EcoBalance International School
Event Date and time: | 3rd November 14:00~17:00 |
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Venue: | Shirakashi 2, Sendai International Centre |
The Ecobalance International School has been organizing invited lectures from experts on topics around LCA. This year, we are inviting Emeritus Prof. Shinichiro Nakamura to give a lecture introducing the application of IOA to LCA and MFA.
If you are interested in joining, please register by the link below.https://forms.gle/TDAXHPgWFXayTpp28
The registration was closed due to reaching the capacity limit.
I appreciate your interest!
Application of Input-Output Analysis to LCA and MFA
EcoBalance School, 3 November 2024, Sendai, Japan
Shinichiro NAKAMURA
This lecture explores the application of Input-Output Analysis (IO) to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Material Flow Analysis (MFA). It is divided into two parts: Part 1 (detailed below) covers conceptual and theoretical aspects, while Part 2 focuses on practical applications, including a workshop with real-world examples.
We start by discussing how IO can be effectively applied to LCA, with a focus on Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, addressing double counting, and considering the impacts of materials. We will also examine the limitations of IO-based LCA in representing capital formation and explore alternative approaches. Additionally, the lecture will cover the expansion of IO into a multi-regional framework and the latest developments in Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) databases.
While IO is widely used in LCA, it often falls short in addressing waste impacts due to the lack of explicit consideration of waste flows, treatment, transformation, and recycling. To address this, we will introduce Waste Input-Output (WIO) tables and models, designed to enhance waste-related considerations within IO models. We will present examples of WIO-based studies, discuss the non-linear nature of waste treatment processes, and explore methods for integrating these processes into WIO models.
Additional topics in LCA, including Social LCA, life-cycle costing, and responsibility sharing, will also be covered.
Finally, we will explore Material Flow Analysis (MFA), which tracks the sources and destinations of materials within a system. Despite limited historical integration between MFA and IO, the development of the WIO-MFA methodology has significantly improved this, enabling the conversion of Monetary Input-Output Tables (MIOT) into Physical Input-Output Tables (PIOT) based on materials. We will highlight applications and extensions of the WIO-MFA model, including dynamic MFA models like MaTrace, which track materials over time in open-loop recycling systems.
My recent book, A Practical Guide to Industrial Ecology by Input-Output Analysis (Springer, 2023), will serve as the textbook for this course.
In the workshop, we will use Python (Jupyter Notebook) to simplify otherwise complex coding tasks, making it easy for everyone to follow—even those with no prior experience with Python.
In the first part of the workshop, we will explore one of the largest input-output (IO) tables in the world: the Japanese IO Table for 2015, which includes 390 sectors and incorporates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We will apply concepts from the lecture, focusing on the allocation of emission responsibility under different schemes and avoiding double counting in footprint calculations.
The second part of the workshop will focus on calculating the waste footprint using the Waste IO Table, which includes 99 waste items and 10 waste treatment processes.
The data and other resources for the workshop will be made available from my web page.
https://nakashin.w.waseda.jp/