02 Fakultät Bau- und Umweltingenieurwissenschaften

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://elib.uni-stuttgart.de/handle/11682/3

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Open Access
The 10th International Conference on Life Cycle Management 2021 : Stuttgart, Germany, September 05-08, 2021
(2021) Fischer, Matthias; Barkmeyer, Mercedes; Albrecht, Stefan; Braune, Anna; Leistner, Philip; Seifert, Rainer; Kreissig, Johannes
Open Access
Adjustment of the life cycle inventory in life cycle assessment for the flexible integration into energy systems analysis
(2020) Betten, Thomas; Shammugam, Shivenes; Graf, Roberta
Open Access
Analysis and visualisation of large scale life cycle assessment results : a case study on an adaptive, multilayer membrane façade
(2024) Borschewski, David; Prenzel, Tobias Manuel; Albrecht, Stefan; Leistner, Philip
The importance of visualisations in context of life cycle assessment has been widely discussed and acknowledged in the literature. Especially with the increasing ability to process and create large-scale LCA results, visualisations are vital tools to not only analyse and interpret but also check and validate underlying datasets. Based on a dataset containing 1.25 million LCA results for all potential configurations within a defined parameter space, different visualisations and analysis methods were applied to identify hotspots, assess parameter sensitivity, gain insights to optimise environmental sustainability, and provide benchmarks for an adaptive, multilayer membrane façade. Box plots for the identification of hotspots, parameter sensitivity, and benchmarking, as well as colour-coded scatter plots, have proven to be incredibly versatile and effective for understanding the results and providing multiple perspectives to gain further insight. The ability to interact directly with interactive visualisation in order to identify and isolate specific areas of interest allows for a very efficient analysis of the relevant aspects of data. However, the usefulness of the proposed visualisations is not only dependant on the quality and characteristic of the underlying data but also on the objectives and scope of the study, as well as the intended medium illustrating the results.
Open Access
Assessing land use efficiencies and land quality impacts of renewable transportation energy systems for passenger cars using the LANCA method
(2022) Uusitalo, Ville; Horn, Rafael; Maier, Stephanie D.
Targets to reduce global warming impacts of the transportation sector may lead to increased land use and negative land quality changes. The aim of this paper is to implement the Land Use Indicator Calculation in Life Cycle Assessment (LANCA®) model to assess land quality impacts and land use efficiencies (concerning occupation and transformation) of different example renewable transport energy systems for passenger cars. In addition, the land use impacts are normalized according to the Soil Quality Index building on LANCA® and included in the environmental footprint. The assessment is based on information from GaBi life cycle assessment software databases and on literature. Functional unit of the model is to provide annual drive of 18,600 km for a passenger car in the EU. The analysis includes examples of biomass, electricity, electricity to fuels and fossil-based energy systems. Our findings confirm previous research that biomass-based transport energy systems have risks to lead to significantly higher land occupation and transformation impacts than do fossil oil or electricity-based ones. According to the LANCA® model, methane from Finnish wood and German corn has the highest impacts on filtration and the physicochemical filtration reduction potential. Sugarcane ethanol and palm oil diesel systems, on the other hand, lead to the highest erosion potential. Electricity-based transportation energy systems appear to be superior to biomass-based ones from the perspectives of land occupation, land transformation, and soil quality impacts for the selected examples. Land quality impacts should be taken into account when developing and expanding renewable transportation energy systems. The paper shows that the LANCA® method is applicable for the assessment of transport systems in order to provide extended information on environmental sustainability, which should be included more often in future analysis. However, it can be challenging to interpret underlaying assumptions, especially when aggregated information is used from databases.
Open Access
Bringing light into the dark : overview of environmental impacts of carbon fiber production and potential levers for reduction
(2023) Prenzel, Tobias Manuel; Hohmann, Andrea; Prescher, Tim; Angerer, Kerstin; Wehner, Daniel; Ilg, Robert; Reden, Tjark von; Drechsler, Klaus; Albrecht, Stefan
Carbon fibers (CFs) are a crucial material for lightweight structures with advanced mechanical performance. However, there is still a paucity of detailed understanding regarding the environmental impacts of production. Previously, mostly singled-out scenarios for CF production have been assessed, often based on scarce transparent inventory data. To expand the current knowledge and create a robust database for future evaluation, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out. To this end, a detailed industry-approved LCI is published, which also proved plausible against the literature. Subsequently, based on a global scenario representing the market averages for precursor and CF production, the most relevant contributors to climate change (EF3.1 climate change, total) and the depletion of fossil energy carriers (EF3.1 resource use, fossil) were identified. The energy consumption in CF manufacturing was found to be responsible for 59% of the climate change and 48% of the fossil resource use. To enable a differentiated discussion of manufacturing locations and process energy consumption, 24 distinct scenarios were assessed. The findings demonstrate the significant dependence of the results on the scenarios’ boundary conditions: climate change ranges from 13.0 to 34.1 kg CO2 eq./kg CF and resource use from 262.3 to 497.9 MJ/kg CF. Through the investigated scenarios, the relevant reduction potentials were identified. The presented results help close an existing data gap for high-quality, regionalized, and technology-specific LCA results for the production of CF.
