Planetary Boundaries Concept Research Articles

Planetary boundaries as a way of assessing environmental performance: a methodological approach proposal

Objective: This study aims to demonstrate how planetary boundaries can serve as a method for evaluating the environmental performance of organizations. Methodology: The study is based on different methods of data collection and analyses, based on the literature on planetary boundaries and their measurement, secondary data collection and the use of two illustrative examples with two companies operating in the oil and gas sector in the upstream segment. Results: It was initially necessary to validate the downscaling of planetary boundaries to the business analysis level to apply the proposed conceptual model to two cases of companies operating in the oil and gas sector in the upstream segment. The proposed downscaling method proved to be adequate, effective, and plausible, as did the use of planetary boundaries as a method for evaluating the environmental performance of organizations. Implications: This study established contributions of methodological and practical natures, which allows companies in the sector to evaluate and be evaluated based on the need to respect the biophysical limits of the Earth system. Originality/Relevance: The concept of planetary boundaries provides a starting point for understanding the compatibility between the search for sustainable development and the current economic model, since the natural capital consumed is physically finite. In addition, a critical factor in this search is the role played by companies since the increased pressure on the consumption of natural resources directly impacts business operations.

Boundary Conditions for Organizations in the Anthropocene: A Review of the Planetary Boundaries Framework 10 Years On

AbstractWe systematically review business research concerning the planetary boundaries framework: A natural science framework that identifies nine Earth system boundaries that govern the safe operating space for humanity. Ten years after the introduction of the planetary boundaries in business studies, we pose two critical questions: How has the planetary boundaries concept been integrated into business studies and how has research on each of the nine boundaries advanced? Our review demonstrates growing scholarly interest in both questions. However, the topic remains niche with critical gaps, with most studies published in sustainability‐focused journals and only occasionally in mainstream journals. Theoretical development remains fragmented and of greater concern, a systems perspective is lacking in empirical studies: Most articles focus solely on one issue – climate change – and there is almost no cross‐analysis between boundaries. We contrast this with evidence that the planetary pressures of the Anthropocene are approaching dangerous thresholds and make the provocative assertion that planetary boundaries are not simply the foundation for specialized research on corporate sustainability but rather are the necessary boundary conditions for all business studies in the Anthropocene. We call for a transformation in how business scholars theorize, measure and engage.

Beyond free trade in raw materials: Reconciling international trade rules with planetary boundaries

International trade rules enshrined in agreements like the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) promote free trade, with exceptions for environmental protection. This paper explores the tension between these rules and Earth Systems Science's concept of planetary boundaries, which define environmental tipping points beyond which humanity faces irreversible harm. We analyse GATT's provisions, particularly Article XI's prohibition on trade restrictions and Article XX's exceptions, through the lens of planetary boundaries. Our analysis argues that current interpretations of these articles are inadequate to address the environmental impact of raw material trade. We further examine the concept of permanent sovereignty over natural resources, which grants states autonomy over resource exploitation and trade. We posit that planetary boundaries are not a restriction on sovereignty but a call for modifying state trading behaviour and consequently how international trade rules is structured and interpreted. This analysis demonstrates the complexity of transforming the legal landscape necessary for a global just energy transition, a response to climate change that requires aligning international trade with environmental sustainability.

Eco-emotions as the planetary boundaries: framing human emotional and planetary health in the global environmental crisis

