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Relative sensitivity value (RSV): A metric for measuring input parameter influence in life cycle assessment modeling
1School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management
|October 18, 2022
Summary
Life cycle assessment (LCA) uncertainty from production practices can mislead decisions. This study introduces the relative sensitivity value (RSV) metric to quantify production practice influence on environmental footprints, aiding better LCA interpretation.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Industrial Ecology
- Sustainability Assessment
Background:
- Life cycle assessment (LCA) is crucial for evaluating product environmental footprints.
- Uncertainty in LCA, especially from production practices, often leads to flawed conclusions.
- Current methods like scenario analysis are limited, while advanced techniques are underutilized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel sensitivity metric, the relative sensitivity value (RSV).
- To provide an accessible method for quantifying production practice influence on LCA impacts.
- To bridge the gap between simple scenario analysis and complex global sensitivity analysis.
Main Methods:
- Developed and defined the relative sensitivity value (RSV) metric.
- Created programming code for calculating RSV in LCA models.
- Applied RSV to a livestock husbandry LCA case study for demonstration.
Main Results:
- RSV quantifies the influence of production practices across multiple impact categories.
- The study provides a practical tool and interpretation guidelines for LCA practitioners.
- Demonstrated RSV's utility in a livestock husbandry case study, showing how to draw conclusions.
Conclusions:
- RSV offers an interpretable metric to assess production practice impacts on environmental footprints.
- This metric enhances the reliability of LCA by addressing uncertainty.
- RSV facilitates informed decision-making in sustainable production and product development.
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