1、Designation: E3066 16Standard Practice forAssessing Relative Sustainability Involving Energy orChemicals from Biomass1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E3066; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the ye
2、ar of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. Asuperscript epsilon () indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1. Scope1.1 This practice provides a methodology for assessing therelative sustainability of products, processes or projects
3、 involv-ing energy and chemicals derived from biomass.1.2 These assessments will facilitate informed decisions,leading to more sustainable outcomes.1.3 This practice provides a methodology that includessetting goals and objectives, identifying the appropriate contextand selecting appropriate indicat
4、ors that ensure comparable,equivalent and replicable assessments of relative sustainabilitywhere at least one option is available from biomass.1.4 The objectives of this practice are to reduce bias anddistortion in the marketplace, facilitate fair comparison ofoptions, focus on assessments reflectin
5、g stakeholder priorities,and support continual improvement for more sustainable out-comes.1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practic
6、es and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2. Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E1705 Terminology Relating to BiotechnologyE3050 Specification for Denatured Ethanol for Use as Cook-ing and Appliance Fuel2.2 ISO Standards:3ISO 14040 Environmental ManagementLife C
7、ycle As-sessment - Principles and frameworkISO 14044 Life Cycle AssessmentRequirements andGuidelinesISO 13065 Sustainability Criteria for Bioenergy3. Terminology3.1 For general terminology, refer to Terminology E1705.NOTE 1The user is advised that the definitions used by variousindustries, marketers
8、, and regulatory bodies can differ from those specificto this standard. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that the termsused in a particular context are clearly understood.3.2 Definitions:3.2.1 biomass, nsubstance wholly comprised of living orrecently living (nonfossil) material.3.2.1.1
9、 DiscussionSometimes referred to as renewableorganic material, examples of biomass include whole or partsof plants, trees, aquatic organisms, animals, algae and micro-organisms.3.2.2 continual improvement, na systematic, iterative pro-cess of identifying and evaluating options and selecting thosetha
10、t provide incremental improvements toward achieving de-fined goals and objectives.3.2.3 indicator, nspecific, science-based, observable andmeasurable characteristic.3.2.4 measure, vquantify the size, amount, or degree ofsomething using a science-based approach and appropriateunits.3.2.4.1 Discussion
11、Science-based approach involves:measurement, objective observation, evidence, induction,repetition, critical analysis, and verification.3.2.5 science-based, adjscientific practices based onnatural, social, or economic sciences that employ the scientificmethod.3.2.5.1 DiscussionThe scientific method
12、is based on evi-dence and typically involves one or more of the following:objective observation, experiment, models, critical analysis,verification and testing, repetition, and induction.3.2.6 stakeholder, nindividual, group, or organization thatcan affect or be directly affected by the product, pro
13、cess, orproject under assessment.3.2.6.1 DiscussionThe selection of stakeholders depends1This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E48 onBioenergy and Industrial Chemicals from Biomass and is the direct responsibility ofSubcommittee E48.80 on Sustainability of Bioenergy and Indust
14、rial Chemicals fromBiomass.Current edition approved July 1, 2016. Published August 2016. DOI: E3066162For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org. For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information, refer to the standards D
15、ocument Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISOCentral Secretariat, BIBC II, Chemin de Blandonnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier,Geneva, Switzerland, http:/www.iso.org.Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Co
16、nshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States1on the specific product, process or project and context. Stake-holders may vary over time and can include regulatory bodies,customers, neighbors, employees, suppliers, etc.3.2.7 sustainability, nAspirational concept denoting thecapacity to meet current needs
17、while maintaining options forfuture generations to meet their needs. To make the concept ofsustainability operational, consistent approaches are requiredthat facilitate comparable, science-based assessments usingmeasurable indicators of environmental, economic, and socialprocesses (1); (2); (3)43.2.