BackgroundAffective processes play an important role in physical and mental health and in adaptation responses to the global environmental crisis. Eco-emotions—emotions that are substantially associated with the environment and anthropogenic changes happening within it—are complex and culturally varied. Despite the disproportionate impact of the global environmental crisis on low-income and middle-income countries, most psychological research to date has been conducted in high-income countries and has focused on climate change and negative climate emotions (eg, climate anxiety). The absence of diverse, globally representative evidence about emotions associated with the global environmental crisis beyond climate change hinders evidence-based action on psychological adaptation and the development of contextually and culturally appropriate coping strategies toward the wider range of negative anthropogenic effects. To account for this wider range of anthropogenic effects, we previously introduced an eco-emotions framework built on the planetary boundaries concept. We aimed to apply this framework to the current research on eco-emotional responses to identify remaining gaps that hinder evidence-based action. MethodsWe conducted a literature review of peer-reviewed studies assessing core affect (ie, emotional valence and arousal) and emotions with emphasis on study populations from low-income and middle-income countries and on the eight non-climate change planetary boundaries (biodiversity loss, freshwater use, ocean acidification, chemical pollution, air pollution, land system change, ozone depletion, and nitrogen and phosphorus perturbation). We searched Web of Science from database inception to Oct 31, 2023, for observational empirical studies of adults, using planetary boundary-specific (eg, freshwater use) or wider, newer, or overarching emotional concept (eg, solastalgia, environmental change) search terms. FindingsIn contrast to previous climate emotions work, our preliminary results of 135 peer reviewed studies identified a significant body of literature beyond climate change concerning emotional responses to the planetary boundaries of biodiversity loss, freshwater scarcity, and chemical pollution as well as emerging evidence of emotional responses to the other five planetary boundaries. InterpretationWe found that the spectrum of eco-emotional responses ranged from being specific to a single planetary boundary to encompassing all planetary boundaries. Our findings underscore the importance of and urgent need for more holistic and diverse psychological intervention strategies targeting the wider range of anthropogenic effects during the rapidly intensifying global environmental crisis. FundingEmmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources; McGee and Levorsen Research Grant Program; and Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at Stanford University.

Soundscape for urban ecological security evaluation

The security of the Earth system has been extensively discussed through the concept of planetary boundaries, which hypothesizes the Anthropocene as the crisis for pushing environmental variables beyond safe limits. Cities, as burgeoning population centers, warrant heightened attention to issues surrounding planetary boundaries and ecological security. While groundwork has been laid for environmental change detection, the acoustic or soundscape perspective is rarely considered. This paper presents abundant empirical evidence supporting the feasibility of leveraging the soundscape as a valuable lens for exploring ecosystem structures, functions, and their contribution to human well-being. Particularly, it proposes spatialized soundscape maps as practical tools to implement this innovative perspective. We elaborate on two key aspects: (i) soundscape as a reflection of ecosystem evolution, enabling evaluation of ecosystem structures, interactions, and the ecosystem's functions; (ii) soundscape has the attribution of providing cultural services, allowing assessment of its impact on human health. Consequently, we propose two paradigms: (i) “security in soundscape” and (ii) “security of soundscape”, thereby initiated the concept of “soundscape for security”. Furthermore, we outline two generalized pathways: (i) soundscape monitoring, encompassing long-term strategies for real-time tracking of ecosystem evolution, and (ii) soundscape perception, involving detailed surveys to investigate perception and public participatory sensing for large-scale evaluation of ecosystem cultural services. We argue that integrating soundscape considerations holds promise in urban ecological security initiatives and the pursuit of sustainable cities. Moving forward, collective efforts among academics are crucial to establish widely accepted protocols to maximize the value of soundscape for urban ecological security.

Developing a Methodological Framework for Assessing Absolute Sustainability in Battery Upscaling within Planetary Boundaries

The electrification of transportation has accelerated greatly in recent years with the support of policymakers. However, this transformation raises the crucial question of the sustainability of such a change. In parallel, the concept of Planetary Boundaries has recently emerged as a framework for quantifying the human pressure on the Earth System. A real interest in applying the Life Cycle Assessment methodology in relation with the Planetary Boundary framework is growing to evaluate the absolute sustainability of products or services. In fact, this could be an opportunity to establish sustainable thresholds for each technology that should not be exceeded. This paper aims to develop a methodology for evaluating the absolute sustainability of the deployment of batteries in the context of the electrification of the French private car fleet. Several sharing principles are used for assigning a Share of the Safe Operating Space, and a prospective LCA is conducted based on different de-carbonization pathways. As a result, this work will provide insights into the development of a go/no-go strategy for the ecodesign and the upscaling of the electric batteries in a prospective perspective.

