Tools for Sustainability:  Development and Application of an Integrated Framework

(SusTools)

Research project of EC DG Research

1 March 2003 – 31 October 2004

Objectives and Problems to be solved

Using the best elements of life cycle analysis, sustainability indicators, impact pathway analysis, risk analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and multi-criteria analysis (MCA), an integrated approach will be developed that can be applied in a coherent manner to a wide range of policy issues.

The objectives are:

1) Develop integrated approach to assess, in a consistent and comprehensive manner, the numerous complex tradeoffs involved in environmental policies. This approach will use elements of life cycle analysis, sustainability indicators, impact pathway analysis, risk analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and multi-criteria analysis (MCA);

2) Test this approach with 2 case studies, to evaluate the environmental and socio-economic consequences of possible policies in the EU: Reducing the impacts of nitrate fertilizer, and Examining the options for treating municipal solid waste;

3) Involve the stakeholders (via e-mail and workshops) to determine weighting factors for the MCA and disseminate the results;

4) Implement the approach in Eastern Europe.

Reports and Presentations

These reports from the SusTools team are available for download (in pdf):

Description of Work

The study, by a multidisciplinary team with a long experience in working together on environmental problems, will begin by reviewing the advantages and limitations of several tools commonly used for the appraisal of environmental policy – life cycle assessment (LCA), impact pathway analysis (IPA), life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), risk analysis (RA), cost-benefit analysis (CBA), sustainability indicators, and multi-criteria analysis (MCA).  Problems that may arise in their use will be identified. 

Based on this review an integrated framework will be developed that can be applied in a coherent manner to a wide range of policy issues.  The key steps are:  

(1) for each policy option under consideration, define system boundaries and perform LCA;

(2) quantify physical impacts and external costs (using IPA results of the ExternE project series, making new calculations as necessary;

(3) obtain data on abatement costs;

(4) make indicative estimates of induced costs, using partial-equilibrium analyses;

(5) perform a CBA, comparing the quantified costs and benefits of the policy options;

(6) perform a MCA with the main steps:

The key idea of the integrated approach is to assess costs and benefits (CBA), based on a combination of LCA and IPA, supplemented by stakeholder involvement and MCA to take into account impacts that could not be monetized.  The proposed framework will be tested with two case studies, to evaluate the consequences of possible policies in the EU, at EU and local level:

The framework will also be implemented and tested in four countries of Eastern Europe:  Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania.