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Sustainable development in the South African context
The first major concerns about the sustainability of development were published in the early 1960s [1, 2]. These suggested a link between development and human activities and damage to biological species and human health. In the same decade, concerns about a global population explosion and its impacts on the environment and social structures were raised [3]. By the early 1970s, these were translated into a call for the integration of environmental and development strategies. This approach was emphasised at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972,
which stated that [4]:
Although states have a right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental policies, they nevertheless have a responsibility to ensure that activities within their borders do not cause damage to the environment of other states or areas beyond their limits of national jurisdiction.
The end of the 1970s saw the move to link environment and economic aspects, with the International Conference on Environment and Economics, held in 1984, concluding that the environment and economics should be mutually reinforcing [5].
Debates and work in this field continued throughout the 1980s, when the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) finally coined the concept of sustainable development in the now famous Brundtland report of 1987 [6]: Department of Engineering and Technology Management, University of Pretoria 17 Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The exact definition of sustainable development is still disputed, as are the underlying aspects thereof, but in general it is agreed that the interactions of the three pillars: economic, social and environmental, as are shown in Figure 1.1, collectively contribute to sustainable development [7]. Thus, meeting the needs of the future depends on how well these interconnected economic, social, and environmental objectives, or needs, are balanced during current decision-making processes [8].
Chapter 1: Introduction to LCIA and LCM in the South African context
1.1 Sustainable development in the South African context
1.1.1 The economic pillar of sustainability in the South African context
1.1.2 The social pillar of sustainability in the South African context .
1.1.3 The environmental pillar of sustainability in the South African context .
1.2 ISO 14000 as a decision support mechanism for sustainable development .
1.3 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and decision-making
1.3.1 The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) procedure
1.4 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Management (LCM
1.4.1 Project Life Cycle Management .
1.4.2 Asset Life Cycle Management .
1.4.3 Product Life Cycle Management
1.5 Conclusion: LCIA and LCM in the South African context.
Chapter 2: Literature review of the LCIA phase of LCM
2.1 Overview of the LCIA phase of LCM
2.2 CML from the University of Leiden, the Netherlands
2.2.1 Description of the CML methodology .
2.2.2 Analysis of the CML methodology.
2.3 Ecopoints from BUWAL, Switzerland
2.3.1 Description of the Ecopoints methodology
2.3.2 Analysis of the Ecopoints methodology.
2.4 Eco-indicators 95 from Pré Consultants, the Netherlands
2.4.1 Description of the Ecopoints methodology
2.4.2 Analysis of the Eco-indicators 95 methodology.
2.5 Eco-indicators 99 from Pré Consultants, the Netherlands
2.5.1 Description of the Eco-indicators 99 methodology
2.5.2 Analysis of the Eco-indicators 99 methodology
2.6 EPS from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
2.6.1 Description of the EPS methodology
2.6.2 Analysis of the EPS methodology .
2.7 LCIA procedures in the South African context
2.8 Conclusions and research rationale .
Chapter 3: Quantitative comparison of the current LCIA procedures
3.1 Introduction to the wool industry in South Africa .
3.2 Goal and scope of the wool life cycle case study.
3.3 Inventory of the wool life cycle case study
3.4 Life Cycle Impact Analyses (LCIA) results of the wool life cycle case study
3.5 Conclusions
Chapter 4: South African LCA Regions for LCIA development
4.1 Introduction to resource groups as Areas of Protection (AoP)
4.2 Assessment of environmental impacts on specific regions.
4.3 Defining regions for a South African specific LCIA methodology.
4.4 Implications of the SALCA region approach
4.5 Conclusions .
Chapter 5: Conceptual LCIA model for South Africa.
Chapter 6: Environmental Performance Resource Impact Indicators.
Chapter 7: Conclusions and recommendations
References .