Open Access
Combining membrane and zero brine technologies in waste acid treatment for a circular economy in the hot-dip galvanizing industry : a life cycle perspective
(2023) Lorenz, Manuel; Seitfudem, Georg; Randazzo, Serena; Gueccia, Rosa; Gehring, Florian; Prenzel, Tobias M.
An innovative approach of combining membrane and zero brine technologies for a joint treatment of industrial liquid waste is investigated regarding its environmental impacts compared to the existing liquid waste treatment. The object of investigation is the generation of waste acid solution by a hot dip galvanizing plant in Sicily, Italy. The waste acid solution contains hydrochloric acid, iron and zinc, which makes it a hazardous waste according to EU classifications. Environmental impacts are studied for two scenarios in the Tecnozinco hot-dip galvanizing plant in Sicily, Italy: (i) the current process of pickling with linear disposal of waste acid and (ii) the pickling combined with in-situ treatment of the waste acid using a combination of diffusion dialysis (DD), membrane distillation (MD) and a precipitation reactor. Results are obtained via an attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) approach focusing on the water footprint profile of the process. The linear disposal path creates significant costs, environmental burdens and risks during the 1500 km transport of hazardous liquid waste. The combination of DD and MD, complemented with a zero-brine precipitation reactor, closes internal material loops, could save local water resources and reduces costs as well as environmental impacts. Reduction potentials of 70-80% regarding most LCA impact categories can be expected for the application of the novel technology combination supporting the galvanizing pre-treatment process under study. Therefore, the application of such technology on the way forward to a more circular economy is recommended from an environmental viewpoint, especially in process plants similar to the investigated one.
Open Access
Environmental impacts of renewable insulation materials
(2021) Geß, Andreas; Lorenz, Manuel; Tolsdorf, Anna; Albrecht, Stefan
According to the IEA Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2019, one of the main industry sectors causing environmental impacts is the construction sector. Hence, construction materials from renewable resources are expected to have a large potential to decrease these impacts. In this study, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted for four different insulation materials from renewable feedstock: insulation made from pasture grass, seaweed, reed, and recycled jute fibres. Additionally, the effects on land use change were evaluated for pasture grass insulation using the LANCA® methodology. To put the LCA results in relation to those of non-renewable resources, a comparison of standardized LCA values for conventional insulation materials is presented. In general, the renewable insulation materials show fewer environmental impacts than their conventional counterparts. In particular, these materials have advantages regarding greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on climate change. Of the analyzed materials, seaweed showed the overall lowest emissions. It can be concluded that insulation materials from non-mineral, non-fossil, and non-wooden resources are still fairly niche in terms of market share, but they have extraordinary potential in decreasing the environmental impacts of construction ventures.
Open Access
Grill and chill: a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impacts of private household barbecuing in Germany
(2024) Geng, Shaoran; Dorling, Kevin Christopher; Prenzel, Tobias Manuel; Albrecht, Stefan
Rising environmental consciousness has prompted increased scrutiny of the environmental impact of everyday activities, such as barbecuing - a popular summertime activity in Germany. This study aimed to explore the environmental impacts of three grilling techniques, charcoal (including reusable types such as swivel, round, and kettle grills, as well as disposable charcoal grills), gas, and electric grills, utilizing a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach including the manufacturing of grills, consumption of energy sources and grilling ingredients, as well as the end-of-life of the grills. Five impact categories were considered: global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), abiotic depletion potential fossil (ADP), and land use (LU) according to the CML2016 and ReCiPe 2016 methodology. This study found that a barbeque event for four people results in GWP, AP, EP, ADP, and LU values ranging from 18 to 20 kg CO2-eq., 174 to 179 g SO2-eq., 166 to 167 g PO4-eq., 102 to 138 MJ, and 36 to 38 m2 annual crop-eq., respectively, across different types of grills. Furthermore, the ingredients proved to be the most significant contributor, surpassing 70% in all impact categories. Among the three types of grills, the electric grill emerged as the most environmentally friendly, while the disposable grill had the greatest environmental impact across the majority of categories. Lastly, the environmental impacts of varying consumer behaviors were evaluated to potentially assist consumers in adopting more sustainable grilling practices.
Open Access
Insect habitat systems integrated into façades : impact on building physics and awareness of society
(2020) Meier, Linda; Raps, Johanna; Leistner, Philip
Deforestation, intensive farming and the sealing of green spaces are considered to be the main reasons for the global decrease of biodiversity. In this context, the built environment, and in particular vertical surfaces, are still highly underestimated and need to be taken into account. Although it is acknowledged that greened surfaces have beneficial effects, for example, on the microclimate, the vast majority of buildings are still not biodiversity-friendly. Artificial nesting boxes help birds and bats adapt to the change of their habitats. However, insects, with their tremendous significance for insectivorous species and for humans, are mostly neglected or even threatened. The purpose of this holistic approach is to investigate interactions between integrated insect habitat systems in façades and building physical aspects to create test objects. Heat transfer coefficients, thermal bridges, and the risk of condensation inside the buildings were simulated in different arrangements of nesting boxes for wild bees. As a result, conclusions on heat and humidity protection in ventilated façades and external thermal insulation composite systems could be drawn. The following results showed the maintenance of indoor comfort and energy efficiency as well as a low risk of mold. Further investigations analyzed the sound reduction index and fire protection. From a building physical point of view, integrated insect habitat systems could be part of the constructed environment and even link inner-city biotopes. Further challenges and opportunities are identified rather at a socio-ecological and technical level. Without taking into account the civil society and ecological demands of the various species, habitat systems for insects will miss their objectives. Special focus will be put on the skepticism and lack of knowledge of people, as well as on the comfort of the insects.
Open Access
Integration of LCA in the planning phases of adaptive buildings
(2019) Schlegl, Friederike; Honold, Clemens; Leistner, Sophia; Albrecht, Stefan; Roth, Daniel; Haase, Walter; Leistner, Philip; Binz, Hansgeorg; Sobek, Werner
The high consumption of resources in the building industry requires a significant reduction of material in buildings and consequently a reduction of emissions over all phases of the life cycle. This is the aim of the Collaborative Research Centre 1244 Adaptive Skins and Structures for the Built Environment of Tomorrow, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), which addresses research on the development and integration of adaptive systems in building structures and skins. New approaches in building planning are required for the implementation of adaptive buildings. Therefore, a multidisciplinary team from various fields such as architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, and system dynamics is necessary. The environmental impacts of the whole life cycle have to be considered for an integral planning process for adaptive buildings right from the beginning. For the integration of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), four temporal and content-related interfaces were identified in the planning process. Inputs and outputs of the LCA were defined for the relevant planning stages in order to enable the greatest possible benefit for the planners and to minimize the environmental impacts as far as possible. The result of the research work is a methodology that can be used in the future to reduce life cycle-related environmental impacts in the planning process of adaptive buildings (ReAdapt).
Open Access
Life cycle assessment for early-stage process optimization of microbial biosurfactant production using kinetic models : a case study on mannosylerythritol lipids (MEL)
(2024) Bippus, Lars; Briem, Ann-Kathrin; Beck, Alexander; Zibek, Susanne; Albrecht, Stefan
Introduction: This study assesses the environmental impacts of mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs) production for process optimization using life cycle assessment (LCA). MELs are glycolipid-type microbial biosurfactants with many possible applications based on their surface-active properties. They are generally produced by fungi from the family of Ustilaginaceae via fermentation in aerated bioreactors. The aim of our work is to accompany the development of biotechnological products at an early stage to enable environmentally sustainable process optimization. Methods: This is done by identifying hotspots and potentials for improvement based on a reliable quantification of the environmental impacts. The production processes of MELs are evaluated in a cradle-to-gate approach using the Environmental Footprint (EF) 3.1 impact assessment method. The LCA model is based on upscaled experimental data for the fermentation and purification, assuming the production at a 10 m³ scale. In the case analyzed, MELs are produced from rapeseed oil and glucose, and purified by separation, solvent extraction, and chromatography. Results: The results of the LCA show that the provision of substrates is a major source of environmental impacts and accounts for 20% of the impacts on Climate Change and more than 70% in the categories Acidification and Eutrophication. Moreover, 33% of the impacts on Climate Change is caused by the energy requirements for aeration of the bioreactor, while purification accounts for 42% of the impacts respectively. For the purification, solvents are identified as the main contributors in most impact categories. Discussion: The results illustrate the potentials for process optimization to reduce the environmental impacts of substrate requirements, enhanced bioreactor aeration, and efficient solvent use in downstream processing. By a scenario analysis, considering both experimental adaptations and prospective variations of the process, the laboratory development can be supported with further findings and hence efficiently optimized towards environmental sustainability. Moreover, the presentation of kinetic LCA results over the fermentation duration shows a novel way of calculating and visualizing results that corresponds to the way of thinking of process engineers using established environmental indicators and a detailed system analysis. Altogether, this LCA study supports and demonstrates the potential for further improvements towards more environmentally friendly produced surfactants.
