would involve. Four major methodological bottlenecks have been identified in this paper, i.e., (1) functional unit definition, (2) boundary selection, (3) data collecting, and (4) the refinement of the life cycle impact assessment phase in order to provide useful indicators for land planning. For each of these challenges, recommendations have been made to adapt the analytical framework of LCA.

Results and discussion

A revised framework is proposed to perform LCA of a territory. One of the major adaptations needed concerns the goal and scope definition phase. Henceforth, the association of a territory and the studied land planning scenario, defined by its geographical boundaries and its interactions with other territories, will be designated as the reference flow in LCA. Consequently, two kinds of indicators will be determined using this approach, i.e., (1) a vector of environmental impacts generated (conventional LCA) and (2) a vector of land use functions provided by the territory for different stakeholders (e.g., provision of work, recreation, culture, etc.). This revised framework has been applied to a theoretical case study in order to highlight its utility in land planning.

Conclusions

This work is a first step in the adaptation of the LCA framework to environmental assessment in land planning. We believe that this revised framework has the potential to provide relevant information in decision-making processes. Nonetheless, further work is still needed to broaden and deepen this approach (i.e., normalization of impacts and functions, coupled application with GIS, uncertainties, etc.).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. http://www.impactworldplus.org/en/methodology.php

  2. www.ecoinvent.ch

  3. http://www.insee.fr/fr/

  4. See data on http://www.insee.fr/fr/ for the number of employees, the number of inhabitants, the GDP, and the number of tourists, and www.statistiques.developpement-durable.gouv.fr for the share of dwellings connected to sewage.

References

  • Azapagic A, Pettit C, Sinclair P (2007) A life cycle methodology for mapping the flows of pollutants in the urban environment. Clean Technol Environ Policy 9:199–214

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bagliani M, Galli A, Niccolucci V, Marchettini N (2008) Ecological footprint analysis applied to a sub-national area: the case of the Province of Siena (Italy). J Environ Manage 86:354–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banski J, Bednarek M, Danes M et al (2011) EU-LUPA: European Land Use Patterns. EPSON 2013 Programme, Luxembourg

    Google Scholar 

  • Bare JC, Norris GA, Pennington DW, McKone TE (2003) TRACI, the tool for the reduction and assessment of chemical and other environmental impact. J Ind Ecol 6:49–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baumgartner DU, Mieleitner J, Alig M, Gaillard G (2011). Environmental profiles of farm types in Switzerland based on LCA. In: Finkbeiner M (ed) Towards life cycle sustainability management. Life Cycle Management 2011. Springer, Berlin

  • BFF Ltd (Best Foot Forward) (2002) City limits: a resource flow and ecological footprint analysis of Greater London

  • Björklund A (2012) Life cycle assessment as an analytical tool in strategic environmental assessment. Lessons learned from a case study on municipal energy planning in Sweden. Environ Impact Assess Rev 32:82–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Browne D, O’Regan B, Moles R (2011) Material flow accounting in an Irish city-region 1992–2002. J Cleaner Prod 19:967–976

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Browne D, O’Regan B, Moles R (2008) Use of embodied energy and ecological footprinting to assess the global environmental impact of consumption in an Irish city-region. J Environ Plann Man 51:447–470

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao V, Margni M, Favil BD, Deschênes L (2012) Development of an integrated indicator for land use based on ecosystem services. SETAC Europe 22nd Annual Meeting/6th SETAC World Congress, Berlin

  • Chanard C, Sède-Marceau M-H de, Robert M (2011) Politique énergétique et facteur 4 : instruments et outils de régulation à disposition des collectivités. Développement durable et territoires 2. URL: http://developpementdurable.revues.org/8776

  • Cooper JS (2003) Specifying functional units and reference flows for comparable alternatives. Int J Life Cycle Assess 8:337–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costanza R, d’ Arge R, de Groot R et al (1997) The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387:253–260

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Curran MA (2006) LCA: principles and practices. USEPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Cincinnati

    Google Scholar 

  • DATAR (2003) Quelle France rurale pour 2020? Contribution à une nouvelle politique de développement rural durable. Report, France

  • Eder P, Narodoslawsky M (1999) What environmental pressures are a region’s industries responsible for? A method of analysis with descriptive indices and input–output models. Ecol Econ 29:359–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekvall T, Tillman A, Molander S (2005) Normative ethics and methodology for life cycle assessment. J Cleaner Prod 13:1225–1234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Commission (2009) Report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the application and the effectiveness of the Directive on Strategic Environmental Assessment (Directive 2001/42/EC). Brussels

