Evaluation of sustainability using an integrated approach at process and product level: a case study

The present world is facing problems like rapid depletion of natural resources and undesired environmental changes on a global scale. Manufacturing organisations are realising the importance of mitigating the present crisis and are adopting sustainable manufacturing principles. Since it is important to achieve sustainable manufacturing, sustainability assessment models were developed. Sustainability assessment models have their own drawbacks and may not provide clear scope for complete sustainable development. A system approach has been developed to overcome this shortcoming by integrating various sustainability assessment models that are already in practice. This article reports the advantages of collecting the advantages of individual sustainability assessment models and how the implementation of the integrated approach has helped to identify the current sustainability level and the scope for future developments in an automotive industry.     

城市生活垃圾的生命周期管理

根据国际标准化组织１９９７ 年颁布的ＩＳＯ１４０００ 环境管理体系“生命周期评价—原则与框架”,本文对可持续城市生活垃圾生命周期管理进行研究,指出城市生活垃圾应在环境可持续性、经济可负担性及社会可接受性的原则基础上,通过垃圾的减量化、无害化、资源化和社会化管理,实现城市可持续发展的管理目标     

畜牧业“碳排放”到“碳足迹”核算方法的研究进展

全球变暖趋势日益加剧,不仅影响农业可持续发展,而且威胁到人类生存。畜牧业碳排放因其在农业碳排放中乃至全球碳排放中占比较大而日益备受关注。准确核算畜牧业碳排放是制定切实可行的碳减排政策的前提,也为我国在气候变化下承担共同但有差别的减排责任提供话语权。本文基于研究范式的演进,对畜牧业碳排放到碳足迹核算方法的研究发展进行了系统梳理,研究表明,在学者的不断研究与质疑下,畜牧业碳排放到碳足迹的核算方法经历了从OECD核算法、IPCC系数法到生命周期法与投入-产出法的演变与完善,学术界认为区域异质性、养殖规模与管理方式均影响碳足迹;散养比规模化养殖产生更多的碳排放,舍饲比户外放牧排放更多的碳。畜牧业碳足迹核算能够更加全面地反映畜牧业全生命周期的碳排放情况,但由于研究假设、研究方法及研究样本等差异导致不同区域、不同畜产品的碳排放核算结果存在不确定性。运用生命周期法和投入-产出法对欧盟成员国畜牧业碳排放的核算结果基本一致,但运用IPCC系数法和全生命周期法对中国畜牧业碳排放核算中,牛、猪和羊的碳排放量排序结果不尽一致。鉴于核算结果的差异性,本研究对不同核算方法的起源、最早采用时间、特点、局限性等方面进行了归纳总结,并建议后续研究探讨基于生命周期评价的畜牧业碳足迹研究边界的延伸性,标准化畜牧业碳排放或碳足迹核算,避免学者重复核算畜牧业碳排放,以便深入展开畜牧业碳排放其他方面的研究。     

Multiobjective optimisation method for life-cycle design of mechanical products

Manufacturing that minimises the exhaustion of natural resources, energy used and deleterious environmental impact is increasingly demanded by societies that seek to protect global environments as much as possible. To achieve this, life-cycle design (LCD) is an essential component of product design scenarios; however, LCD approaches have not been well integrated in optimal design methods that support quantitative decision-making. This study presents a method that yields quantitative solutions through optimisation analysis of a basic product design incorporating life-cycle considerations. We consider two types of optimisation approaches that have different aims, namely, (1) to reduce the use of raw materials and energy consumption and (2) to facilitate the reuse of the product or its parts when it reaches the end of its useful life. We also focus on how the optimisation results differ according to the approach used, from the viewpoint of the 3R concept (Reduce, Reuse and Recycling). Our method obtains optimum solutions by evaluating objectives fitted to each of these two optimisation approaches with respect to the product's life-cycle stages, which are manufacturing, use, maintenance, disposal, reuse and recycling. As an applied example, a simple linear robot model is presented, and Pareto optimum solutions are obtained for the multiobjective optimisation problem whose evaluated objectives are the operating accuracy of the robot and the different life-cycle costs for the two approaches. The characteristics of the evaluated objectives and design variables, as well as the effects of using material characteristics as design parameters, are also examined.     

