ISSST-IE Day joint Keynote: Linking LCA with Planetary Boundaries
by Anders Bjørn (John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada)
LCA is often used to compare small subsets of global production and consumption, such as diapers, food packaging, and modes of transport. This has undoubtedly informed improvements in environmental behavior per functional unit. Yet, these improvements are not reflected in the overall state of the global environment, which continues to decline. To revert this trend, we must find a way to meet human needs with radically lower environmental impacts. In this presentation, I will argue that LCA based on the planetary boundaries framework can be part of the solution. I will present how planetary (and regional) boundaries can be used as absolute sustainability references in LCA, indicating “how much better is good enough.” I will give examples of how such assessments have been used for decision support. Finally, I will reflect on the potentials and challenges for the approach to become mainstream to pursue a sustainable future.
Keynote program:
- Minute 0-5: Welcome by session chair and introduction to topic.
- Minute 5-35: “Linking LCA with Planetary Boundaries” by Anders Bjørn, Concordia University, Canada.
- Minute 35-60: Questions from the audience and general discussion moderated by session chair
Organizers and session chairs: This keynote is organized by ISSST and shared exclusively with the ISIE. It will be introduced by Peter Canepa (Oregon DEQ)
To view the full ISSST program and register for the conference, please visit https://issst.net/issst-2021/
If you need technical assistance, please contact us at industrialecologyday@is4ie.org.