Related Experiment Videos
Allocation and characterisation factors for absolute environmental sustainability assessment
Jan Marcus Hartmann1, David Yang Shu2, André Bardow2
1Institute of Technical Thermodynamics, RWTH Aachen University, 52062, Aachen, Germany.
Scientific Data
|July 4, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a reusable dataset for Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA). It provides crucial data for calculating environmental sustainability thresholds and burdens for economic sectors globally.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Economics
- Life Cycle Assessment
Background:
- Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA) requires sector-specific data to compare environmental burdens against sustainability thresholds.
- A lack of reusable datasets hinders the widespread implementation of AESA.
- Planetary boundaries provide a framework for defining environmental sustainability thresholds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and provide a comprehensive, reusable dataset for planetary-boundary-based Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA).
- To enable consistent and accurate comparison of environmental burdens from economic sectors against defined sustainability thresholds.
Main Methods:
- Calculated allocation factors for 163 economic sectors across 44 countries and 5 Rest-of-World regions using four allocation principles.
- Combined population-based allocation with value-based allocation (direct/total, consumption/production).
- Provided characterisation factors for 2684 elementary flows from ecoinvent v3.10.1 databases.
Main Results:
- A dataset enabling planetary-boundary-based AESA is now available.
- The dataset includes detailed allocation factors and characterisation factors for numerous economic sectors and environmental flows.
- The data supports the assessment of environmental burdens across most global planetary boundary categories.
Conclusions:
- The developed dataset addresses the critical data gap for implementing AESA.
- This resource facilitates robust environmental sustainability assessments for economic sectors.
- The findings support informed decision-making for achieving global environmental sustainability goals.
Related Concept Videos
01:43Sustainable Development
As the human population continues to grow and use resources, we must be mindful of our planet’s natural limits. Sustainable development provides a pathway to maintain and improve human life now while also ensuring that future generations will have the resources that they need. The long-term success of sustainability efforts rests on understanding the interplay between human actions and ecological systems.
01:30Environmental Applications of Microorganisms
Microorganisms play a pivotal role in maintaining ecosystem balance by recycling essential elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as supporting processes like bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and biofuel production.Microbes in Elemental CyclesIn the carbon cycle, microorganisms decompose organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide via aerobic respiration. This carbon dioxide is subsequently used by photosynthetic organisms to synthesize organic compounds, closing the...
01:22Design Consideration
Designing a structure involves a series of considerations, primarily the material's ultimate strength, calculated through tests that measure changes under increased force until the material reaches its breaking point or limit. The ultimate load, where the material breaks, is divided by its original cross-sectional area, resulting in the ultimate normal stress or strength. The ultimate shearing stress is another significant factor taken into account.
The factor of safety is another key aspect...
The factor of safety is another key aspect...
01:21Dimensions of Health and Illness
The factors influencing the health-illness continuum can be internal or external and may or may not be under conscious control. They are related to the following eight human dimensions, and each dimension is interrelated to one other.
01:19Methods to Assess Microbial Communities
Microbial communities, comprising bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic microorganisms, inhabit diverse ecosystems and play crucial roles in environmental and biological processes. Their diversity is defined by three main parameters: species richness (the number of distinct species), species abundance (the relative quantity of each species), and species evenness (how uniformly individual species are distributed in various locations). These factors together shape the structure and ecological balance...
01:27Microbes and Climate Change
Microorganisms are pivotal agents in Earth's biogeochemical cycles, significantly influencing climate dynamics through their metabolic activities. These microbes modulate the levels of key greenhouse gases by both contributing to and helping mitigate climate change.Microbial Contributions to Greenhouse Gas EmissionsRising global temperatures accelerate microbial metabolism, which, in turn, speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. This process releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) through...