Introduction to evaluating energy justice across the life cycle: A social life cycle assessment approach

As our energy systems are transitioning towards low-carbon energy sources and their environmental and economic sustainability are assessed, their potential social impacts must also be determined. These social impacts may be disproportionate to a population, leading to energy justice concerns. The social life cycle assessment framework can be used to comprehensively address energy justice concerns by different stakeholder groups and at all life cycle stages associated with a low-carbon energy system. Indicators for a social life cycle assessment framework that addresses energy justice are introduced and discussed. These indicators are organized by four categories of stakeholders for electrical energy systems: workers, electricity consumers, local communities, and society as a whole. The social life cycle assessment framework allows for variations in justice and equity to be determined not only at the generation stage, but through multiple points in the life cycle of the same energy system, from raw material extraction, through manufacturing, transportation, distribution, electricity generation, and waste management. This framework can address potential energy justice issues along the life cycle of new energy systems and assist in their design and planning for optimizing their social sustainability without overlooking vulnerable populations.