|
The overall aim of the project is to develop a pragmatic life cycle methodology that will allow a systematic estimation of carbon inventories in different industrial sectors that supports the incorporation of the carbon intensity of the full supply chain. This will involve both environmental and economic aspects of carbon footprints and embodied carbon, enabling estimation of “carbon added” and “valued added” at each stage in the supply chain. In addition the work will develop a standard data acquisition methodology and databases for use in carbon inventory calculations and a general modelling framework and a software package for calculating carbon inventories.
The project methodology, models and tools will be tested in a range of industrial sectors so as to examine different business, political and economic scenarios for carbon management, and estimate the environmental and economic implications of low-carbon materials, products and services. This will be done through the following case studies:
- Food Supply Chains: For this case study, a macro-scale analysis of food systems in the UK will be undertaken. It will take national food consumption, production, imports and export statistics as a starting point. Subsequently, specific “disruptive”, step changes in technologies and wider agricultural systems that could be introduced to reduce the carbon footprints of these hot spots will be identified and investigated in more detail, informed by the whole system modelling approach developed for the macro-scale analysis.
- Chemical and related products: This case study will focus on the embodied carbon and carbon footprints of various chemical and related products. Typical examples of the products to be studied include commodity and specialty chemicals and plastic materials. The role in reducing carbon intensity of process optimisation and intensification as well as improved product formulation through novel chemistry will also be examined.
- Building Materials: It is intended that the building product types in the study would include quarry products; cement and concrete products; steel components; glass; asphalt-based materials; and wood. Perhaps the most challenging feature of compiling carbon inventories for building products is the potential for “open loop” recycling (otherwise known as “cascade” recycling), where wastes and by-products are incorporated into new products, both within the construction industry and in other business sectors. For this reason, this is a sector which would particularly benefit from the application of a whole system approach to modelling, to enable consistency in reporting on carbon emissions for building products within the UK.
- Bioenergy: It is estimated that the biomass sector could provide a renewable carbon source for 10-15% of UK energy demand by 2050. The carbon balance calculated for many energy crops is crucially dependent on the use to which the co-products are put: e.g. straw associated with grain for bioethanol or cake and straw from rape for biodiesel. These considerations underline the need to take a whole system approach to estimating the carbon balance associated with different strategies and practices of land use.
Partners: University of Surrey, Policy Studies Institute (University of Westminster) and Imperial College.
Contact: Professor Adisa Azapagic, University of Surrey
CaLC (pdf, 33.6KB)
|