  • European Commission (2010) International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook—General Guide for Life Cycle Assessment—Detailed Guidance. First Edition, Publication Office of the European Union. European Commission, Joint Research Center, Institute for Environment and Sustainability

  • European Commission (2012a) Life cycle indicator framework: development of life cycle based macro-level monitoring indicators for resources, products and waste for the EU-27. European Commission, Joint Research Center, Institute for Environment and Sustainability

  • European Commission (2012b) Life cycle indicators for resources: development of life cycle based macro-level monitoring indicators for resources, products and waste for the EU-27. European Commission, Joint Research Center, Institute for Environment and Sustainability

  • EU (2001) Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2001 on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment

  • Eurostat (2008) NACE Rev. 2—statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferng J-J (2003) Allocating the responsibility of CO2 over-emissions from the perspectives of benefit principle and ecological deficit. Ecol Econ 46:121–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finnveden G, Hauschild MZ, Ekvall T et al (2009) Recent developments in life cycle assessment. J Environ Manage 91:1–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finnveden G, Nilsson M (2005) Site-dependent life-cycle impact assessment in Sweden. Int J Life Cycle Assess 10:235–239

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frischknecht R (1998) Life cycle inventory analysis for decision-making—scope-dependent inventory systems models and context-specific joint product allocation. Ph.D. thesis, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich

  • García G, Abajo B, Olazabal M et al. (2009) A step forward in the evaluation of urban metabolism: definition of urban typologies. ConAccount 2008: Urban metabolism: measuring the ecological city, Prague

  • Goedkoop M, Heijungs R, Huijbregts M et al. (2009) ReCiPe 2008—a life cycle impact assessment method which comprises harmonised category indicators at the midpoint and the endpoint level. Report, The Netherlands

  • Goedkoop M, De Schryver A, Oele M et al. (2010) Introduction to LCA with SimaPro 7. Report, PRé Consultants, The Netherlands

  • Goldstein B (2012) Hybrid urban metabolism models and sustainable urban development. Master thesis project, Environmental Engineer DTU, Denmark

  • Gómez-Limón JA, Vera-Toscano E, Rico-González M (2012) Measuring individual preferences for rural multifunctionality: the importance of demographic and residential heterogeneity. J Agr Econ 63:1–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guinée JB, Heijungs R, Huppes G et al (2011) Life cycle assessment: past, present, and future. Environ Sci Technol 45:90–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haas G, Wetterich F, Geier U (2000) Life cycle assessment framework in agriculture on the farm level. Int J Life Cycle Assess 5:345–348

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hauschild M, Potting J (2003) Spatial differentiation in life cycle impact assessment—the EDIP2003 methodology. Report, Institute for Product development, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen

  • Helming K, Diehl K, Bach H et al. (2011a) Ex ante impact assessment of policies affecting land use, part A: analytical framework. Ecol Soc 16. URL: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss1/art27/

  • Helming K, Diehl K, Kuhlman T et al. (2011b) Ex ante impact assessment of policies affecting land use, part B: application of the analytical framework. Ecol Soc 16. URL: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss1/art29/

  • Hojer M, Ahlroth S, Dreborg K et al (2008) Scenarios in selected tools for environmental systems analysis. J Cleaner Prod 16:1958–1970

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huijbregts M, Seppälä J (2000) Towards region-specific, European fate factors for airborne nitrogen compounds causing aquatic eutrophication. Int J Life Cycle Assess 5:65–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huijbregts MAJ, Schöpp W, Verkuijlen E et al (2000) Spatially explicit characterization of acidifying and eutrophying air pollution in life-cycle assessment. J Ind Ecol 4:75–92

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hunkeler D, Rebitzer G (2005) The future of life cycle assessment. Int J Life Cycle Assess 10:305–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ISO (2006a) Environmental management—life cycle assessment—principles and framework. ISO 14040. International Organisation for Standardisation, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO (2006b) Environmental management—life cycle assessment—requirements and guidelines. ISO 14044. International Organisation for Standardisation, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO (1998) Environmental management—life cycle assessment—goal and scope definition and inventory analysis. International Organisation for Standardisation, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Jean B (2009) La multifonctionnalité des territoires ruraux: une nouvelle figure de la ruralité et une nouvelle perspective de développement territorial. Chaire de recherche du Canada en développement durable. Université du Québec à Rimouski, Canada

    Google Scholar 

  • Jolliet O, Margni M, Charles R et al (2003) IMPACT 2002+: a new life cycle impact assessment methodology. Int J Life Cycle Assess 8:324–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaenzig J, Jolliet O (2006) Consommation respectueuse de l’environnement: décisions et acteurs clés, modèles de consommation. Report, Office fédéral de l’environnement (OFEV), Berne

