QuantisParc scientifique EPFL, Bat A
CH-1015 Lausanne, [email protected]
www.quantis-intl.com
Water footprinting,life cycle assessment,and standardisation
Review of the state-of-play regarding LCA-based water accounting
CEO Water MandateNew York, USAApril 14, 2010Sebastien Humbert, Scientific director & ISO convenerJon Dettling, Director USQuantisLausanne, SwitzerlandBoston, USA
Contact: [email protected], +41-79-754-7566
“global warming” … “global drying”
Introduction:Examples of water footprint results
Water footprint?
Meaning?
Elovena100 liters/100 g
0.2 liters/100 g (excluding green water)
Carbon footprint: 80 gCO2eq/100 g
Which value is correct?
• Differences?
Chapagain and Hoekstra
Humbert et al.
29
4
Environmental product declaration• Carbon footprint
CO2 N2O
CFCCH4
Water
CO2 N2O
CFCCH4
Water
Life cycle assessment and water footprinting
The life cycle concept
History of water footprinting
Water in life cycle assessment• Few developments until 5 years ago• Assessed mainly through water
inventory/accounting• Recognized by LCA community:
– « … urgent need for methodological solutions to properly account for water-use related to environmental impacts of a product’s life cycle and globalised value chains, many of which exhibit unsustainable use of water resources. »
– International Journal of LCA (Koehler 2008)
Initiatives in water footprinting
Examples of water related initiatives
!Non exhaustive list!
UNEP-SETAC Frameworkand
Review of existing methods
UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative• International initiative for LCA• Review of different methods
– Under review– Any method to add?
• Recommendations (mid 2010) for:– Science– Practitioners (incl. industry)
• Contact: – Sebastien Humbert, Quantis, Switzerland
Impact assessment perspective
Future generations
Less water for future generations
EcosystemsWater use
Less water for ecosystems
Less water for humans
Human health
Ecosystems
Natural resources
All impact categories
Compensation
Human use
Mod
ifica
tion
of a
vaila
bilit
ies
UNEP-SETAC framework
Humans(health and welfare)
Ecosystems(biotic environment)
Resource(abiotic environment)
Boulay
Maendly Humbert Boesch
(CExD)
Van Zelm
Endpoint (Damage)
Pfister
Motoshita
Pfister Pfister
Water Use Per Resource
Seckler
Scarcity indexes
Smakhtin
FalkenmarkOhlsson
Alcamo
Sullivan
Pfister
Water Poverty Index
Gleick
Water Resources Vulnerability Index
Raskin
Indexes
How much (m3)/ What?
Can it be / Potential problem?
Actual conse-quences?
Ecoinvent
Bayart Vince
Chapagain HoekstraGaBi
Inventory (~accounting)Global
Water ToolMila-I-Canals
Ecosystems(biotic environment)
Humans(health and welfare)
Boulay
Resource(abiotic environment)
RidouttPfister
Mila-I-CanalsMila-I-Canals
Chapagain Hoekstra / WFN Frischknecht
RidouttPfister
Midpoint (~benchmarking)
RidouttPfister
Bayart
Verones
Water footprinting at different levelsCompany vs. Product
DISTRIBUTION
Company vs Product perspective
21
SUPPLY CHAIN PRODUCTION USE PHASE END OF LIFE
COMPANYPRODUCT
In practice!
Impacts on human health
Pfister et al. (2009): Impact on human health caused by malnutrition and hygens.
Boulay et al. (2010): Impact on human health caused by (malnutrition) and compensation scenarios.
Impacts on ecosystem qualityPfister et al. (2009): Impact on ecosystem quality caused by water quantity reduction.
Verones et al. (2010): Impacts on aquatic biodiversity from release of cooling water warmer than receiving environment (reduction in dissolved O2).
Van Zelm et al. (2010): Impacts on terrestrial plants caused by reduction of ground water level.
Maendly and Humbert (2010): Impacts on aquatic biodiversity from dams.
Impacts on resources for future generations• « Black water » / fossil ground water
Pfister et al. (2009): Impact on future availability of water from non-renewable ground water abstraction.
« Screening » approach(Water stress index, WSI)
Screening vs full assessment
Turbined water
DE CH DE CH DE CH
Regionalization of impacts
Greenhouse gases emissions
Greenhouse gases emissions (from deforestation)
Water use (including “green water”)
Water impact (human health and ecosystems)
Risks associated with
water use:Water pollution
Risks associated with water use:
Water rightsWater pollution
Ground water over exploitation
Risks associated with water use:
Water pollutionGround water over
exploitationReduced availability for
nutrition
Risks associated with water use:
Water pollutionGround water over
exploitationRiver drying
Offsetting measures• LCA-based framework allows to compare benefits
from offsetting measures (compensation actions) with impacts associated with activity
• E.g., Factory in India (50% evap., 50% poll.)
Pollution Consumption
1’000’000 m3/y with DF 10 1’000’000 m3/y (bleu water)
10’000’000 m3/y grey water 20 DALY/y (Pfister et al.)
Reduced runoff b/c organic farming over 1’0000 ha
Clean freshwater supply to 10’000 people
Benefits: 2’000’000 m3/y (grey water avoided) 100 DALY/y (@ 0.01 DALY/p-y)
LCA and risk assessment related to water use
LCA for risk assessment related to water use
• Basic concept of LCA: Supply chain– Same approach for strategic risk assessment
• Knowing and understanding the supply chain
– Risk quantified as % of revenue
Framework for risks related to water use
Physical risks
Deficiency or CompensationScarcityQuality
T-shirt produced in India and Turkey
Example: Biofuel
Ecosystem damage potential (CFEQ)• Per m3 of water consumed• Damage factors on watershed level
Pfister, Koehler & Hellweg (2009), ES&T 43(11): 4098–4104
Rape seed cultivation for biodiesel production
MendozaReference region
Mendoza region
Koehler, Pfister et al. 2008
Environmental impact of rapeseed production on country and watershed level
Aggregated im
pacts (EI99) pt/kg
> 50% increase
Water impacts
Other impacts
Mendozaproduction
LCIA LCIA Swiss watershed Argentina production
level country average Koehler, Pfister et al. 2008
Environmental impact of rapeseed production on country and watershed level
> 50% increase
LCIA LCIA Swiss watershed Argentina production
level country average
Water impacts
Other impacts
Mendozaproduction
ecosystem quality impacts
Aggregated im
pacts (EI99) pt/kg
Koehler, Pfister et al. 2008
Rapeseed-based methyl ester (biodiesel)Overall environmental damage
Koehler, Pfister et al. 2008
ISO:Towards an international
standard for water footprinting
ISO: In summary• “Water Footprint: Requirements and Guidelines”• International standard for water footprinting
– This International Standard specifies requirements and guidelines to assess and report water footprint based on LCA
• Terminology, communication• Important stages to consider• Consistency with carbon footprinting and other LCA
impact categories– Scope, system boundary
• Review/Validation• Reporting
• Begin 2009, end 2011• Towards industry and practitioners
Planning• Past events
– 09.Mar.2009: Circulated in ISO/TC 207/SC 5– 09.Jun.2009: Submitted to vote– 26.Jun.2009: Cairo: Accepted as a Preliminary Working Item (PWI)– 25+.Sep.2009: List of P and O participants
• Working meetings– 19-21.Nov.2009: First working meeting
• (Stockholm, Sweden)• Title, Scope• Draft structure
– 11-18.Jul.2010: Second working meeting• (Leon, Mexico)• Detailed sections
– Nov(TBC).2010: Third working meeting• (Location TBC)• Finalization of draft
– Mar/Apr(TBC).2011: Fourth working meeting• (Location TBC)• Finalization of public consultation?
– Jun/Jul/Aug/Sep(TBC).2011: Fifth working meeting• (Russia)• Finalization?
• Vote on the PWI draft to advance it to Advance WI: Date TBD
Organization• WG 8, part of ISO / TC 207 / SC 5
– ISO 14046• Contact:
– Proposer & Secretariat: • SNV, Swiss Association for Standardization• Marcel Schulze, [email protected]
– Convener: • Sebastien Humbert, Quantis, Lausanne, Switzerland,
[email protected], +41-79-754-7566– Co-convener:
• Nydia Suppen Reynaga, Centro de analisis de cyclo de vida y diseno sustentable, Mexico, [email protected]
• List P and O members– App. 40 members
• To participate– As a national delegation or liaison member to TC207/SC5
Questions?
Questions?
Questions?
4848
Water! Any problem?
Companies under pressure?
Introduction
Life cycle assessment – the footprint concept
50
End of life Use phase Distribution
ProductionTransportsRaw materials
Introduction
51
Life cycle assessment – Characterization of the environmental impacts
Climate change Ecosystems Natural
resources Human healthWaterfootprint
52
Human toxicityRespiratory effectsIonizing radiationOzone layer depletionPhotochemical oxidation
Mineral ExtractionNon-renewable energy
Human health
Ecosystem quality
Resource consumption
Climate change
CO2
Crude oil
NOx
Iron ore
Phosphates
And hundreds more . Water impact
Irrigation water
Dams water
Damage categoriesMidpoint categories
Aquatic ecotoxicityTerrestrial ecotoxicityAcidificationEutrophicationTerrestrial acidi/nitriLand occupation
52
IMPACT 2002+ (Jolliet et al. 2003)
Water• Key element for:
– Humans– for household, agricultural and industrial activities – affects human health through hydrical diseases
– Ecosystems– Future generations
• 3rd UN World Water Development Report (2009)
– Scarcity - low available water per capita – is forecast to worsen where population growth is still high, as in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and some countries in South America and the Middle East
Women bringing water back to their home, Ethiopia,
www.waterencyclopedia.com
Off-stream water use
DefinitionsIn-stream water use
Green water
Green water
Blue water
Grey water
Water footprint
Blue water Grey water
WithdrawalDegradative use
Consumptive use
Process
(1) Withdrawal = 1’000 l
(2) Evaporated = 25 l
(3) Degraded (thermally, from cooling) = 475 l
50% is used for cooling25% is used for cleaning, with degradation to the legal limit25% is released without alteration
(4) Degraded (bio-chemically, from cleaning) = 250 l
(5) Released w/o degradation = 250 l
Industry perspective: type of water in a screening assessment
Milk-based beverage production
Watershed 1(Pakistan, high WSI)
Watershed 2(France, low WSI)
Results: inventory vs impact
Example: Coffee
Coffee: LCA
1 cupof coffeeat home
© Sebastien Humbert, Quantis, Switzerland, 2009Based on Humbert et al. (2009, J Clean Prod 17, 1531)
Coffee: Evaluate greenhouse gases (CO2, N2O, etc.) emissions
CO2 N2O
CFCCH4
© Sebastien Humbert, Quantis, Switzerland, 2009Based on Humbert et al. (2009, J Clean Prod 17, 1531)
Coffee: Evaluate water use
© Sebastien Humbert, Quantis, Switzerland, 2009Based on Humbert et al. (2009, J Clean Prod 17, 1531)
Coffee: Inventory analysis of water use (m3 of water per ton of green coffee – see Humbert et al. 2009)
• Withdrawal (non-turbined) water use– Coffee supply + Irrigation: 46 + 2’200
• Consumed*: 4.6+1’100• Green water*: 7’000• Grey water*: 41? + 1’100?
