Systematic literature review on the application of life cycle sustainability assessment in the energy sector

Dantas T.E.t () and Soares S.r
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Dantas T.E.t: Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC)
Soares S.r: Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC)

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2022, vol. 24, issue 2, No 4, 1583-1615

Abstract: Abstract Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) is an assessment method capable of supporting decision makers toward a more sustainable system. In this paper, a systematic literature review regarding LCSA application in the energy field was performed. The main challenges, methodological approaches, and sustainability indicators used to perform LCSA studies in this sector were highlighted. Peer-reviewed articles published until December 2020 were considered. The research portfolio consisted of 34 publications. According to the results, the energy sector functions as a platform for LCSA application and methodological development, as the number of studies applying this methodology in energy-related systems grew exponentially over the years. The review suggests that the choice of the life cycle concepts (system boundary, impact categories, etc.) is a critical point, as basically, every study presented different characteristics of life cycle studies. An even bigger diversity regarding sustainability indicators was found, especially regarding the social and economic pillars. A trend in the application of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to integrate results and facilitate decision- and policy-making processes was identified. Future studies could focus on the integration between LCSA other methods, identify solutions for the system boundaries interaction across sustainability dimensions, and develop further case studies, specially by combining LCSA and MCDA.

Keywords: Sustainability; Energy; Energy sector; Life cycle sustainability assessment; Life cycle thinking; Systematic literature review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01559-x

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