  • Krewitt W, Trukenmüller A, Bachmann TM, Heck T (2001) Country-specific damage factors for air pollutants. Int J Life Cycle Assess 6:199–210

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lautier A (2010) Mettre en contexte les résultats d’une Analyse de Cycle de Vie—Développement de facteurs de normalisation canadiens et problématique de la définition des frontières. Master’s thesis, Département de Génie chimique, Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, Canada

  • Lenzen M (2001) Erros in conventional and input–output-based life-cycle inventories. J Ind Ecol 4:127–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lenzen M (2008) Double-counting in life cycle calculations. J Ind Ecol 12:583–599

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loiseau E, Junqua G, Roux P, Bellon-Maurel V (2012) Environmental assessment of a territory: an overview of existing tools and methods. J Environ Manage 112:213–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lundie S, Peters GM, Beavis PC (2004) Life cycle assessment for sustainable metropolitan water systems planning. Environ Sci Technol 38:3465–3473

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Milà i Canals L, Azapagic A, Doka G et al (2011) Approaches for addressing life cycle assessment data gaps for bio-based products. J Ind Ecol 15:707–725

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minx JC, Creutzig F, Medinger V et al. (2011) Developing a pragmatic approach to assess urban metabolism in Europe. Report, European Environment Agency, Copenhagen

  • Moine A (2006) Le territoire comme un système complexe: un concept opératoire pour l’aménagement et la géographie. L’Espace géographique 35:115–132. http://www.cairn.info/revue-espace-geographique-2006-2-page-115.htm

  • Muradian R, O’Connor M, Martinez-Alier J (2002) Embodied pollution in trade: estimating the “environmental load displacement” of industrialised countries. Ecol Econ 41:51–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niza S, Rosado L, Ferrão P (2009) Urban metabolism. J Ind Ecol 13:384–405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson M, Björklund A, Finnveden G, Johansson J (2005) Testing a SEA methodology for the energy sector: a waste incineration tax proposal. Environ Impact Assess 25:1–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Owens JW (1997) Life-cycle assessment: constraints on moving from inventory to impact assessment. J Ind Ecol 1:37–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paracchini ML, Pacini C, Jones MLM, Pérez-Soba M (2011) An aggregation framework to link indicators associated with multifunctional land use to the stakeholder evaluation of policy options. Ecol Indic 11:71–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Soba M, Petit S, Jones MLM et al. (2008) Land use functions—a multifunctionality approach to assess the impact of land use change on land use sustainability. In: Helming K, Pérez-Soba M, Tabbush P (eds) Sustainability impact assessment of land use changes. Springer, Berlin, pp. 375–404

  • Potting J, Hauschild M (1997) Predicted environmental impact and expected occurrence of actual environmental impact part 1: the linear nature of environmental impact form emissions in life-cycle assessment. Int J Life Cycle Assess 2:171–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potting J, Hauschild MZ (2005) Background for spatial differentiation in life cycle impact assessment—the EDIP 2003 methodology. Danish Environmental Protection Agency, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • Potting J, Schöpp W, Blok K, Hauschild M (1998) Site-dependent life-cycle impact assessment of acidification. J Ind Ecol 2:63–87

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reap J, Roman F, Duncan S, Bras B (2008) A survey of unresolved problems in life cycle assessment. Part 2: impact assessment and interpretation. Int J Life Cycle Assess 13:374–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rebitzer G, Ekvall T, Frischknecht R et al (2004) Life cycle assessment—part I: framework, goal and scope definition, inventory analysis and applications. Environ Int 30:701–720

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reidsma P, König H, Feng S et al (2011) Methods and tools for integrated assessment of land use policies on sustainable development in developing countries. Land Use Policy 28:604–617

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seppälä J, Melanen M, Mäenpää I et al (2005) How can the eco-efficiency of a region be measured and monitored? J Ind Ecol 9:117–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siqueira Lemos D (2011) Urban metabolism of Aveiro: LCA of the city demands and water cycle. Master’s thesis, University of Aveiro

  • Spielmann M, Scholz R, Tietje O, de Haan P (2004) Scenario modelling in prospective LCA of transport systems. Application of formative scenario analysis. Int J Life Cycle Assess 10:325–335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suh S, Lenzen M, Treloar GJ, Hondo H, Horvath N, Huppes G, Jolliet O, Klann U, Krewitt W, Moriguchi Y, Munskgaard J, Norris G (2004) System boundaries selection in life-cycle inventories using hybrid approaches. Environ Sci Technol 38:657–664

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Suh S, Huppes G (2005) Methods for life cycle inventory of a product. J Cleaner Prod 13:687–697