Ecosystem services for a global agroecological transition - Services écosystémiques pour une transition agroécologique à l’échelle mondiale

There is now clear scientific evidence of the existence of planetary boundaries characterizing the equilibrium of the planet since the beginnings of agriculture and cities 10,000 years ago, and which our consumption patterns (especially food) of the last 50 years have contributed to largely exceed (climate, biodiversity, water, pollution, biogeochemical cycles). The planetary boundaries concept calls for a new paradigm to regenerate, following the principles of agroecology, the ecosystem services (support, harvesting, regulation and cultural services) that intensive

Sufficiency as a Value Standard: From Preferences to Needs

ABSTRACT This paper outlines a conceptual framework for a sufficiency economy, defining sufficiency as the space between a generalizable notion of human wellbeing and ungeneralisable excess. It assumes an objective and universal concept of human needs to define a ‘floor’ and the concept of planetary boundaries to define a ‘ceiling’. This is set up as an alternative to the dominant preference satisfaction theory of value. It begins with a brief survey of the potential contributions of sufficientarianism and limitarianism to this endeavor before outlining a theory of objective, universal human need. This recognizes the contextual variable nature of need satisfiers and the distinct methodology required to adjudicate necessities. It then turns to the planetary boundaries literature and utilizes a sequence of causal and normative reasoning to derive an operational ceiling and the concept of ungeneralisable luxuries. The final section addresses how the concepts of floors and ceilings might be operationalized via forms of dialogic democracy but noting the absence of any such institutions at the global level. Its policy conclusion is that a safe climate cannot be achieved through supply-side mitigation alone, and that fair demand-side mitigation necessarily requires a clear distinction between necessities and unnecessary luxuries, between which (hopefully) lies a space of sufficiency.

SPOT: A Strategic Life-Cycle-Assessment-Based Methodology and Tool for Cosmetic Product Eco-Design

The cosmetics industry is facing growing pressure to offer more sustainable products, which can be tackled by applying eco-design. This article aims to present the Sustainable Product Optimization Tool (SPOT) methodology developed by L’Oréal to eco-design its cosmetic products and the strategies adopted for its implementation while presenting the challenges encountered along the way. The SPOT methodology is based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of a finished product and its subsystems (formula, packaging, manufacturing and distribution). Several environmental indicators are assessed, normalized and weighted based on the planetary boundaries concept, and then aggregated into a single footprint. A product sustainability index (a single rating, easy to interpret) is then obtained by merging the environmental product rating derived from the single environmental footprint with the social rating (not covered here). The use of the SPOT method is shown by two case studies. The implementation of SPOT, based on specific strategic and managerial measures (corporate and brand targets, Key Performance Indicators, and financial incentives) is discussed. These measures have enabled L’Oréal to have 97% of their products stated as eco-designed in 2022. SPOT shows how eco-design can be implemented on a large scale without compromising scientific robustness. Eco-design tools must strike the right balance between the complexity of the LCA and the ease of interpretation of the results, and have a robust implementation plan to ensure a successful eco-design strategy.

Putting nuclear waste on the sustainability agenda – integration into the concept of planetary boundaries

Abstract. One part of sustainability discussions is the debate about the ecological carrying capacity of the Earth, which was initiated in the year 2009 by a group of scientists led by Johan Rockström, who proposed the concept of “planetary boundaries” (Rockström et al., 2009). The concept defines limits of the ecological carrying capacity based on scientific findings and on the application of the precautionary principle. Since then environmental and sustainability policies have increasingly referred to the concept as a global framework, as done, for example, by the Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2012) and the EU's 8th Environmental Action Program, which calls for “a systematic change to a Union economy that ensures well-being within planetary boundaries” (European Parliament and Council of the European Union, 2022, p. 24). As one of the nine boundaries, climate change requires strong decarbonization and has led to increased investments in low-carbon technologies. Hereby, nuclear power generation gains a new momentum for newly-built reactors as well as lifetime extensions due to its low-emission character required for climate change mitigation (MIT, 2018; Cometto et al., 2022). Furthermore, the EU taxonomy has set nuclear power as a “sustainable” technology classifying it as a “green” investment (JRC, 2021). Although no greenhouse gas emissions are produced during nuclear fission, it produces another form of hazardous and long-lasting waste through spent fuel accumulation. In this sense, human-made nuclear fission is also an anthropogenic impact, which increases the number of instable isotopes representing a persistent threat to humankind and ecosystems. Although the planetary boundary concept has briefly mentioned radioactive waste as being part of other toxic and human-made waste under the category “novel entities”, it has not been further elaborated since the introduction of the framework (Steffen et al., 2015; Persson et al., 2022). Instead, other forms of human-made waste such as plastics have been analyzed and quantified (Persson et al., 2022). The aim of the workshop is to discuss the role of radioactive waste management in the context of planetary boundaries from the perspective of the various disciplines of the workshop attendees. Therefore, the concept of planetary boundaries will be introduced and a global perspective on radioactive waste accumulation will be set. In small groups the workshop attendees will work on single aspects, such as reviewing the provided arguments and whether their suitability meets the criteria to establish nuclear waste as a control variable for the novel-entity boundary. The workshop can also include considerations about possible indicators and challenges for quantification as well as address the debate on whether radioactive waste may also become a resource for future generations. Finally, groups will present their results in front of the plenum and discuss the global perspective and its implications for radioactive waste management and challenges for the sustainability discourse in science and policy. To provide a balanced and interdisciplinary discourse we will invite a few speakers, who will provide input statements, and other experts in the field. It is envisaged to provide a paper with background information and data necessary to discuss radioactive waste as a planetary concept. This preliminary work serves as a basis for discussion for the workshop.