18、7.1 DiscussionConceptual sustainability and sustain-able development goals are described in the Brundtland Report(1987) and other legislation such as the National Environmen-tal Policy Act (US Government 1969) which aimed “to createand maintain conditions under which humans and nature canexist in pr
19、oductive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social,economic and other requirements of present and future gen-erations.” Sustainability does not imply a steady state or anabsolute value, but instead is a relative and comparative termthat must have a defined context, based on clear objectives (4).No
20、aspect of human activity can be “sustainable” everywhereor indefinitely without change or adaptation over time.3.2.8 relative sustainability, na comparison of the sustain-ability of two or more options (products, processes or projects)to enable the understanding of the relative costs, benefits andtr
21、ade-offs that are applicable to defined sustainability goals,objectives and indicators.3.2.8.1 DiscussionAn assessment of relative sustainabilitycan be used to inform decisions leading to more sustainableoutcomes.3.2.8.2 DiscussionAssessing relative sustainability uti-lizes a scientific analysis of
22、economic, social and environmen-tal conditions to enable decisions that will improve thesustainability of a defined product, process or project.4. Discussion of Concepts4.1 It is important to clarify concepts used in this practicebecause they can be used differently in other sustainabilitycertificat
23、ion standards and schemes.4.2 Assessing Relative Sustainability4.2.1 No aspect of human activity can be considered to besustainable indefinitely. Environmental, economic, and socialchange preclude absolute sustainability without adaptationover time. Sustainability is a relative term and reflects cho
24、icesamong options, trade-offs across sustainability aspects(environmental, social, economic), selected criteria, and indi-cator values or trends in a defined place and time (context).4.2.2 Comparison of relative sustainability typically in-volves some combination of past events and conditions as wel
25、las expectations about the future.4.2.3 Because data about the past are limited and knowledgeabout the future is still more uncertain, a process to monitorindicators in a manner than can support continual improvementis a fundamental requirement for this practice.4.3 Context and Stakeholders4.3.1 The
26、 selection of context and stakeholders depends onthe products, processes or projects to be assessed. Contextestablishes the appropriate temporal and spatial boundaries forthe assessment. The context may include the places and timeperiods impacted.4.3.2 The context will be used to identify stakeholde
27、rgroups that can have an interest in the options to be assessed.Stakeholder input is important to help identify and prioritizegoals and criteria for the assessment.4.3.3 Determining the context for assessing the relativesustainability is a critical step. A decision or action that resultsin a more su
28、stainable outcome under one set of conditions maynot produce a more sustainable outcome under other condi-tions. The context and stakeholder priorities are important forselecting the specific indicators used in the evaluation of eachoption and for assessing the relative sustainability.4.4 Continual
29、Improvement4.4.1 Given the definition of sustainability and the fact thatsocial, economic, and environmental conditions are constantlychanging, iterative analysis to support adjustments needed toassure progress toward defined goals is fundamental.4.5 Continual Improvement in Sustainability Assessmen
30、ts4.5.1 Because social, environmental and economic condi-tions are constantly changing, along with the informationavailable to support indicator measurement and technologicaloptions, any effort to support more sustainable outcomesrequires periodic monitoring and reanalysis. This standardpractice req
31、uires the description of mechanisms that willadvance the concept of continual improvement.4.6 More Sustainable Outcomes4.6.1 Recognizing that sustainability is not a state or end-goal, “more sustainable outcomes” underscores that an assess-ment process is limited to identifying what appears to be be
32、tterat achieving specified goals within a defined context and basedon the chosen criteria and indicators. One goal of this standardpractice is to standardize a process for supporting informeddecisions about the relative costs and benefits of options interms of meeting both current needs and unforese
33、eable needsof future generations. Thus, more sustainable outcomes neces-sarily consider the value of conservation and reuse of non-renewable resources.4.7 Science-based Indicators4.7.1 The evaluation of options shall be based on indicatorsthat are relevant, measurable and replicable.4.7.2 This stand
34、ard practice encourages the continued de-velopment of science-based indicators to address the prioritiesidentified by stakeholders. Science-based indicators for someareas of concern are not yet adequately defined in standards.4.7.3 See Appendix X1for examples of science-based mea-surable indicators.
