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Life cycle assessment of emerging technologies: Evaluation techniques at different stages of market and technical maturity
Author(s) -
Bergerson Joule A.,
Brandt Adam,
Cresko Joe,
CarbajalesDale Michael,
MacLean Heather L.,
Matthews H. Scott,
McCoy Sean,
McManus Marcelle,
Miller Shelie A.,
Morrow William R.,
Posen I. Daniel,
Seager Thomas,
Skone Timothy,
Sleep Sylvia
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of industrial ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.377
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1530-9290
pISSN - 1088-1980
DOI - 10.1111/jiec.12954
Subject(s) - emerging technologies , maturity (psychological) , context (archaeology) , life cycle assessment , computer science , emerging markets , technology readiness level , set (abstract data type) , data science , risk analysis (engineering) , process management , management science , business , systems engineering , engineering , production (economics) , economics , biology , macroeconomics , finance , artificial intelligence , psychology , paleontology , developmental psychology , programming language
Life cycle assessment (LCA) analysts are increasingly being asked to conduct life cycle‐based systems level analysis at the earliest stages of technology development. While early assessments provide the greatest opportunity to influence design and ultimately environmental performance, it is the stage with the least available data, greatest uncertainty, and a paucity of analytic tools for addressing these challenges. While the fundamental approach to conducting an LCA of emerging technologies is akin to that of LCA of existing technologies, emerging technologies pose additional challenges. In this paper, we present a broad set of market and technology characteristics that typically influence an LCA of emerging technologies and identify questions that researchers must address to account for the most important aspects of the systems they are studying. The paper presents: (a) guidance to identify the specific technology characteristics and dynamic market context that are most relevant and unique to a particular study, (b) an overview of the challenges faced by early stage assessments that are unique because of these conditions, (c) questions that researchers should ask themselves for such a study to be conducted, and (d) illustrative examples from the transportation sector to demonstrate the factors to consider when conducting LCAs of emerging technologies. The paper is intended to be used as an organizing platform to synthesize existing methods, procedures and insights and guide researchers, analysts and technology developer to better recognize key study design elements and to manage expectations of study outcomes.