Rethinking Planetary Boundaries: Accounting for Ecological Limits

ABSTRACT The concept of planetary boundaries offers a framework for understanding and managing humanity’s impact on Earth’s ecological systems. These boundaries mean to delineate a safe operating space in which human activities must remain to ensure the stability of critical Earth processes. Notwithstanding its potential, the planetary boundaries framework faces criticism for its reductionist nature, technocratic approach, and the lack of consideration given to social issues. This commentary explores current accounting research relating to planetary boundaries and emphasises the need for a broader range of interdisciplinary, inclusive, and holistic approaches towards accounting for ecological limits. Drawing from fields such as political ecology, ecofeminism, and environmental justice, we highlight the importance of considering social, economic, and political forces in shaping planetary boundaries. We also recognise the potential challenges in reconciling different forms of accounting for ecological limits and the varieties of knowledge involved. We thus propose maintaining a pluralism of approaches in fostering open communication between the diverse senses and meanings of planetary boundaries and the ecological limits which they articulate. An accounting for planetary boundaries in which diverse ways of knowing, sensing, modelling, and narrating can coexist will encourage, we hope, a more holistic, open, and congenial understanding of our planetary situation.

Environmental crisis overcoming as a factor for achieving economic sustainability in the context of the European green course

By means of the modeling methodology, the object of the study was the theoretical and practical aspects of overcoming environmental crises as a factor to achieve sustainability. In today's world, several crises are combined: social, political, cultural and moral, the crisis of democracy, ideology and the general crisis of the capitalist system. More specifically, the economic and environmental crises are linked to the financial crises and the existing disorientation is due, to a large extent, to the financial risks that have affected the ecological footprint of civilization. As a result of the tasks set, the concept of planetary boundaries has emerged as an effective means of measuring the state of the planet and its threats. In this sense, the concept of an economy in need of transformation has been formed, as environmental growth and technological progress are accompanied and even accelerated by economy and resource efficiency. It is concluded that, current trends on Earth are not sustainable, and traditional responses to these problems often depend on the type of economic growth that is strongly associated, simultaneously, with additional resource consumption and the policies that make it possible.

Calculating the sustainability of products based on their efficiency and function

<h2>Summary</h2> The planetary boundaries concept has identified limits that must be preserved to ensure a safe operating space for humanity. We are threatening, and in some cases have exceeded, these limits in part through unsustainable use of products and services. Life cycle assessments of individual products, while valuable in evaluating the environmental footprint of a product, lack inherent impact targets. Here, I propose performance-weighted environmental sustainability as a numerical indicator to determine if the environmental impacts of a product are sustainable. Using the example of a washing machine, its function (laundry) was used to normalize the environmental impact of its freshwater use. The results suggest that a UK washing machine using 33 L of water per wash cycle is sustainable. This metric makes it possible to determine acceptable environmental impacts for individual products based on what they are used for and to inspire sustainable product design.

Planetary Boundaries and the Doughnut frameworks: A review of their local operability

The concept of Planetary Boundaries has sparked debate around tipping points and the limits of the Earth System for over a decade. Among the most investigated aspects is how to downscale this global concept to a country level, to make it operative at scales at which decisions are taken and policies applied. Specifically how to achieve applicability locally while keeping global relevance, however, remains unclear. The same is true for the "Doughnut" concept, which builds on the Planetary Boundaries framework and adds a social component to create a "Safe and Just Operating Space" (SJOS) within which humanity should live. This paper reviews these two concepts in detail, focusing on their local operability. Synthesis of the literature reveals that, during the downscaling process, either the global meaning of the Planetary Boundaries or the local characteristics of a country are lost. Further, the SJOS remains a very theoretical concept because a match does not exist between the Planetary Boundaries and the social components of the Doughnut. Identification of this problem therefore suggests that future work should calculate the Planetary Boundaries globally for each ecosystem first, and then downscale them by country. In this way, the global relevance of the Planetary Boundaries would hold, and the framework could apply to local policies. Furthermore, the ecosystem services could link the Planetary Boundaries with the social aspects of the Doughnut, and hence contribute to understanding why a country lies within or outside the SJOS.

Knowledge mapping of planetary boundaries based on bibliometrics analysis.

The planetary boundaries concept has triggered a vast amount of pure and applied scientific research, as well as policy and governance activities globally. Indeed, it has rapidly become a centerpiece of sustainability study. It is crucial to review the scientific state of the planetary boundaries (PB) concept systematically. However, there is a lack of research on drawing a scientific investigation map of planetary boundaries. Therefore, to clarify the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics, research hotspots, and frontiers of planetary boundaries, a scientometric analysis was performed based on 530 academic publications on planetary boundaries from 2009 to 2021. This paper conducted the analysis by visualizing the social network, dual-map overlay, co-cited references, structure variation article, and co-occurrence keywords with CiteSpace. The results show that as a new achievement and paradigm in sustainable development research, the planetary boundaries framework is gradually getting global attention and promotion, which has increasingly become an interdisciplinary hot research topic. The most productive authors and institutions are concentrated in England, the USA, Germany, and Sweden. Relevant articles were mainly published in journals focusing on ecology, earth, marine, veterinary, animal, economics, and politics. In addition, we summarized four predominant research themes by clustering keywords: the calculation of single boundary threshold and present value, the integration with assessment methods such as life cycle assessment and footprint families, the downscaling of planetary boundaries, and the expansion to economic and social domains. For scholars who are interested in this topic, this paper would be a useful reference and guideline.

Regional nitrogen resilience as distance-to-target approach in LCA of crop production systems

Agricultural production systems are highly dependent on nitrogen (N) inputs. According to assessments following the concept of Planetary Boundaries (PB), global limits for N cycles are already exceeded. However, regional thresholds and resiliencies may vary as N compounds have implications on different spatial scales, for instance, eutrophication or acidification on the regional level. Regional N management activities may influence these environmental impacts. Thus, regional N resiliencies must be considered when assessing agricultural systems with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This paper provides an approach for integrating regional N resilience as distance-to-target in assessing crop production systems. Therefore, regional carrying-capacity based normalisation references were developed integrating N-related thresholds for agricultural intervention based on the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) framework. In addition, regional background interventions of non-crop production sectors were taken into account to comprehensively assess the regional environmental performances of cropping systems. Moreover, regionalisation effects were assessed applying spatially differentiated characterisation factors. The approach is applied to a case study for two different NUTS-3 regions in Germany, including different N management scenarios. The results showed a high influence of the integrated background intervention and regional characterisation on the environmental performances of the cropping systems. N resiliencies were exceeded for all regions, when assuming high yield scenarios, for both eutrophication and acidification impacts. Finally, we present the first proof for application as additional decision support for regional stakeholders regarding N management strategies. For further development and improvement, future research should include investigations of different NUTS-3 regions, N management scenarios and emission reduction levels for background interventions.

