Water Footprint Project

Transcription

1 Water Footprint Project Sonia Valdivia Guido Sonnemann UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative UNEP DTIE SCP Branch UNEP-SBCI Symposium on Sustainable Buildings Paris, France: May 19-20, 2010

2 Outline Introduction UNEP/SETAC Framework for Impact Assessment Water Footprint (Network and ISO) WAFNE Project at UNEP Next steps

3 The old way Product Chain Life Cycle

4 Natural resources Incineration and landfilling Extraction of raw materials Disposal Reuse Recycling Design And production Product system Use and maintenance Packaging and distribution

5 Life Cycle based Tools Worldwide ISO SETAC s Code of Practice -ELCA Harold Coca Cola Smith Limits to World Energy Growth Conference UNEP/ SETAC USETox Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment SETAC Code of Practice -ELCC Guidelines Integrated For LCIA Social LCA framework Global Guidance for LCA Databases <2015

6 UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative on

7 Aims and Areas of Work - Enhance and refine LC data and methodologies - Promote Capability Development - Facilitate life cycle based approaches inc. LCM Data Impact Assessment Management Capability Development More Sustainable Products and Services

8 Structure of Life Cycle Assessment Goal and scope Definition Inventory Analysis Interpretation APPLICATION Impact Assessment According to ISO 14040

9 Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) Analysis

10 Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) Classification and Characterisation Normalisation and Weighting Inventory table CO2 CH4 CFC SO2 Nox NH4 Global warming Acidification Environmental Index Data quality analysis... Indicators Impact Categories

11 Linking LCI results via the midpoint categories to damage Areas where there is a need of enhanced methodologies

12 UNEP Resource use intensity and impact assessment indicator framework proposal UNEP Midterm Strategy Priorities Indicators Energy (IEA) Demand Water Footprint (WWF/ WFN) Material (WI) Intensity Resource Efficiency (KPS)* Other Environmental Priorities (CC, HS, EM) Energy Climate Change (CC) Water Materials/ Waste Hazardous Substances (HS) Ecosystems Management Biodiversity (EM)/ Partners Carbon Footprint (WRI/ WBCSD, ISO) USEtox (SETAC) Biodiversity Damage (IUCN) *KPS Key Performance indicator

13 Trade-offs between carbon and water in LC Impact Assessment / Bruce Vigon

14 Projected Water Scarcity, 2025 Source: International Water Management Institute, 2000

15 ISO: Summary Water Footprint: Requirements and Guidelines The International Standard for Water Footprinting specifies: requirements and guidelines to assess and report water footprint based on LCA Terminology, communication Important stages to consider Consistency with carbon footprinting and other LCA impact categories Scope, system boundary Review/Validation Reporting Begin 2009, end 2011 Towards industry and practitioners

16 Water Footprint (WF) WF = BLUE wf + GREEN wf + GREY wf Blue WF = Volume of surface and groundwater consumed Green WF = Volume of rainwater consumed Grey WF = Volume of polluted water consumed

17 Different Water footprint methods lead to different results: Coffee ex.

18 Regional Virtual Water Balances (Agricultural Trade) Arrows show trade flows >10 Gm 3 /yr Source: Hoekstra & Chapagain, 2008

19 Virtual Water Chain Extraction of building materials Green Water Use Blue Water Use Grey Water Grey Water Blue Water Use Production of building materials Constructio n Blue Water Use Grey Water Grey Water Blue Water Use Use of buildings Virtual Water Flow

20 Accounting Approaches to Water-related Impacts Criteria Water Footprint Life Cycle Assessment Assesses water-related impacts? Types of impacts assessed (Impact categories) As yet, No. WFs do not attempt to assess impacts. However, methods to quantify WF Impact Assessments have been tested. NA Yes. However, methodologies are nascent and need further development and harmonization. Water use: Ecosystem quality Resource depletion Human health Water discharge: Ecotoxicity Eutrophication Acidification Numerous approaches proposed or in development, from simple approach such as Water stress index to complex approaches Yes Characterization factors Approaches proposed or being pilot used tested for Water Footprint Impact Assessment Assesses water quality? Yes Basic approach Dilution volume Direct measurement of mass or volume of contaminants Types of criteria Most harmful contaminant (often assessed nitrogen) based on discharge quantities (Indicators) and local regulatory standard Potential limitations Impact categories: Eutrophication Acidification Ecotoxicity Climate change Human health Only accounts for primary pollutants (i.e. Does not typically quantify impact to specific disregards additive &synergistic effects). local receiving bodies; results are relative to Uses standards based on local regulatory framework rather than functional unit science.

21 Examples of Water Related Initiatives

22 UNEP WaFNE Project: Overview Overall Goal: To enhance water efficiency and water quality management through the refinement of water accounting/ footprint and water neutrality methodologies with support of related management tools, their testing and application in high water impact and water dependent industry sectors, used by their financiers and investors in due diligence and stock picking exercises, as well as water-stressed / scarce regions, used by public authorities in local water service and conservation operations. Outputs: Methodologies, tools / guides, capacity platform, dialogue forums, country pilot tests / demonstrations, awareness raising & communications

23 WaFNE Project: Proposed Activities Component 1: Refinement, promotion of methodologies and tools for application of water accounting/ footprinting related concepts / tools Component 2: Applying water accounting/ footprinting related concepts & management tools in selected industry sectors Component 3: Using water accounting/ footprint and related concepts in financial sector Component 4: Applying water accounting/ footprinting and related concepts in selected geographical locations

24 Time frame: 3 years (2009/ /13) Partners: UNEP: UNEP SCP Branch (Paris), WaFNE Project UNEP Finance Initiative (Geneva), International Environmental Technology Centre (Osaka) UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate Business & Industry and Banks: participant companies, organizations, GRI Municipalities & Regions Other relevant UN institutions, expert institutes & networks incl. UN-Waters, Pacific Institute, Water Footprint Network and UNEP/ SETAC Life Cycle Initiative

25 UNEP WaFNE Umbrella Project: Corporate Water Accounting Overarching goal: Stocktaking exercise will fulfill the need to clarify commonalities and differences among existing and emerging water accounting methods and tools being used in the private sector. Specific goals: Elucidate applicability, strengths, and weaknesses among emerging methods and practice, Identify gaps and challenges, and Suggest where accounting methods might benefit from harmonization and increased field testing.

26 Thanks, Questions? UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative: on International Life Cycle Partnership for a Sustainable World /