Integrating social life cycle analysis (SLCA) into safe and sustainable by design (SSbD): a systematic review of data, indicators, and approaches

Social life cycle assessment (SLCA) is increasingly discussed as a socio-economic evidence stream for Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD), but its practical suitability for design-stage decision-making remains unclear. We conducted a protocol-registered systematic review (OSF: 10.17605/OSF.IO/YEFP5) following PRISMA 2020 to assess methods, data, indicators, tools, and SSbD fit/gaps in SLCA practice. Searches covering 2000--2024 (conducted July 16-17, 2025) were run in OpenAIRE, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Dimensions, yielding 7,296 records. After two screening rounds, 368 records were included. Extraction was performed in five independent variable groups using a human-in-the-loop workflow designed to adhere to open-science principles of transparency, inspectability, and reproducibility. Results show a field anchored in UNEP-SETAC guidance (71.2%), but with substantial reporting gaps (27.7% without explicit definitional basis; 60.9% without system-boundary specification). Data inputs were dominated by labor statistics (96.2%) and social hotspot data (92.7%), with strong country-level granularity (90.2%). Indicator practice concentrated on risk- and impact-based approaches. Although tools were frequently documented, key metadata (licensing, maturity, integration details) were often incomplete. Explicit SSbD framing was rare (0.3%); most records were classified as unclear (62.8%) or partially applicable (37.0%) for SSbD. Current SLCA practice appears useful for broad screening but structurally misaligned with SSbD design-stage needs, especially for prospective, micro-scale decision contexts. Priority developments include prospective micro-scale SLCA, standardized SSbD socio-economic impact reporting, and explicit SLCA integration protocols within SSbD governance steps.