可持续发展理论三项进展

过去10年间,可持续发展理论和实践都取得重大进展。在这些进展当中,本文辨识出3个核心的概念:地球系统观、生态文明思想、低碳经济概念,对这3个看起来没有直接关联的概念分析了其中十分密切的理论联系。地球系统观的发展深刻地改变了人类对自身和所处地球环境的认识,被称为"第二次哥白尼革命",从而强化了可持续发展理论的科学基础;生态文明思想从根本上颠覆了工业文明的思想基础,深化了可持续发展理论的哲学和伦理学内涵;低碳经济概念是全球应对气候变化过程中提出的新的理念,以提高能效、减少排放和发展可再生能源为特征的经济发展模式是可持续发展理论在实践的具体化,并具有可操作性。3个概念都突出了地球系统作为一个整体来研究、开发、利用和保护;同时也都强调了对地球表层这个自然与社会剧烈交互作用的生态圈和人类圈的理解必须运用全新的视角和多学科的研究方法。深入理解这3个概念的内涵及相互关系是把握可持续发展理论10年进展的关键。     

可持续发展与绿色产品设计实现的途径

本文论述了产品设计与可持续发展的关系,认为绿色产品设计是实现可持续发展的有效手段之一,绿色产品设计包括寿命周期评价、生态设计和可持续产品设计等。低物质化、再循环、生态标志,宣传教育和政府行为等是绿色产品设计可以采取的方法和途径。     

电动汽车生命周期碳排放评估

在全球应对气候变化、实现“碳中和”目标的背景下,汽车产业全面电动化已成为大势所趋。近年来,电动汽车已经被各国政府视为推动交通部门清洁、低碳转型的重要途径,主要发达国家纷纷提出了电动汽车发展战略。然而,在中国高煤炭发电结构下,电动汽车是否能够实现真正的节能减排以及未来减排潜力如何,尚存许多的争议。现有研究针对电动汽车生命周期碳排放的研究,多以国家或区域为研究边界,缺少对于省级尺度和未来减排潜力的测算,这无法显示电动汽车在不同时空维度减排效果的差异。该研究构建了基于多时空维度的生命周期评估模型,引入了31个省份和不同时间维度（2019年和2035年）的差异性。结果表明：①现阶段（2019年）,从国家层面看,除插电式混合动力汽车外,其他类型的电动汽车均能减少碳排放;从省级层面看,纯电动汽车和插电式混合动力汽车在安徽的碳排放（全国最高）比西藏（全国最低）分别高141 g/km（约14倍）和148 g/km（约3.6倍）。②未来（2035年）,所有类型的电动汽车均能减少碳排放,燃料电池汽车减排效果最佳。在可再生能源发电占比较高的区域（比如四川、云南、青海等地区）,应优先推广使用插电式混合动力汽车和纯电动汽车;混合动力汽车的发展不需要依靠大规模的充电基础设施作为支撑,建议在短期和中期规划中,优先在化石能源发电占比较高的区域,使用混合动力汽车;由于电力结构很难在短期内完全改变,建议各区域和各省充分考虑自身电力结构的变化趋势,选择更加适合自身发展的低碳交通路线。     

State-of-the-art sustainability analysis methodologies for efficient decision support in green production operations

Over the last three decades, new concepts, strategies, frameworks and systems have been developed to tackle the sustainable development issue. This paper reviews the challenges, perspectives and recent advances in support of sustainable production operations decision-making. The aim of this review is to provide a holistic understanding of advanced scientific analysis methodologies for the evaluation of sustainability, to provide efficient decision support. Over 100 publications have been analysed, and a characterisation of state-of-the-art sustainability analysis methodologies has been produced, which includes life cycle assessment and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), along with their applications to three key areas of production operations: sustainable design, sustainable manufacture and sustainable supply chain management. Distribution of existing work is discussed and future research directions are elicited from the literature. The paper finds three trends in supporting sustainable production operations decisions: (a) sustainability analysis has moved to whole life cycle assessment from single-stage assessment, (b) sustainability analysis has shifted away from single criterion to MCDA and (c) sustainability analysis has evolved from stand-alone approaches to integrated systematic methodologies. The paper concludes that integrated sustainability analysis can provide more efficient and effective support to complex decision-making in sustainable production operations.     

