生命周期评价方法研究进展

生命周期评价方法因可针对产业活动的物质流、能量流及其环境效应进行系统地量化与优化,已成为国际公认的进行环境管理、可持续发展评估和生态设计的必备工具。受制于尚未完善的生命周期清单和生命周期影响评价模型,当前中国生命周期评价研究存在应用面狭窄、溯源困难、结论冲突、源头减量化难控制等诸多问题。针对上述问题,本文指出基于过程的、快速的生命周期清单构建方法可实现“微观-中观-宏观-动态”多层次研究;统一完整的、动态的、适用于中国国情、较高数据质量、可共享的本土化生命周期清单数据库构建仍需进一步推进;生命周期影响评价模型的选用和修正对科学、精准的生命周期评价研究是十分必要的;具有时空属性的生命周期影响评价模型亟需进一步提升。最后,基于中国生命周期评价方法研究现状的梳理和分析结果,本文对未来生命周期评价的研究方向进行了展望。

Development of life cycle assessment method

Life cycle assessment (LCA) can be used to systematically quantify and optimize industrial activities’ material flow, energy flow, and environmental impacts. This method has become an internationally recognized tool for environmental management, sustainable development assessment, and ecological design. However, due to imperfect life cycle inventory databases and life cycle impact assessment models, current Chinese LCA researches faces several issues, such as narrow applications, low traceability, conflicting conclusions, and difficulty in controlling source reduction. To solve these problems, this study pointed out that the process-based and rapid life cycle inventory construction method could contribute to conducting LCA research at the micro, meso, and macro levels. Further promotion of the construction of a unified, complete, dynamic, regional, and sharable life cycle inventory database with high data quality is necessary. The selection and revision of the life cycle impact assessment model is imperative to conduct highly scientific and accurate LCA research. Furthermore, the life cycle impact assessment model with spatial and temporal attributes should be improved. On the basis of the review and analysis of the current situation of the research on LCA method in China, this study projected the future directions of Chinese LCA research.