Advancing the integration of raw materials criticality into life cycle sustainability assessment of products
You are invited to join the PhD Defense of:
Name: Isadora Corrêa Hackenhaar
Title: Advancing the integration of raw materials criticality into life cycle sustainability assessment of products
Topic:
To meet global climate goals, we must shift to more sustainable production. But green technologies depend on metals and minerals, many of which are in limited supply. These critical raw materials face risks such as resource scarcity and geopolitical instability that can affect the entire supply chain, from mining to recycling. Current environmental assessment tools, such as the Product Environmental Footprint based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), overlook these socio-economic and geopolitical factors, creating blind spots in decision making and leading to trade-offs that may hinder sustainability.
To fill this gap, this research integrates criticality assessment of raw materials into Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of products within European policy context. It evaluates existing criticality methodologies, adapts the European Commission's approach, and develops a novel framework, CriticS, that incorporates stakeholder perspectives. A case study on photovoltaic panels validates this approach and highlights its potential to help decision makers navigate the trade-offs between criticality, circularity and sustainability.
Date defense: 14 March 2025 | 5 PM
Online: link to follow online
