Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) Section at ISIE invite you to attend our webinar series on “Data, Algorithms and Tools for Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment”. The webinar series serve as a dedicated space to showcase the latest development in data availability and interoperability, new algorithms to improve the scalability and transparency of LCA, and tools for lowering the barriers for integrating LCA with other industrial ecology models.
In this upcoming webinar, we are pleased to host Dr. Stefano Merciai (2-0 LCA consultants | Leiden University, Netherlands) and Dr. Yang Qiu (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA).
Time: March 24, 2025 (Monday), 6-7 am PST
Zoom link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/65054307394?pwd=TcT95xe0ZRd7fA9MObvusLGgunNCV9.1
Below, please find the title, abstract, and a short bio of each presenter:
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BONSAI IO: An Open-Source Platform for Product Footprinting
Presenter: Dr. Stefano Merciai
Abstract: BONSAI IO open-source framework designed to calculate the carbon footprint of products. BONSAI IO is based on Input-Output Tables (IOTs) principles, but it is adjusted to meet the daily needs of the industrial ecologists.
The database can be used directly for calculating product footprints or as a background database for LCA. It can be freely downloaded using dedicated APIs.
BONSAI-IO reconciles detailed physical bottom-up data with top-down data coming from statistical offices or international institutions. The codebase is written in Python and is freely accessible on the GitLab repository.
BONSAI-IO is a multilayer framework, meaning that flows are accounted for in various units such as tonnes, terajoules, euros, and more. Each unit corresponds to a distinct layer of the database. These layers are interconnected through properties of the flows, such as prices, calorific values, and other attributes. Each layer is balanced to ensure compliance with conservation laws.
The database is being developed within the GTDR project financed by KR-foundation (DK). The final version is expected to be delivered in June 2025.
Short Bio: I am a researcher at 2-0 LCA consultants and at CML, Leiden University. I have mainly contributed to the construction of the hybrid version of EXIOBASE. In recent years I am working on BONSAI IO, an open-source web platform for the calculation of product footprints. My research focuses on the construction of multi-layer Input-Output tables and their application to environmental and economic analyses.
Developing modeling capabilities in IAM to assess critical mineral supply and demand
Presenter: Dr. Yang Qiu
Abstract: CMMs are indispensable building blocks for various energy technologies. A future energy system transition characterized by electrification and deployment of renewable energy and storage technologies will substantially increase the demand for CMMs. However, future material supplies may not respond fast enough due to supply-chain issues, which could constrain the availability of sufficient and stable material supplies to meet their escalating demands. In this talk, Dr. Yang Qiu will introduce recent efforts to enhance GCAM’s capability to represent the supply and demand of CMMs. Specifically, he will discuss his latest research on the supply-demand dynamics of CMMs in the context of energy transitions and examine how material supply availability could affect the future deployment of energy technologies.
Short Bio: Dr. Yang Qiu is an Earth Scientist at the Joint Global Change Research Institute, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). His research focuses on understanding the interactions across various human and earth systems using integrated, multi-sector approaches. At PNNL, Yang leads the development of the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM) to enhance its representation of critical minerals and materials (CMMs). His current work aims to examine the implications of CMMs on energy system transition and supply security. In addition, he also has extensive research experience across a range of topics, such as life cycle assessment, electricity optimization modeling, and carbon dioxide removal. Yang holds a PhD in Environmental Science & Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara.