Title
Further potentials in the joint implementation of life cycle assessment and data envelopment analysis
Date Issued
01 October 2010
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Iribarren D.
Moreira M.
Feijoo G.
University of Santiago de Compostela
Abstract
The combined application of Life Cycle Assessment and Data Envelopment Analysis has been recently proposed to provide a tool for the comprehensive assessment of the environmental and operational performance of multiple similar entities. Among the acknowledged advantages of LCA+DEA methodology, eco-efficiency verification and avoidance of average inventories are usually highlighted. However, given the novelty of LCA+DEA methods, a high number of additional potentials remain unexplored. In this sense, there are some features that are worth detailing given their wide interest to enhance LCA performance.Emphasis is laid on the improved interpretation of LCA results through the complementary use of DEA with respect to: (i) super-efficiency analysis to facilitate the selection of reference performers, (ii) inter- and intra-assessments of multiple data sets within any specific sector with benchmarking and trend analysis purposes, (iii) integration of an economic dimension in order to enrich sustainability assessments, and (iv) window analysis to evaluate environmental impact efficiency over a certain period of time. Furthermore, the capability of LCA+DEA methodology to be generally implemented in a wide range of scenarios is discussed. These further potentials are explained and demonstrated via the presentation of brief case studies based on real data sets. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.
Start page
5265
End page
5272
Volume
408
Issue
22
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Otras ciencias naturales Ciencias del medio ambiente
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-77956885448
PubMed ID
Source
Science of the Total Environment
ISSN of the container
00489697
Sponsor(s)
Diego Iribarren wishes to thank the Spanish Ministry of Education for financial support (grant reference: AP2006-03904 ). Ian Vázquez-Rowe thanks the Galician Government for financial support (María Barbeito Programme). The authors would also like to thank the anonymous farmers and skippers who kindly provided detailed data for the case studies included in this article.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus