Assessing environmental sustainability by integrating LCA, SDGs and CE indicators in food industry

Description

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework addresses a number of global challenges including climate action, responsible consumption and production, clean water, life on land, among others (United Nations, n.d.). Performance against these SDGs are mostly reported through 231 indicators. However, there is currently no standardized framework to monitor and report progresses or to develop a clear roadmap for achieving them (García-Sánchez et al., 2020; Van der Waal et al., 2020).

Concurrently, the circular economy (CE) presents a more sustainable economic system than the traditional "take-use-dispose" model (Garcia-Saravia Ortiz-de-Montellano et al., 2022). Adopting CE principles can help meet several SDGs under appropriate conditions. However, designing a framework that indicates the necessary conditions is not an easy task. The CE is not a one-size-fits-all solution and depends on the specific context in which it is being implemented.

Regarding environmental sustainability, life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to report environmental impacts throughout the entire life cycle of a specific product (Institute for Environment and Sustainability, 2010). These reports are used to monitor, analyze and investigate areas for improvement in order to create more sustainable life cycles. With this approach it is expected to further develop a methodology to support the shift towards a CE and achieving SDGs.

To apply this methodology, food industry was chosen as case study due to the significant challenges it faces. Currently, one-third of the global food produced is wasted. Single-use food packaging is one of the main source of plastic waste in Europe. Additionally, livestock farming is responsible for 15% of global greenhouses gas emissions and contribute to deforestation and habitat destruction for pastureland. Applying LCA to investigate these critical processes can lead to improvements in order to fulfill circular economy and SDG principles.

Period	20 Jun 2023
Event title	4th Symposium on Circular Economy and Sustainability
Event type	Symposium
Conference number	4
Location	Heraklion, GreeceShow on map