林产品生物碳通量的动态生命周期评估

将时间因素和生物碳通量纳入林产品生命周期碳足迹评估,通过动态生命周期分析法(Dynamic Life Cycle Assessment,DLCA),确定林产品生产、使用和废弃阶段替代化石能源的净温室气体减排和对森林碳损失的净弥补时间。首先,建立温室气体排放和封存的动态生命周期清单,评估刨花板全生命周期的碳动态和碳足迹;其次,根据ISO 14040和PAS 2050标准提供的静态生命周期分析法分别核算包含与不包含碳储计算的碳足迹,量化时间因素和生物碳通量对于碳足迹结果差异的影响程度;最后,对比自然生长状态的森林碳汇情境,评估刨花板使用和废弃阶段替代化石燃料实现净气候减排所需的时间。研究表明:①时间因素和生物碳通量核算对碳足迹结果影响较大(223.34%),忽视时间因素会低估刨花板的减排贡献(18.98%)。②动态生命周期分析法可准确评估生物碳和温室气体排放的时间问题,但对时间范围非常敏感(75.19%和113.25%)。③生产、使用林产品以及林产品对化石能源的替代是实现长期气候减排的有效方式,在100a的时间范围能够弥补因森林砍伐造成的碳损失,从而实现碳中性。     

应对气候变化的碳足迹研究综述

由温室气体引起的全球变暖问题已引起国际社会的普遍关注,随着全球变暖成为社会关注的热点,碳足迹成为一个新的研究方法并迅速得到学术界的认可。本文从碳足迹的起源和各种定义入手,系统阐述了碳足迹的概念,并从不同角度探讨了碳足迹的各种分类。本文重点介绍了碳足迹的计算方法,主要包括投入产出分析方法、生命周期评价法、IPCC计算方法和碳足迹计算器等四大类,并总结和比较了四种方法的优缺点。在此基础上,对国内外相关研究系统地进行了归纳和总结,客观分析和评价了当前碳足迹的研究现状和存在的问题。本文还介绍了目前国际上四个主要的碳足迹评估标准:英国的PAS2050:2008标准、世界可持续发展商业协会和世界资源研究院共同发起制定的GHG议定书、日本的标准仕样书TS Q0010标准和ISO14067标准,并以GHG议定书和PAS2050两个标准为例分析了进行碳足迹评估的重要前提———边界界定问题。最后对碳足迹研究的重点领域和发展方向进行了展望。     

A carbon footprint analysis in the textile supply chain

This research work focuses on the application of life-cycle assessment methodology to determine the carbon footprint of different players involved in a supply chain of the textile sector. A case study of a product by a textile leader company was carried out. This study demonstrates that, in the textile chain, the main contribution to the greenhouse effect is provided by the electrical and thermal energy used and by the transportation (since different production phases are delocalised in a wide range that goes from South Africa, Italy, Romania and all around the world, from the distribution centre to the stores). The Monte Carlo analysis has been used in order to obtain, for each calculated impact, not only the average value but also the distribution curve of the results characterised by uncertainty parameters. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to evaluate the impact of management choices such as:

??a change in the transportation modality, from aeroplane to boat;

??a combination of road and rail transportation; and

??a selection among suppliers that allows the firm to cut environmental impacts.     

晶硅光伏组件出口对中国碳排放的影响

基于文献资料,估算了2004-2009年中国晶硅光伏组件制造过程中的能源消耗和CO2排放强度。研究发现,2004-2009年,晶硅光伏组件制造过程中的能耗强度和CO2排放强度均逐年下降。2009年,单晶、多晶光伏组件制造过程中的能耗强度分别为2 629 kWh/kWp和2 242 kWh/kWp,碳排放强度分别为1 829 gCO2/Wp和1 559 gCO2/Wp。由于晶硅光伏组件的大量出口,中国不仅出口了大量的隐含碳,还损失了数量可观的、潜在的CO2减排能力。2004-2010年,中国的隐含碳净出口量由3万tCO2增加到852万tCO2;如果出口的晶硅电池全部用于国内,在其生命周期内累计可减排CO23.4亿t。除2004年和2010年外,国内安装的晶硅光伏组件在其生命周期内所能减少的CO2排放不足以抵消晶硅光伏行业的CO2排放,晶硅光伏行业对中国CO2减排的贡献为负。在多晶硅全部国产的情况下,中国若维持晶硅电池应用中的CO2减排量与全行业CO2排放量的平衡,至少应将晶硅组件制造的7.2%安装在国内使用。若多晶硅进口比例仍保持在50%左右,则至少应将晶硅组件制造的4.9%安装在国内使用。     