35、4.8 Stakeholders4.8.1 Engaging stakeholders can be challenging due to thebreadth of potential interest groups and the physical, financial,and social-cultural barriers to constructive participation.4.8.2 Sustainability aspects include global and regionalissues such as climate, air, and water. Assessm
36、ent processes4The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to a list of references at the end ofthis standard.E3066 162call for stakeholder involvement. The United Nations Sustain-able Development Goals (2015) provide one example of suchan effort and it is reasonable for projects to take such thirdpart
37、y processes into consideration when seeking to identifybroad stakeholder interests and priorities.4.8.3 The ability to guide decisions to support more sustain-able outcomes is compromised if an assessment relies ongeneralized data that do not capture priorities and trade-offsinvolved in a specific p
38、roject and context. Information to guidedecisions toward more sustainable outcomes is generated whenassessments focus on a project scale appropriate to support datacollection and analysis for the activities that are causally linkedto locally defined problems and observable values. Stakeholderengagem
39、ent is facilitated by focusing on a similar local scale.4.8.4 Transparent communication is a prerequisite for con-structive stakeholder engagement. Transparency supports thedevelopment of trust among parties and serves as a cornerstonefor sustainability assessment and future monitoring and evalu-ati
40、on that are required for continual improvement.4.8.5 A clearly defined project purpose, addressing a clearlyarticulated problem, will help establish boundaries that facili-tate constructive stakeholder engagement.4.8.6 Stakeholders contribute to defining priorities forcriteria, indicators and assess
41、ment goals, considering trade-offs, identifying sources of information, and supporting ongo-ing work (monitoring) toward continual improvement.5. Summary of Practice5.1 Basic Principles for Assessing Relative Sustainability5.1.1 Several basic principles are to be an integral part of anassessment pla
42、n. Following these principles improves the valueand acceptance of the assessment outcomes.5.1.2 TransparencyIt is essential that the assessment bedocumented with sufficient detailed information such that theprocedure and results are clearly communicated, understood,and can be reproduced by other par
43、ties.5.1.2.1 The expectation of transparency does not stipulatethat all information is made public. There may be situationswhere information could be considered confidential understandard business practices. Confidential business informationis not included under the transparency principle.5.1.3 Stak
44、eholder EngagementThere are two aspects tostakeholder engagement. The first is to identify stakeholdersthat should be considered within the scope and context of theassessment. The second is the outreach to engage the identifiedstakeholders. As the assessment proceeds the stakeholdergroups and engage
45、ment methods can be modified if needed toimprove the input into the assessment plan.5.1.4 Timely CommunicationA system should be in placeto share info on the status of priority indicators for energy orchemical options being assessed. Untimely reporting or de-layed communication with stakeholders can
46、 hamper the effec-tiveness and value of the assessment.5.1.5 Equivalent TreatmentThe goal of a plan to assessrelative sustainability is not to declare something as sustainableor not sustainable but to determine how options compare basedon specific goals and objectives. These plans must be devel-oped
47、 and conducted in a manner that avoids bias. Each optionin the assessment plan shall be evaluated in an equivalentfashion.5.2 Six Steps for Assessing Relative SustainabilityThe sixsteps described below shall be followed when planning andconducting an assessment of relative sustainability. Theseasses
48、sments need to be planned and conducted incorporatingspecific principles to improve the acceptance of the assessmentand prevent bias and market disruption.5.2.1 Step 1: Define the purpose of the assessment plan andthe options to be assessed.5.2.1.1 The assessment plan shall clearly specify: who isin
49、itiating the plan as well as contact information for questionsand general communication about the plan; the project time-line; primary purpose of the plan specified goals relevant tosustainability; and other aspects of the scope and project thatare pertinent for subsequent steps, for example, references tobackground studies and impact assessments.5.2.1.2 The assessment plan description can include otheritems described below related to context, stakeholders, alter-native(s) available to achieve similar goals, etc.5.2.1.3 The plan description can be modified ba
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