The Concept of Planetary Boundaries for Sustainable Development: A Review

The concept of the planetary boundaries (PB) is a reasonable scientific approach towards achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). It started in 2009 with a group of scientists at the Stockholm Resilience Center (SRC) in Sweden with the aim of showing a safe operating space for human development and wellbeing through scientific research by quantifying what they refer to as “planetary boundaries”. But in other for the concept of the PB to thoroughly address the matters of the SDGs which does not only include environmental sustainability but also social issues, human prosperity, and governance, the concept of the PB has in combination with social boundaries and governance approaches created a sphere of reasonable ideas towards achieving the SDGs. The sustainable development trajectories of the PB comprising of six major structural transformations ensures that the world continues to develop economically while staying within planetary boundaries. Therefore, it has to take the cooperative efforts of all nations in the world to tackle, and to mitigate the overwhelming effects we have caused on our “good planet”. Humans should realize that our planet has tried in all its “resilient capabilities “to condone all our exploitations, but it seems we have squeezed it too much and it is deflating. We need to build resilience to the unexpected (resilience thinking); we need to be prepared for the unexpected, both to be able to cope with “shocks” and to take advantage of “potentially positive surprises.” This review tries to put together the different research ideas towards achieving the aim of the concept of the PB. Keywords: Planetary Boundaries, Social Boundaries, Earth System Governance, SDGs DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/112-21 Publication date: August 31 st 2021

Digital Storytelling as a Pedagogical Tool for Global Sustainability

Recent developments from the natural sciences have provided extremely relevant approaches to conceive and address global sustainability. Among those developments, the Planetary Boundaries (PBs) concept (Rockström et al, 2009; Steffen et al, 2015) has brought an urge to understand and address the biophysical limits of the planet, issues on the complex links between the economy, society and the environment, on time and place scales, on complex governance, and on environmental values. In this instructional innovation paper, we argue that sustainability in management education (SiME) needs to address those tenets, through hands-on approaches that foster deep learning and transform knowledge, skills and emotions. Here we explore the value of digital storytelling (the merger between traditional storytelling and multimedia technology) for that quest. Based on our three-year experience across three continents (in the cities of Perth, Singapore, Dubai and Munich, where we involved almost three hundred students), we offer a detailed instructional practice to foster learning on the PBs, and we elaborate on the deep learning “mechanisms” behind it. In so doing, our paper introduces a pedagogical (experiential) approach to the PBs in business schools, and advances the use of digital storytelling for SiME.

Impact of a College Course on the Sustainability of Student Diets in Terms of the Planetary Boundaries for Climate Change and Land, Water, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Use

While it is widely acknowledged that shifts in diet could play a large role in mitigating climate change with important health co-benefits, knowledge on how to accomplish these shifts is lacking. Our previous study showed a statistically significant reduction in the dietary carbon footprint of students who had completed a college course on the connections between food and the environment compared to a control group enrolled in an unrelated course. An extension of the previous study, this research evaluates the sustainability of female and male diets in both the intervention and control groups from baseline to follow up with respect to the following planetary boundaries: greenhouse gases, land use, water use, nitrogen loss, and phosphorus use. In addition, a 50-point modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index was calculated at baseline and follow up for all students. Female students enrolled in the intervention course reported diets with statistically significant reductions in their footprints from baseline to follow up for greenhouse gases (p = 0.011), land use (p = 0.012), and phosphorus (p = 0.045), and the female diets were statistically different from the control groups for those three boundaries. For water use, female diets increased in footprint from baseline to follow up due to an increase in vegetable intake. Males enrolled in the intervention showed similar trends (reductions in footprints for greenhouse gases, land use, and phosphorus use and an increase in blue water use), but differences were not statistically significant, partially due to the smaller number of male respondents. Student dietary footprints are compared to a per capita limit allowable for food according to the planetary boundaries concept. For all of the planetary boundaries except blue water use, the student dietary footprints were well above the per capita boundary for food-related sources.

Process design within planetary boundaries: Application to CO2 based methanol production

Designing sustainable processes is gaining momentum in the chemical engineering community. Conventional life cycle assessment approaches often employed to assess the sustainability level of chemical processes can be used to compare alternatives. However, because they lack clear quantitative thresholds above which a process should be deemed unsustainable, the insight provided into whether a technology is truly sustainable in absolute terms is limited. This work covers this gap by incorporating absolute sustainability criteria in process design using the planetary boundaries concept, which defines ecological limits on critical Earth systems. Our method, integrating process simulation, surrogate modeling, and a recent characterization method to compute the impact on the planetary boundaries, is applied to methanol production from hydrogen and CO2. Our results show that the sustainability level of the fossil-based chemical can be improved substantially by adequately selecting the hydrogen source. The new approach unfolds new avenues for including absolute sustainability criteria in process design.