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thabrew L, Wiek A, Ries R (2009) Environmental decision making in multi-stakeholder contexts: applicability of life cycle thinking in development planning and implementation. J Cleaner Prod 17:67–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tillman A (2000) Significance of decision-making for LCA methodology. Environ Impact Assess 20:113–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toffoletto L, Bulle C, Godin J et al (2006) LUCAS—a new LCIA method used for a Canadian-specific context. Int J Life Cycle Assess 12:93–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toffoletto L, Deschênes L, Samson R (2004) LCA of ex-situ bioremediation of diesel-contaminated soil. Int J Life Cycle Assess 10:406–416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tukker A, Jansen B (2006) Environmental impacts of products: a detailed review of studies. J Ind Ecol 10:159–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Udo de Haes H, Bensahel JF, Clift R et al. (1994) Guidelines for the application of life-cycle assessment in the EU Ecolabelling Programme. Report, Leiden, The Netherlands

  • Udo de Haes HA (1996) Towards a methodology for life cycle impact assessment. SETAC—Europe, Brussels

    Google Scholar 

  • Udo de Haes HA, Finnveden G, Goedkoop M et al (2002) Life-cycle impact assessment: striving towards best practice. SETAC, Pensacola

    Google Scholar 

  • Udo de Haes HA, Heijungs R, Suh S, Huppes G (2004) Three strategies to overcome the limitations of life-cycle assessment. J Ind Ecol 8:19–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United Nations (1992) Action 21—The United Nations Programme of Action from Rio. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro

  • Weidema BP, Nielsen AM, Christiansen K et al (2005) Prioritisation within the Integrated Product Policy. Environmental project Nr. 980 2005. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiedmann T, Lenzen M, Turner K, Barrett J (2007) Examining the global environmental impact of regional consumption activities—part 2: review of input–output models for the assessment of environmental impacts embodied in trade. Ecol Econ 61:15–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiggering H, Müller K, Werner A, Helming K (2003) The concept of multifunctionality in sustainable land development. In: Helming K, Wiggering H (eds) Sustainable development of multifunctional landscapes. Springer, Berlin, pp 3–18

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Wilting HC, Ros JPM (2006) Comparing the environmental effects of production and consumption in a region: a tool for policy. In: Suh S (ed) Handbook of input–output economics in industrial ecology. Springer, Berlin, pp. 379–396

  • Yi I, Itsubo N, Inaba A, Matsumoto K (2007) Development of the interregional I/O based LCA method considering region-specifics of indirect effects in regional evaluation. Int J Life Cycle Assess 12:353–364

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research has been supported by Irstea, AgroParisTech, the Languedoc Roussillon Regional Council, and the Ecotech-Sudoe project funded by the Interreg IV program and the FEDER. The authors thank Cécile Bulle for her assistance and her advice as well as Nathalie Chèvre and Alain Grasmick. The authors are members of the ELSA research group (Environmental Life Cycle and Sustainability Assessment, http://www.elsa-lca.org/); they thank all the other members of ELSA for their advice.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. AgroParisTech ENGREF, 19 avenue du Maine, 75732, Paris cedex 15, France

    Eléonore Loiseau

  2. Irstea, UMR ITAP, ELSA (Environmental Lifecycle and Sustainability Assessment), 361 rue Jean-François Breton, BP5095, 34196, Montpellier cedex 5, France

    Eléonore Loiseau, Philippe Roux & Véronique Bellon-Maurel

  3. Ecole des Mines d’Alès, LGEI, ELSA (Environmental Lifecycle and Sustainability Assessment), 6 avenue de Clavières, 30319, Alès, France

    Guillaume Junqua

  4. Irstea, UMR TETIS, 361 rue Jean-François Breton, BP5095, 34196, Montpellier cedex 5, France

    Pierre Maurel

Authors
  1. Eléonore Loiseau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Philippe Roux
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Guillaume Junqua
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pierre Maurel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Véronique Bellon-Maurel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eléonore Loiseau.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Ivan Muñoz

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

11367_2013_588_MOESM1_ESM.docx

Electronic supplementary material includes details of the list of production activities based on the NACE rev2 classification (S.1), the list of the descriptors of activities as well as some examples of data sources (S.2), the differentiation of direct and indirect burdens from a territorial perspective (S.3), and the description of data used for the theoretical case study (the human activity inventory as well as its related life cycle inventories) (S.4). (DOCX 84 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Loiseau, E., Roux, P., Junqua, G. et al. Adapting the LCA framework to environmental assessment in land planning. Int J Life Cycle Assess 18, 1533–1548 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-013-0588-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-013-0588-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation