title: Rethinking the area of protection "natural resources" in life cycle assessment.
abstract: Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) in classical life cycle assessment (LCA) aims at analyzing potential impacts of products and services typically on three so-called areas of protection (AoPs): Natural Environment, Human Health, and Natural Resources. This paper proposes an elaboration of the AoP Natural Resources. It starts with analyzing different perspectives on Natural Resources as they are somehow sandwiched in between the Natural Environment (their cradle) and the human-industrial environment (their application). Reflecting different viewpoints, five perspectives are developed with the suggestion to select three in function of classical LCA. They result in three safeguard subjects: the Asset of Natural Resources, their Provisioning Capacity, and their role in Global Functions. Whereas the Provisioning Capacity is fully in function of humans, the global functions go beyond provisioning as they include nonprovisioning functions for humans and regulating and maintenance services for the globe as a whole, following the ecosystem services framework. A fourth and fifth safeguard subject has been identified: recognizing the role Natural Resources for human welfare, either specifically as building block in supply chains of products and services as such, either with or without their functions beyond provisioning. But as these are far broader as they in principle should include characterization of mechanisms within the human industrial society, they are considered as subjects for an integrated sustainability assessment (LCSA: life cycle sustainability assessment), that is, incorporating social, economic and environmental issues.
authors: †European Commission-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy.|‡Research Group ENVOC, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors: Jo
authors: J
authors: Dewulf
authors: †European Commission-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy.
authors: Lorenzo
authors: L
authors: Benini
authors: †European Commission-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy.
authors: Lucia
authors: L
authors: Mancini
authors: †European Commission-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy.
authors: Serenella
authors: S
authors: Sala
authors: †European Commission-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy.|§Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
authors: Gian Andrea
authors: GA
authors: Blengini
authors: †European Commission-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy.
authors: Fulvio
authors: F
authors: Ardente
authors: †European Commission-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Recchioni
authors: †European Commission-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy.
authors: Joachim
authors: J
authors: Maes
authors: †European Commission-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy.
authors: Rana
authors: R
authors: Pant
authors: †European Commission-Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Pennington
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans; D000067936:Natural Resources