Chronic risk assessment of exposure to volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere near the largest Mediterranean industrial site

This study focuses on characterising the risk of exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by means of inhalation in people living in the vicinity of the largest chemical production site in the Mediterranean area. Eighty-six VOCs were initially selected for this study based on their adverse environmental and health effects. The monitoring campaign was conducted for 276 days in three different locations around the chemical site. The analytical method used for the characterisation was based on European standard method EN-14662-2, which consists of the active sampling of air for 24 h in charcoal tubes, followed by extraction with carbon disulphide and GC-MS analysis. Forty-four VOCs with toxicological data available concerning their carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health effects were quantified during the monitoring campaign. None of the quantified VOCs showed average concentrations exceeding their chronic reference concentrations and, therefore, no non-carcinogenic health effects are expected as a result of this exposure. However, the global average cancer risk due to VOC exposure in the area (3.3 × 10^− 4) was found to be above the values recommended by the WHO and USEPA.The influence of the analytical method was also evaluated by comparing cancer risk estimates using a thermal desorption (TD) method based on method EN-14662-1. The results of the 24-h samples for the solvent extraction method were compared with the average of 12 daily samples of 2-h for the TD method for 24 sampling days. Although the global estimated lifetime cancer risk was statistically comparable for both methods, some differences were found in individual VOC risks.To our knowledge, this is the first study that estimates the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks posed by the inhalation of VOCs in people living near a chemical site of this size, and compares the estimated cancer risk obtained using two different standard analytical methods.     

基于LCA的废旧资源循环利用节能减排效果评估模式与方法研究——以吉林省某钢铁企业为例

促进废旧资源循环利用是加快推进我国生态文明建设,完成节能减排目标的必然选择。本文基于生命周期评价模式,从微观企业层面入手,构建产品全生命周期基准流程,引入能量输入与环境输出参数,建立废旧资源循环利用节能减排效果量化核算模型,评估再生产品的节能减排经济成效,并以吉林省某钢铁企业为例,评估"废钢-电炉"短流程和"铁矿石-高炉-转炉"长流程的能源、环境、成本差异,辨识影响废钢再循环节能减排效果的主要因素和重要环节。结果显示,再生钢铁全生命周期与原生钢铁全生命周期相比,节能588.48kgce/t,节能率为84%;主要污染物中SO2减排率最高,达92%;CO2总减排1 180.92 kg/t,减排率为67%;总成本却高出198元/t。其中,炼铁工序的节能量和减碳量最大,烧结工序SO2、NOx和烟(粉)尘减排量最大,焦化工序COD和氨氮减排量最大,回收、加工处理、炼钢环节节能量和减碳量以及SO2、NOx和烟(粉)尘减排量均为负。成本方面,再生钢铁生产成本高于原生钢铁308元/t,虽然再生钢铁由于污染减排可节省56元/t的排污费并获取54元/t的碳交易收益,但都不足以扭转电炉炼钢费用较高的现状。因此,国家应在电炉炼钢方面给予钢企及相关企业适当的财税扶持政策,在电价方面给予钢企一定的优惠或补贴,并完善废钢回收加工体系等,以促进废钢循环利用。基于LCA的废旧资源循环利用节能减排效果评估可以实现对产品生命周期全过程的资源、环境、成本的优化管理。     

Life cycle assessments of municipal solid waste management systems: A comparative analysis of selected peer-reviewed literature

