Biodiversity in Sustainability Assessments – in Particular Life-Cycle-Assessments (LCA) – RCI Report (PDF)
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The chemical and materials industry must reduce reliance on fossil feedstocks to cut emissions, improve resource security, and support Europe’s strategic autonomy. Biomass is an important renewable carbon source, but its expansion must be managed carefully to avoid harming biodiversity. Although the sector currently uses only a small share of global biomass, it could lead efforts to balance sustainable production with biodiversity protection through better assessment tools and responsible sourcing.
The report reviews recent methods for measuring biodiversity impacts in terrestrial Life Cycle Assessment. No single method covers all biodiversity levels and major causes of biodiversity loss, and current approaches remain limited by data gaps, uncertainty, and inconsistent metrics. For high-level business screening, the report recommends UNEP-GLAM and, once available, BioMAPS within the Environmental Footprint framework, supported by field measurements, certification schemes, sensitivity analysis, and other assessment methods.
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Case Studies Based on Peer-reviewed Life Cycle Assessments: Carbon Footprints of Different Renewable Carbon-Based Chemicals and Materials (2nd, Extended Version) – RCI Report (PDF)
Sustainability & Health
67 Pages
903 Downloads
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Evaluating LCA Approaches and Methodologies for Renewable Carbon Sources Report 1 of 3: Renewable Carbon in LCA Guidelines – RCI Report (March 2025)
Markets & Economy, Policy, Sustainability & Health
145 Pages
1331 Downloads
