Multidisciplinary Applications of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the Development, Optimization, and Validation of Sustainable Solutions

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainability is a core concept in today’s world. Across all disciplines, it is essential to ensure that new solutions are environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. However, following general sustainability criteria is not enough. Sustainability demands a holistic perspective, one that avoids solving one problem at the expense of creating another, and considers the interrelationships of systems. For example, removing pollutants from wastewater may reduce ecotoxicity; however, it may require energy-intensive processes that increase the global warming potential or lead to resource depletion. Similarly, switching to raw materials may shift burdens to other life cycle stages, such as end-of-life.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) plays a vital role as a standardized method for evaluating and supporting sustainability claims.  It helps identify trade-offs between impact categories and life cycle stages. The integration of LCA into research and development introduces analytical complexity, but provides crucial insights for optimizing solutions from a life-cycle perspective that aims to ensure sustainability.

This Special Issue aims to showcase multidisciplinary applications of LCA in the development, optimization, and validation of sustainable solutions. We invite contributions that apply LCA across sectors to refine the design of a range of solutions, demonstrating how this methodology is reshaping research, innovation, and decision-making.

Dr. Joana Pesqueira
Dr. Inmaculada Velo-Gala
Dr. Ana B. López
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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