Open Access
Managing uncertainties in LCA dataset selection
(2019) Pfeuffer, Simon; Wehner, Daniel; Bouslama, Raed
The selection of LCA datasets requires an understanding of the available datasets in a database and awareness about the uncertainties associated with the dataset selection. Therefore, a graphical presentation technique is introduced to support the communication of information about available datasets and uncertainties.
Open Access
Moving beyond land use intensity types : assessing biodiversity impacts using fuzzy thinking
(2021) Lindner, Jan Paul; Eberle, Ulrike; Knuepffer, Eva; Coelho, Carla R. V.
The impact of land use on biodiversity is a topic that has received considerable attention in life cycle assessment (LCA). The methodology to assess biodiversity in LCA has been improved in the past decades. This paper contributes to this progress by building on the concept of conditions for maintained biodiversity. It describes the theory for the development of mathematical functions representing the impact of land uses and management practices on biodiversity. The method proposed here describes the impact of land use on biodiversity as a decrease in biodiversity potential, capturing the impact of management practices. The method can be applied with weighting between regions, such as ecoregions. The biodiversity potential is calculated through functions that describe not only parameters which are relevant to biodiversity, for example, deadwood in a forest, but also the relationships between those parameters. For example, maximum biodiversity would hypothetically occur when the nutrient balance is ideal and no pesticide is applied. As these relationships may not be readily quantified, we propose the use of fuzzy thinking for biodiversity assessment, using AND/OR operators. The method allows the inclusion of context parameters that represent neither the management nor the land use practice being investigated, but are nevertheless relevant to biodiversity. The parameters and relationships can be defined by either literature or expert interviews. We give recommendations on how to create the biodiversity potential functions by providing the reader with a set of questions that can help build the functions and find the relationship between parameters. We present a simplified case study of paper production in the Scandinavian and Russian Taiga to demonstrate the applicability of the method. We apply the method to two scenarios, one representing an intensive forestry practice, and another representing lower intensity forestry management. The results communicate the differences between the two scenarios quantitatively, but more importantly, are able to provide guidance on improved management. We discuss the advantages of this condition-based approach compared to pre-defined intensity classes. The potential drawbacks of defining potential functions from industry-derived studies are pointed out. This method also provides a less strict approach to a reference situation, consequently allowing the adequate assessment of cases in which the most beneficial biodiversity state is achieved through management practices. The originality of using fuzzy thinking is that it enables land use management practices to be accounted for in LCA without requiring sub-categories for different intensities to be explicitly established, thus moving beyond the classification of land use practices. The proposed method is another LCIA step toward closing the gap between land use management practices and biodiversity conservation goals.
Open Access
Ökobilanz für die Bioprozessoptimierung : Herstellung des Biotensids MEL
(2024) Bippus, Lars; Briem, Ann-Kathrin; Beck, Alexander; Zibek, Susanne; Albrecht, Stefan
This study evaluates the environmental impacts of producing mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs) using life cycle assessment (LCA) and kinetic models. MELs are microbial biosurfactants with various applications produced from biobased sources. The LCA results indicate that substrate provision, bioreactor aeration and solvent use for purification are major environmental impact sources. The findings highlight areas for improving the environmental sustainability of the production processes.
