Chinese life cycle impact assessment factors

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Environmental Assessment
• Industrial Ecology

Background:

• China's rapid industrial development necessitates robust environmental impact assessment tools.
• Existing environmental assessment methods require adaptation to specific regional contexts.
• Understanding regional environmental emission baselines is critical for effective policy-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the methodology for determining Chinese normalization references and weighting factors using the EDIP-method.
• To establish regional environmental impact baselines for China based on 1990 emission data.
• To calculate weighting factors for future environmental impact reduction targets in China.

Main Methods:

• Division of China into three regions based on industrial intensity and population density.
• Calculation of normalization references (EP(j)90) using 1990 regional environmental emission inventories.
• Determination of weighting factors (ER(j)90/ER(j)T2000) based on normalization references and societal targets for the year 2000.

Main Results:

• Regional normalization references were calculated for China based on 1990 environmental emissions.
• Weighting factors were derived using regional normalization references and projected societal reduction targets for 2000.
• Results cover eight key environmental impact categories including global warming, acidification, and waste generation.

Conclusions:

• The described EDIP-method provides a framework for regional environmental impact assessment in China.
• The calculated normalization references and weighting factors can inform environmental policy and planning.
• This study highlights the importance of region-specific data for accurate environmental impact evaluation.