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a popular tool used to evaluate the environmental performance of municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems. Although reviews of LCAs of MSW have been undertaken to assess the validity of the ‘waste hierarchy,’ a recent review of the goal, scope and results of LCAs of mixed-material MSW management systems has yet to be performed. This paper is a comparative analysis of 20 process-based LCAs of MSW published between 2002 and 2008 in a total of 11 English-language peer-reviewed journals. It quantifies the methodological transparency of the studies and the frequency of use of particular system boundaries, types of data sources, environmental impact categories, impact weightings, economic valuations, sensitivity analyses, and LCA computer models. Net energy use (NEU), global warming potential (GWP), and acidification potential (AP) values for various types of MSW management systems are also compared using statistical indicators.The reviewed LCAs differ substantially in their system boundaries. Half or more of the LCAs either do not mention or are unclear in whether or not life cycle emissions from energy inputs or capital equipment are included in the calculation of results. Only four impact categories are common to more than half of the reviewed LCAs. The human and ecological toxicity impact categories are much less common than global warming potential, acidification, and eutrophication.A financial life cycle costing is present in eight of the reviewed LCAs, while an economic valuation of the environmental impacts is observed in five. Explicit sensitivity analyses are present in 4/20 of the studies, although many more LCAs evaluate the effects of varying model parameters by increasing the number of waste management scenarios. There is no consensus on whether or not to use the marginal or average source of electricity in calculating environmental impacts. Eight out of the 20 do not mention this source while the remaining LCAs are evenly split between the marginal and average electricity source. One quarter of the reviewed LCAs supply weighted results for the overall environmental performance of MSW management scenarios. All but one of these concurred with the ‘hierarchy of waste’ that the environmental performance of landfilling is lower than that of all the other treatment methods, and that thermal treatments are inferior to recycling.The comparative analyses of the NEU, GWP and AP results are based on 37, 45, and 42 MSW management scenarios, respectively. As measures of statistical dispersion, the interquartile ranges of the NEU, GWP and AP values are lowest for the landfilling (AP, NEU) and thermal treatment (GWP) scenarios. The results of the statistical analysis of the NEU, AP and GWP values appear to indicate that thermal treatment scenarios have a better environmental performance than landfilling, while the results for mixed treatment scenarios are less obvious. A comparison of the relative environmental performances of MSW treatment scenario types within each study did not provide a clear confirmation or repudiation of the waste hierarchy.This paper concludes that many recently published LCAs do not ensure that the methodological assumptions are made clear to the reader. Lack of transparency makes the results difficult to interpret, and hampers meaningful comparisons between the LCA results. A convergence in the adoption of particular assumptions that are more representative of MSW management systems would facilitate the comparison of the results.     

吉林省玉米农田保护性耕作的环境影响评价

以吉林省玉米农田4种保护性耕作为例,应用生命周期评价方法(Life Cycle Assessment,LCA)系统综合地评价吉林省玉米农田不同保护性耕作模式对环境的潜在影响。结果表明,四种保护性耕作模式的能源消耗、温室气体排放、环境酸化和富营养化的潜在环境影响分别平均比传统耕作模式减少14.62%、82.82%、15.37%和15.28%,主要由氮肥的生产及施用引起;水体毒性、土壤毒性及人体毒性则分别比传统耕作高7.40%、6.42%和7.38%,主要由农药的施用引起。综合各种环境影响类型,尽管4种保护性耕作模式较传统耕作模式能显著减缓全球变暖,但对其他环境类型的改变不明显,其中水体毒性为该种植系统中最主要的环境影响类型,富营养化次之。     

Measurement of Fruit and Vegetable Losses in Brazil: A Case Study

This research conducted on municipal solid waste management for the first time quantified food spoilage as being 8.8% weight of all officially collected household garbage in the Brazilian city under study. The unexpected size of this waste fraction gave rise to work on the causes of waste and on its distribution over the product life cycle specific to fruit and vegetables. Waste was defined as being the combination of losses and scraps. Administrative shortcomings were identified as basic reasons for waste. At the producer and consumer ends of the cycle, negligence was shown to be the single most important problem. Fruit and vegetables deteriorate during the operations of handling, transport, packaging, storage, selling and consumption. The study detailed the occurrence of waste at all of these stages. In the medium-size Brazilian city, the total waste of fruit and vegetables was shown to amount to 16.6% weight in the marketing stage of the life cycle. At the consumer level, it was measured as 3.4% weight of all household garbage. Specific reasons for this waste were identified at the levels of producer, wholesaler and retailer. Short-term remedies were pointed out that invariably corrected deficient management procedures. It was shown that very simple administrative measures can significantly reduce the spoilage of fruit and vegetables. Long-term strategies involve the creation of sample cases for administration of the fruit and vegetables life cycle at all stages.