IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i15p7032-d1716269.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How Multicriteria Environmental Assessment Alters Sustainability Rankings: Case Study of Hempcrete and Prefabricated Walls

Author

Listed:
  • Tinkara Ošlovnik

    (Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia)

  • Matjaž Denac

    (Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia)

Abstract

The construction sector emphasises circular economy principles that prioritise eco-design strategies, particularly the usage of secondary raw materials. The growing interest in using industrial hemp as a sustainable building material in the construction sector is driven by its versatility. Industrial hemp has been preferential in comparison to other traditional building materials due to its lower global warming impact. Claims regarding the environmental benefits of hemp-containing construction materials based on the single impact category could be misleading; therefore, life cycle assessment (LCA) studies including multiple environmental indicators should be implemented. This study aims to compare two alternative wall designs regarding their environmental impacts. The comparative LCA study for hempcrete and prefabricated walls used in residential buildings was assessed using IPCC and ReCiPe life cycle impact assessment methods. The study highlighted a significant discrepancy depending on the number of environmental indicators considered, as well as between characterised and weighted LCA results. A hempcrete wall was recognised as a slightly (13.63%) better alternative when assessed by the single-issue IPCC method, while its total burden assessed by the ReCiPe method was recognised to be significantly (2.78 times) higher. Based on the results from this case study, regulators could re-evaluate the appropriateness of reporting LCA results solely on the midpoint level, particularly when limited to a single impact indicator, while producers in the construction sector should recognise the threat of greenwashing when reporting using a single impact indicator only.

Suggested Citation

  • Tinkara Ošlovnik & Matjaž Denac, 2025. "How Multicriteria Environmental Assessment Alters Sustainability Rankings: Case Study of Hempcrete and Prefabricated Walls," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-22, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:15:p:7032-:d:1716269
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/15/7032/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/15/7032/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ip, Kenneth & Miller, Andrew, 2012. "Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of hemp–lime wall constructions in the UK," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 1-9.
    2. Chun Hua Julia Liu & Francesco Pomponi & Bernardino D’Amico, 2023. "The Extent to Which Hemp Insulation Materials Can Be Used in Canadian Residential Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-31, October.
    3. Matjaž Denac & Matevž Obrecht & Gregor Radonjič, 2018. "Current and potential ecodesign integration in small and medium enterprises: Construction and related industries," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(7), pages 825-837, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Maria Csutora & Gabor Harangozo & Cecilia Szigeti, 2022. "Factors behind the Consumer Acceptance of Sustainable Business Models in Pandemic Times," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Reza Kiani Mavi & Denise Gengatharen & Neda Kiani Mavi & Richard Hughes & Alistair Campbell & Ross Yates, 2021. "Sustainability in Construction Projects: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-24, February.
    3. Yudi Wu & Helen X. Trejo & Gang Chen & Simeng Li, 2021. "Phytoremediation of contaminants of emerging concern from soil with industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.): a review," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(10), pages 14405-14435, October.
    4. Chatpon Chaimongkol & Sukunya Ross & Dachaphon Kealkaew & Atthakorn Thongtha, 2025. "Analysis of the Physical and Thermal Characteristics of Gypsum Panels with Hemp Hurds for Building Insulation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-19, July.
    5. Rotem Haik & Isaac A. Meir & Alva Peled, 2023. "Lime Hemp Concrete with Unfired Binders vs. Conventional Building Materials: A Comparative Assessment of Energy Requirements and CO 2 Emissions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-11, January.
    6. Arlen Zúniga & Rute Eires & Raphaele Malheiro, 2023. "New Lime-Based Hybrid Composite of Sugarcane Bagasse and Hemp as Aggregates," Resources, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-20, April.
    7. Kathleen Jacobs & Jacob Hörisch, 2022. "The importance of product lifetime labelling for purchase decisions: Strategic implications for corporate sustainability based on a conjoint analysis in Germany," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1275-1291, May.
    8. Tajda Potrč Obrecht & Roman Kunič & Sabina Jordan & Mateja Dovjak, 2019. "Comparison of Health and Well-Being Aspects in Building Certification Schemes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-15, May.
    9. Alessandra Bonoli & Sara Zanni & Francisco Serrano-Bernardo, 2021. "Sustainability in Building and Construction within the Framework of Circular Cities and European New Green Deal. The Contribution of Concrete Recycling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-16, February.
    10. Turkay Yildiz, 2019. "Design and Analysis of a Lightweight Composite Shipping Container Made of Carbon Fiber Laminates," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 3(3), pages 1-20, July.
    11. Piotr Kosiński & Przemysław Brzyski & Maria Tunkiewicz & Zbigniew Suchorab & Damian Wiśniewski & Paweł Palczyński, 2022. "Thermal Properties of Hemp Shives Used as Insulation Material in Construction Industry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-18, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:15:p:7032-:d:1716269. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.