A social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) is a methodology used to evaluate the actual and potential social and socio-economic impacts of a product, service, or process. It considers both positive and negative impacts. Developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the Society of Chemical and Environmental Toxicology (SETAC) in 2009, S-LCA has emerged as a widely accepted framework for analyzing the effects of social and socio-economic issues that may arise throughout the life cycle stages of a product or service.
The scopes of different S-LCA studies may vary. Cradle-to-grave is a comprehensive life cycle assessment that examines every stage of a product’s life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials (“cradle”) to the post-consumer waste disposal phase (“grave”). However, some studies take on a narrower focus. For example, a cradle-to-gate assessment examines a partial life cycle that starts with raw material extraction and ends with packaging for customer delivery at the factory gate.
Typically, five stakeholder categories are considered in an S-LCA, including workers, consumers, local community, value chain actors (e.g., suppliers), and society (Bouillass et al., 2021).
The UNEP/SETAC Guidelines for Social Life Cycle Assessment of Products (The UNEP/SETAC (2009) Guidelines hereafter), published in 2009, is a framework designed to support the practical application of S-LCA. The guidelines provide a step-by-step approach for conducting an S-LCA, intended to be used by practitioners and stakeholders involved in sustainability assessment, including product designers, manufacturers, policymakers, and researchers.
The UNEP/SETAC (2009) Guidelines recommend two types of impact categories. Type 1 impact categories include human rights, working conditions, health and safety, cultural heritage, governance, and socio-economic repercussions. Type 2 impact categories include human capital, cultural heritage, and human well-being, where human well-being is related to health, autonomy, safety, security & tranquility, equal opportunities, participation & influence, and capital productivity. For a particular stakeholder group, an impact category may encompass multiple subcategories. Each subcategory can be measured by one or more indicators.
The process of a typical S-LCA includes four phases:
- Goal and scope definition: This phase aims to define the objective and scope of the investigation. Key decisions are made during this stage, such as determining the system boundary (i.e., the group(s) of operations to be assessed), selecting impact categories and subcategories, defining the functional unit (i.e., the unit of measurement for comparing social impacts of different products or services), and specifying the data to be collected. These decisions are critical in ensuring the accuracy and relevance of the life cycle assessment.
- Life cycle inventory analysis: This phase involves collecting data on the social and socio-economic impacts of the product or service throughout its life cycle, which will be used to calculate relevant indicators for assessing its social impact.
- Impact assessment: This phase involves evaluating the data collected in the inventory analysis and determining the magnitude and significance of the social impacts. This can be done through a variety of methods, such as weighting, normalization, and aggregation.
- Results interpretation: This phase involves interpreting the results of the impact assessment and presenting them in a clear and concise manner. It includes identifying the main social impacts of the product or service and making improvement recommendations.
In the next section, we’ll discuss subcategories and indicators in detail.
References:
Bouillass, G., Blanc, I. & Perez-Lopez, P. (2021). Step-by-step social life cycle assessment framework: a participatory approach for the identification and prioritization of impact subcategories applied to mobility scenarios. Int J Life Cycle Assess 26, 2408–2435. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-021-01988-w
UNEP/SETAC (2009) Guidelines for social life cycle assessment of products. United Nations Environment Programme, Paris. https://www.lifecycleinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/2009%20-%20Guidelines%20for%20sLCA%20-%20EN.pdf Accessed 07/31/2022
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