IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/ufzdps/324637.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

A guide to applying life cycle assessment tools to prospective technologies at the UFZ

Author

Listed:
  • Zinke, Christina
  • Marin Karr, Sophia
  • Zeug, Walther
  • Thrän, Daniela
  • Bezama, Alberto

Abstract

Great efforts in biotechnology are being made to reduce the use of fossil fuels and to drive a transition toward a bioeconomy. However, these early-stage technical concepts also carry sustainability risks at ecological, social and economic levels due to large-scale biomass flows when scaled to industrial production. Life cycle assessment methods can help to identify these risks at an early stage and take steps to counteract them. This potential has also been recognized at the UFZ and collaborative efforts between biotechnology developers and modelers have been initiated. Life cycle assessment for prospective technologies, however, presents a number of challenges, such as considerable uncertainty regarding upscaling and the conditions under which the technology will be used in the future. This white paper addresses challenges and opportunities of prospective life cycle assessment methods in an attempt to clarify common questions. Additionally, a survey explored the needs and expectations of future collaborations. The paper outlines the basics of the life cycle tools available in RU6 and proposes a workflow for future collaborations, concluding with a condensed LCA guide (Mini LCA guide) that summarizes the methodology and requirements for joint project work.

Suggested Citation

  • Zinke, Christina & Marin Karr, Sophia & Zeug, Walther & Thrän, Daniela & Bezama, Alberto, 2025. "A guide to applying life cycle assessment tools to prospective technologies at the UFZ," UFZ Discussion Papers 3/2025, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ufzdps:324637
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/324637/1/1933292458.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    More about this item

    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:zbw:ufzdps:324637. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/doufzde.html .

    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.