Abstracts - ALCAS Conference - Australian Life Cycle Assessment ...

Mr Joe Lane
Research Scientist, University of Queensland
Co Authors - Prof Paul Lant, Head of School, Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Prof Mark
Huijbregts, Professor of Integrated Environmental Assessment, Radboud Universty Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Life-cycle toxicity modelling in the Australian context
Toxicity modelling has long been a high profile component of the Life-cycle Assessment methodology.
Research efforts in recent years have identified a number of substantial improvements that will increase the
fidelity of available LCA toxicity models. The majority of these support the ongoing regionalisation of LCA
impact assessment, and are therefore of particular relevance in the Australian context. Australia’s unique
combination of geo-physical, climatic and demographic factors make it difficult for globally-generic impact
models to provide results that hold much relevance for Australian decision makers.
The USES-LCA toxicity model has been disaggregated into distinct urban, regional and remote compartments;
so as to better represent the highly heterogeneous population distribution on the Australian continent. This
has a significant effect on the calculation of human exposure to airshed emissions, demonstrating the
importance of choosing an appropriate level of spatial resolution when using simplified box models for this
purpose. The modified fate and exposure factors were combined with an estimate of Australia-wide airshed
emissions, identifying a number of industry sectors that might be responsible for particularly high levels of
human health hazard as a result of chemical pollution. Additional modifications were made to improve the
modelling of freshwater and terrestrial ecotoxicity in the Australian version of USES-LCA - incorporating the
most recent science on metals speciation, and providing the flexibility to take different methodological
approaches to pesticide effect modelling. The model was then applied to estimates of chemical emissions to
terrestrial and aquatic landscapes across the country, generated using the best available data from a wide
variety of sources. The results illustrate the importance of both these methodological developments, and
highlight the need for more robust and consistent data collection on emissions to land and water.
Ms Sue McAvoy
PhD Student, University of Queensland
Working Title: Using LCA to assess the impact of climate change policy on Red Meat Processing
This paper presents work in progress on a thesis that uses partial life cycle assessment (LCA) as part of an
investigation to assess the effectiveness of the federal government's climate change policy. It focuses on red
meat processing (RMP), which is a trade-exposed industry falling outside of the emissions intensive cut-offs for
direct assistance. Australia’s largest RMP Company will be used as a case study.
It will test whether the Australian carbon accounting framework, legislation and associated regulations, which
collectively underpin the carbon tax policy, will enable the “activity” of red meat processing to lower its carbon
footprint and remain competitive. The research responds to a concern that Australia’s Red Meat Processors
are price takers of a world commodity price that is non-carbon inclusive and must compete globally with
international processors who are either not subject to a carbon tax or are adequately shielded. Two
methodologies will support this research – LCA and systems dynamics. Firstly, the partial LCA will measure the