Environmental impact accident

Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed, Fred Amofa Yamoah and Adolf Acquaye

Chapter 56 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Energy Economics, 2025, pp 215-217 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Material substitution plays a crucial role in energy economics as an energy reduction and efficiency strategy. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful Design for the Environment tool in this context, as it helps to analyse the environmental impacts along the supply chain of a material to be substituted and its substitute. However, the interpretation phase of LCA can be fraught with limitations when drawing conclusions and formulating recommendations. This is because the substitute material may have greater environmental impacts with respect to some other indicators. This is described as an environmental impact accident, which occurs during the material substitution of an interactive, complex and tightly coupled toxic material with a non-toxic equivalent, resulting in unintended or unforeseen environmental burden caused along the upstream and downstream supply chain of the substitute material. The foundational ethos of environmental impact accident is grounded on the Normal Accident Theory.

Keywords: Environmental Impact Accident; Material Substitution; Life Cycle Design; Life Cycle Assessment; Normal Accident Theory; Energy Economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035310364
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