– Packaging: 38• Consumed*: 3.8• Green water*: 0 (no wood based product)• Grey water*: 34?
– Coffee processing + Distribution: 56 + 6• Consumed*: 6.2• Grey water*: 56?
– Use phase + EoL: 460 – 34• Consumed*: 43• Grey water*: 390?
• Turbined water use– Coffee supply + Irrigation: 2’900 + 16’000– Packaging: 2’700– Coffee processing + Distribution: 7’900 + 1’200– Use phase + EoL: 59’000 – 2’500
* = Water footprint from WFN, “consumed” being the bleu water© Sebastien Humbert, Quantis, Switzerland, 2009
Water withdrawal
-15
0
15
30Co
ffee
supp
ly
Irrig
atio
n
Pack
agin
g
Proc
essin
g
Dist
ribut
ion
Use
Disp
osal
Wat
er u
se (l
iters
per
cup
of co
ffee)
GreenConsumedReturned
80
company
Water turbined (hydropower)
-100
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700Co
ffee
supp
ly
Irrig
atio
n
Pack
agin
g
Proc
essin
g
Dist
ribut
ion
Use
Disp
osal
Wat
er u
se (l
iters
per
cup
of co
ffee)
company
Coffee: Characterization factors
Colombia: (supply and irrigation)Frischknecht: 0.26 UBP/m3
wPfister (HH): 1.8E-8 DALY/m3
cPfister (EQ): 0.05 PDF·m2·yr/m3
cMaendly and Humbert: 0.007 PDF·m2·yr/m3
t
India: (supply and irrigation)Frischknecht: 1’100 UBP/m3
wPfister (HH): 2.2E-6 DALY/m3
cPfister (EQ): 0.4 PDF·m2·yr/m3
cMaendly and Humbert: 0.007 PDF·m2·yr/m3
t
Switzerland: (pack., proc., distri., use, EoL)Frischknecht: 22 UBP/m3
wPfister (HH): 9.0E-11 DALY/m3
cPfister (EQ): 0.05 PDF·m2·yr/m3
cMaendly and Humbert: 0.007 PDF·m2·yr/m3
t
© Sebastien Humbert, Quantis, Switzerland, 2009
Coffee: Impact assessment(impact per 1’000’000 ton of green coffee)
• Impact = Inventory * Characterization factors
Country
Water stress(in UBP)
Stress on human health
(in DALY)
Stress on ecosystems quality(in PDF-km2-yr)
(water consumed) (water turbined)
Frischknecht et al. 2006 (water
stress)
Pfister et al. (malnutrition from water availability
reduction)
Pfister et al. (reduction of biodiversity from water availability
reduction)
Maendly and Humbert (reduction of
biodiversity from daming)
Colombia (supply) 10 0.1 0.2 20Colombia (irrigation) 600 20 60 100
India (supply) 50’000 10 2 20India (irrigation) 2’000’000 2000 400 100
Switzerland (pack, proc, distr, use, EoL) 12000 0.005 3 500
© Sebastien Humbert, Quantis, Switzerland, 2009
Water Stress Index as characterization factor
• Takes into account water availability, use, and seasonal/annual variation in precipitation
Pfister, Koehler & Hellweg (2009), ES&T 43(11): 4098–4104
NWIP accepted in Cairo (June 2009)The proposed International Standard will deliver
principles, requirements and guidelinesfor a water footprint metric of
products, processes and organisations, based on the guidance of
impact assessment as given in ISO 14044. It will define how the different types of water sources (for example
ground, surface, lake, river, green, blue, gray, etc.) should be considered, how the different types of water releases should be considered, and how the local environmental conditions (dry areas, wet areas) should be treated. For products, it will apply the life cycle approach and will be based on the same product system as specified in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. At the organisation level, it will consider the guidance given by ISO 14064 for greenhouse gases.
The standard will also address the communication issues linked to the water footprint
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