Open Access
Particulate matter versus airborne viruses : distinctive differences between filtering and inactivating air cleaning technologies
(2022) Burdack-Freitag, Andrea; Buschhaus, Michael; Grün, Gunnar; Hofbauer, Wolfgang Karl; Johann, Sabine; Nagele-Renzl, Anna Maria; Schmohl, Andreas; Scherer, Christian Rudolf
The current pandemic of the SARS-CoV-2 virus requires measures to reduce the risk of infection. In addition to the usual hygiene measures, air cleaners are a recommended solution to decrease the viral load in rooms. Suitable technologies range from pure filters to inactivating units, such as cold plasma or UVC irradiation. Such inactivating air cleaners, partly combined with filter technology, are available on the market in various designs, dimensions and technical specifications. Since it is not always clear whether they may produce undesirable by-products, and the suitability for particular applications cannot be assessed on the basis of the principle of operation, the effectivity of six inactivating devices was investigated in a near-real environment. The investigations were based on a standard method published by the VDI. The procedure was extended in such a way that a permanent virus source was simulated, which corresponds to the presence of a person suffering from COVID-19 in a room. The study addresses the difference of the mere presence of viruses to the determination of the virulence. As a result, a deep understanding is provided between the behavior of a virus as a pure aerosolized particle and its real infectivity in order to enable the assessment of suitable air cleaners.
Open Access
Probabilistic life-cycle assessment of service life extension on renovated buildings under seismic hazard
(2020) Di Bari, Roberta; Belleri, Andrea; Marini, Alessandra; Horn, Rafael; Gantner, Johannes
Existing buildings can reach a performance enhancement and extend their nominal service life through renovation measures such as seismic rehabilitation. In particular, when buildings have almost exhausted their service life, seeking an optimal solution should consider whether costs and environmental effects are worthwhile, or new construction is preferred. In this paper, a methodology to consider seismic hazard into probabilistic approaches for life-cycle analyses is presented considering the possibility of structural enhancement over an extended building lifespan. A life-cycle-based decision support tool for building renovation measures is developed and applied to a selected case study. Unlike standard “static” analyses, which in this work show shortcomings by underestimating impacts of vulnerable buildings, such an approach brings out environmental and economic advantages of retrofit measures designed to improve the structural performance.
Open Access
Recycled or reusable : a multi‐method assessment of eco‐friendly packaging in online retail
(2023) Frommeyer, Britta; Koch, Julia; Scagnetti, Carla; Lorenz, Manuel; Schewe, Gerhard
The rapid growth of online retail increases the demand for packaging. Although packaging is necessary to fulfill logistic and marketing functions, it fosters the depletion of resources, is often used carelessly, and thus negatively impacts the environment. Eco‐friendly packaging variants could provide a solution to this problem. Since many stakeholders must be involved to promote their use, this study develops a conceptual framework that reconciles their different perspectives and combines these with an environmental assessment to facilitate the transition to more sustainable online retail. We apply a multi‐method research approach to investigate the different views. We use qualitative interviews and website analyses to capture the perspective of online retailers, conduct an online survey (n = 1491) to investigate consumers’ perceptions of various product and transport packaging alternatives, and perform a life cycle assessment (LCA) of these options. The findings reveal that online retailers lack knowledge regarding consumer preferences and the environmental impact of packaging. The consumer survey shows a strong preference for packaging made from recycled paper and general avoidance of plastic packaging. The LCA results reveal that recycled and reusable variants are environmentally beneficial. The findings are interpreted in light of the relationships assumed in the conceptual framework. From a theoretical perspective, our results indicate that online retailers are concerned about the signaling role of packaging and that consumers refer to heuristic cues when deciding between packaging variants. We reconcile the different perspectives to propose strategies that contribute to a broader distribution of eco‐friendly packaging in online retail.
Open Access
The relevance of recyclability for the life cycle assessment of packaging based on Design for Life Cycle
(2022) Keller, Jonas; Scagnetti, Carla; Albrecht, Stefan
The awareness for more environmentally sustainable packaging solutions is steadily growing. With both consumers and manufacturers looking to minimize their impacts on the environment, the need for easy-to-implement and standardized measures strengthening a circular economy rises. In the research, the goal was to determine whether the carbon footprint and circularity of non-food plastic packaging can be improved by simple design changes. The results should then lead to design recommendations, providing a Design for Life Cycle approach. The methodology of the study was to conceptually design a single-use plastic packaging with attributes having positive and negative effects on recyclability. Herein, only design characteristics from products obtainable on the market were regarded. Moreover, a comparison over existing recyclability assessment methods is given. The recyclability was then determined with the selected approach by Cyclos HTP, and a reference calculation was conducted. Life Cycle Assessments were implemented for 14 packaging designs using the GaBi software and the Environmental Footprint method. The results showed that dark color, material compounds, insoluble adhesives, and large labels result in lower recyclability of the single-use packaging. The impacts on climate change range from 0.13 kg CO2-equivalent emissions (100% recyclability) to 0.21 kg CO2-equivalent emissions (0% recyclability) per packaging, showing that lower recyclability leads to a larger carbon footprint in all assessed scenarios. Concluding, the research demonstrated that by applying Design for Life Cycle measures, impacts on climate change can be reduced. Lastly, design recommendations for decision makers are outlined.
