Platt, E.G. and Styring, P. orcid.org/0000-0002-8434-7356 (2024) Counterfactual sustainability screening - the definition and undertaking of a sustainability screening method for the assessment of defossilised supply chains. RSC Sustainability, 2 (4). pp. 1014-1029. ISSN 2753-8125
Abstract
With the monumental shift in industrial interest towards sustainable, defossilised supply chains in response to the climate crisis, the understanding of alternative supply chain viability has never been more vital. As part of their Clean Future initiative, Unilever Home Care has committed to the phasing out of fossil carbon sources from their supply chains. To better assess the viability of these prospective supply chains within a quick timeframe, a counterfactual screening method has been developed which pits the performance of eleven selected sustainability indicators against a success baseline, returning a results array on the sustainability performance of these routes. This paper briefly introduces the initiatives laid out by Unilever Home Care, before undertaking a concise review on existing sustainability screening methods from the literature, with the key limitations of these methods outlined. In response to these limitations, a new methodology is then defined, with a case study of defossilised Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS)-appropriate olefins being applied. This study both illustrates the functionality of the methodology, as well as provides an insight into the viability of the assessed supply chains. Within the study, 18 technologies forming 18 routes were assessed, spanning green (“from plants”), grey (“from plastic waste”) and purple (“from CO2”) feedstocks (according to the Carbon Rainbow). General results trends suggest that green and grey routes hold much greater viability than the purple routes, given their relatively lower capital and operating costs, as well as their superior likelihood of being commercially viable by 2030. Plans for further research are also provided, with plans for results validation included.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2024. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number UNILEVER UK CENTRAL RESOURCES LIMITED PO13485737 UNILEVER RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PORT SUNLIGHT (UK) MA-2020-00766N UNILEVER PLC UNSPECIFIED UNILEVER RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PORT SUNLIGHT (UK) MA-2020-00766N |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 12 Feb 2024 12:14 |
Last Modified: | 11 Nov 2024 13:19 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1039/d3su00272a |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:209030 |