Abstract
This paper shows one of the first example of S-LCA application in the automotive sector by means of the Product Social Impact Assessment method, developed by the Roundtable for the Product Social Metrics. The case study concerns a vehicle component. The main companies involved in the production stage have been engaged in the data collection; therefore, this work gave the opportunity to test the method usability as a supporting tool in the design phase. The main outcomes concern: (i) product system and system boundaries definition; (ii) data collection feasibility; (iii) handbook steps applicability. The PSIA quantitative approach proved to be practicable, even if opportunities for improvements have been identified especially regarding the social indicators granularity in terms of their capability to reflect the differences among the alternative design options from a social point of view. This is a decisive aspect to enhance the assessment of social impacts during the product design phase.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
For confidentiality reasons, the name of the companies is not displayed.
References
Koplin J, Seuring S, Mesterharm M. Incorporating sustainability into supply management in the automotive industry – the case of the Volkswagen AG. J Clean Prod. 2007;15:1053–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2006.05.024.
Zanchi L, Delogu M, Zamagni A, Pierini M. Analysis of the main elements affecting social LCA applications: challenges for the automotive sector. Int J Life Cycle Assess. 2018;23(3):519–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-016-1176-8.
Traverso M, Bell L, Saling P, Fontes J. Towards social life cycle assessment: a quantitative product social impact assessment. Int J Life Cycle Assess. 2018;23(3):597–606. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-016-1168-8.
Tarne P, Traverso M, Finkbeiner M. Review of life cycle sustainability assessment and potential for its adoption at an automotive company. Sustainability. 2017;9:670. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9040670.
Delogu M, Maltese S, Del Pero F, Zanchi L, Pierini M, Bonoli A. Challenges for modelling and integrating environmental performances in concept design: the case of an automotive component lightweighting. Int J Sustain Eng. 2018;11:135–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/19397038.2017.1420110.
Maltese S, Delogu M, Zanchi L, Bonoli A. Application of Design for Environment principles combined with LCA methodology on automotive product process development: the case study of a crossmember. Sustainable Design and Manufacturing 2017, Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies 68, 2017.
Delogu M, Zanchi L, Maltese S, Bonoli A, Pierini M. Environmental and economic life cycle assessment of a lightweight solution for an automotive component: a comparison between talc-filled and hollow glass microspheres-reinforced polymer composites. J Clean Prod. 2016;139:548–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.08.079.
Delogu M, Zanchi L, Dattilo CA, Maltese S, Riccomagno R, Pierini M. Take-home messages from the applications of life cycle assessment on lightweight automotive components, SAE international, CO2 reduction for transportation systems conference Turin, Italy, 6–7-8 June 2018.
Fontes J, Bolhuis A, Bogaers K, Saling P, van Gelder R, Traverso M, Tarne P, Das Gupta J, Morris D, Woodyard D, Bell L, van der Merwe R, Kimm N, Santamaria C, Laubscher M, Jacobs M, Challis D, Alvarado C, Duclaux C, Slaoui Y, Culley H, Zinck S, Stermann R, Carteron E, Gupta A, Nilsson S, Gaasbeek A, Goedkoop M, Evitts S. Handbook for product social impact assessment version 3.0. 2016. http://product-social-impact-assessment.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Handbook-for-Product-Social-Impact-Assessment.pdf. (Accessed 16.05.2018).
Fontes J, Tarne P, Traverso M, Bernstein P. Product social impact assessment. Int J Life Cycle Assess. 2018;23(3):547–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-016-1125-6.
United Nations Environment Programme and Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Guidelines for social life cycle assessment of products, Paris, 2009.
United Nations Environment Programme and Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, The methodological sheets for sub-categories in social life cycle assessment (S-LCA). UNEP-SETAC life-cycle initiative, Paris, France, 2013.
Garrido SR, Parent J, Beaulieu L, Revéret J-P. A literature review of type I S-LCA—making the logic underlying methodological choices explicit. Int J Life Cycle Assess. 2018;23(3):432–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-016-1067-z.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Zanchi, L., Zamagni, A., Maltese, S., Riccomagno, R., Delogu, M. (2020). Social Assessment in the Design Phase of Automotive Component Using the Product Social Impact Assessment Method. In: Traverso, M., Petti, L., Zamagni, A. (eds) Perspectives on Social LCA. SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01508-4_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01508-4_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-06564-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-01508-4
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)