Open Access
Research on optimization of the thermal performance of composite rammed earth construction
(2022) Yu, Shenwei; Hao, Shimeng; Mu, Jun; Tian, Dongwei; Zhao, Mosha
Rammed earth (RE) is a low-tech recyclable building material with good heat storage and moisture absorption performance that can better maintain the stability of the indoor thermal environment and improve indoor comfort. With innovations in and the development of new technology, the field of rammed earth construction technology is gradually expanding. However, deficiencies in the thermal insulation of traditional rammed earth structures make it impossible for them to meet China’s building energy codes in cold regions. This study constructs a comprehensive evaluation index of the thermal performance of rammed earth walls that is based on the heat transfer mechanism, optimizing the thickness of the boundary conditions of the building interior’s design temperature, as well as the energy demand and economic efficiency. This research also offers a new design for the thermal insulation of rammed earth construction by combining the building energy savings design code with WUFI Pro software. This study demonstrates that the optimum thickness of rammed earth construction in Beijing is about 360 mm, the thickness of extruded polystyrene board (XPS) is 50 mm (for public buildings) and 70 mm (for residential buildings), and the structural form of external insulation offers the highest performance benefit. In addition, this work also evaluates the risk of condensation inside composite rammed earth construction, finding that there is a risk of condensation on the exterior side of the wall and at the interface between the insulation panels and rammed earth wall, thus requiring an additional moisture-proof layer. In this study, thermal mass and insulation are fully considered and a design strategy for rammed earth construction given quantitatively, providing a theoretical basis for the application of rammed earth materials in cold regions.
Open Access
Soil organic carbon as an indicator of land use impacts in life cycle assessment
(2024) De Laurentiis, Valeria; Maier, Stephanie; Horn, Rafael; Uusitalo, Ville; Hiederer, Roland; Chéron-Bessou, Cécile; Morais, Tiago; Grant, Tim; Milà i Canals, Llorenç; Sala, Serenella
Purpose. Anthropogenic activities are a major driver of soil and land degradation. Due to the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties and the global nature of most value chains, the modelling of the impacts of land use on soil quality for application in life cycle assessment (LCA) requires a regionalised assessment with global coverage. This paper proposes an approach to quantify the impacts of land use on soil quality, using changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks as a proxy, following the latest recommendation of the Life Cycle Initiative. Methods. An operational set of SOC-based characterisation factors for land occupation and land transformation were derived using spatial datasets (1 km resolution) and aggregated at the national and global levels. The developed characterisation factors were tested by means of a case study analysis, investigating the impact on soil quality caused by land use activities necessary to provide three alternative energy supply systems for passenger car transport (biomethane, ethanol, and solar electricity). Results obtained by applying characterisation factors at local, regional, and national levels were compared, to investigate the role of the level of regionalisation on the resulting impacts. Results and discussion. Global maps of characterisation factors are presented for the 56 land use types commonly used in LCA databases, together with national and global values. Urban and industrial land uses present the highest impacts on SOC stocks, followed by severely degraded pastures and intensively managed arable lands. Instead, values obtained for extensive pastures, flooded crops, and urban green areas often report an increase in SOC stocks. Results show that the ranking of impacts of the three energy systems considered in the case study analysis is not affected by the level of regionalisation of the analysis. In the case of biomethane energy supply, impacts assessed using national characterisation factors are more than double those obtained with local characterisation factors, with less significant differences in the other two cases. Conclusions. The integration of soil quality aspects in life cycle impact assessment methods is a crucial challenge due to the key role of soil conservation in ensuring food security and environmental protection. This approach allows the quantification of land use impacts on SOC stocks, taken as a proxy of soil quality. Further research needs to improve the assessment of land use impacts in LCA are identified, such as the ability to reflect the effects of agricultural and forestry management practices.