What are the impact indicators?

Introduction to BCome’s environmental impact indicators

An impact indicator groups different input and output flows into one effect on the environment. Impact indicators correspond to specific areas of ecosystem quality, resource use, or human health. Some examples are acidification, eutrophication, global warming, ozone depletion, ecotoxicity, photochemical smog formation, water scarcity, and abiotic depletion, among others. BCome selected 4 of them for its analysis.

Water scarcity

Deprivation of water to humans and ecosystems due to water consumption in the product value chain. This indicator corresponds to different types of water depending on their potential of water deprivation building on the assumption that the less water remaining available per area, the more likely another user will be deprived.

• Impact indicator: m³ water eq*

*The consumption of different types of water in different regions of the world translated into a common unit: m³ water eq. The addition of “eq” refers to the conversion of the original unit into m³.

• Methodology: AWARE

AWARE is a methodology developed by the WULCA working group in 2016 and recommended by the European Commission’s Environmental Impacts Programme (PEF) to assess water use in LCA. With the use of the AWARE methodology, the water scarcity impact of the products will be much higher than the direct water consumption of the value chain due to the “Demand to availability” ratio, including the demand of humans and ecosystems for water. It examines the total amount of water available and subtracts the demand to see how much water is available for use according to the country of origin. 

Why is water scarcity considered a significant indicator?

Water scarcity is essential to assess agricultural cropping and livestock farming systems such as the one involved in the production of natural fibers, biobased plastics, and leather. It allows assessing irrigation and feeding practices in arid countries.

Which are the associated risks to water scarcity?

Water scarcity is a relative concept based on the fact that water is a finite resource. Indeed, the amount of water that may be accessed varies according to supply and demand. When demand rises and/or the quantity or quality of the water supply declines, there is an increase in water scarcity. Therefore, any activity requiring water (such as almost any product value chain) has a negative effect on water scarcity since it automatically deprives water to either humans or ecosystems.

Global warming

Global warming is caused by the greenhouse effect of heat-trapping pollutants. The greenhouse effect is the absorption of sunlight and solar radiation by greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor. Instead of escaping into space, the heat is kept for years to centuries in the earth’s atmosphere.

• Impact indicator: kg CO₂ eq*

*The different greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the atmosphere are translated into a common unit: kg CO₂. The addition of “eq” refers to the original unit in kg CO₂.

• Methodology: IPCC 2013 GWP 100

This methodology is based on data published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and on the fact that global warming is caused by the emissions of different types of greenhouse gases (GHG) to the atmosphere (e.g. carbon dioxide, methane, water…) and therefore have to be translated into a common unit: kg CO₂, by applying conversion factors depending on the relative impact of each gas on global warming.

Why is global warming considered a significant indicator?

Global warming was selected due to the current emergency state today’s society is facing. The involvement of companies in the reduction of their GHG emissions is necessary to limit global warming to less than 1,5ºC by 2050 (IPCC, 2022). Please, check this article if you want to learn more.

Which are the associated risks to global warming?

Global warming, driven by rising greenhouse gas emissions, brings diverse risks. These include more frequent and intense heatwaves, extreme weather events, sea-level rise and ocean acidification harming marine life. Biodiversity faces disruption, impacting ecosystems and food security. Human health risks increase with heat-related illnesses, and social and economic disruption occurs due to displacement and damage to infrastructure.

Eutrophication

Eutrophication corresponds to the accumulation of phosphates and nitrates released by the use of pesticides, fertilizers, detergents, and other chemicals in an ecosystem. The increase in their concentration in water bodies leads to algae proliferation, altering the ecosystem and reducing its biodiversity.

• Impact indicator: g phosphates eq*

*The different types of chemicals in water, soil, and air are translated into a common unit: g phosphates eq. The addition of “eq” refers to the conversion of the original unit into kg phosphates.

• Methodology: CML-IA baseline 2013

CML-IA is a method created by the University of Leiden in the Netherlands in 2001. This methodology helps us measure and understand the impact of eutrophication. The method uses a set of rules and calculations to analyze the amount of the nutrients released into the environment and estimates how they contribute to the problem. The baseline, in this case, refers to a starting point in the year 2013 that helps us compare and track changes over time.

Why is eutrophication considered a significant indicator?

Eutrophication is a highly relevant indicator when evaluating agricultural systems, wet processing of textiles, and coal combustion for electricity production.

Which are the associated risks to eutrophication?

Eutrophication triggers algal blooms, depletes oxygen during decomposition, leading to fish kills and habitat degradation and contributes to the loss of biodiversity. Harmful algal blooms may produce toxins, impacting human health. Nutrients transported to coastal waters exacerbate eutrophication and the formation of marine dead zones. Beyond ecological consequences, eutrophication has economic implications, raising water treatment costs and affecting industries dependent on healthy aquatic environments. 

Abiotic depletion

Abiotic depletion refers to the depletion of nonliving (abiotic) resources including oil, natural gas, and coal used as energy carriers. It corresponds to the use of natural resources that are not renewable.

• Impact indicator: MJ
• Methodology: CML-IA baseline 2013

The CML-IA baseline 2013 methodology is a tool that helps us see how human activities impact the environment, specifically regarding the use of non-living resources. The calculation is based on the ultimate reserves of fossil fuels and annual de-accumulation, defined as the annual production minus the annual regeneration (supposed to be null).

Why is abiotic depletion considered a significant indicator?

Abiotic depletion is relevant to highlight the negative impact of synthetic fibers on the environment during raw material extraction and high-energy consuming processes in terms of fossil fuels.

Which are the associated risks to abiotic depletion?

Abiotic depletion, resulting from excessive use of non-living resources, brings risks such as resource scarcity, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and contamination of water and soil. Energy-intensive extraction contributes to climate change, and local communities face social and health impacts. Economic vulnerability, waste generation, and global supply chain risks further underscore the multifaceted challenges associated with abiotic depletion.