Social Life Cycle Assessment Research Articles

Exploiting outcomes of life cycle costing to conduct coherent screening social life cycle assessments of emerging systems: a case study of microalgae biorefineries

Abstract Purpose Microalgae are considered a promising source of bioenergy and high value-added products that could help face the rising demand for energy and raw materials. However, microalgae systems entail consumption of materials and energy, with potential environmental, economic, and social costs. While environmental and economic impacts have been analyzed in the literature, the social dimension has been barely explored. In this article, social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) is applied to identify the main contributors to social risks. Methodology In this paper, an approach is proposed and applied to exploit outcomes of a Life Cycle Costing (LCC) study as the input data to model and evaluate the potential social impacts of microalgae biorefinery schemes. Such approach helps ensure the consistency between the economic and social assessments, while facilitating data gathering in a context of data scarcity typical of an emerging technology. Priority levels for stakeholder categories and impact subcategories have been assigned based on the literature. Workers and local communities were identified as the stakeholders with the highest priority, related to impact subcategories such as health and safety issues and fair salary for the former and local employment for the latter. An inventory model was built, using PSILCA database v2.0 Starter and openLCA software, together with cost estimates from an LCC using real data from experiments at lab and pilot scale. Results According to the results, the main contribution to social risks of the biogas production is expected to be linked to the anaerobic digestion. Some contributors, both from the cultivation and the anaerobic digestion, are basic chemicals production and market public sewage activities, together with civil engineering and construction, and metal products and machinery production. The geographical distribution of risks depends on the stakeholder category and impact subcategory. Since many activities of the value chain are assumed to happen in Spain, a non-negligible part of social risks take place there. However, other countries with minor contributions to total working time are found to have the highest social risk for subcategories and indicators such as fatal accidents. Finally, three scenarios have been compared, considering production in a Chinese, French, or Spanish context, which lead to significant differences. Conclusions This study aims to highlight the importance of assessing the different dimensions of sustainability in a coherent manner. Furthermore, it provides useful information and hints on main contributors to potential social impacts in the microalgae-based sector based on available information and generic S-LCA databases, and their dependence on geographical locations of the life cycle activities. Despite limitations, conducting such social assessments with available tools is key to better understand the need for widening the scope of sustainability studies.

Social life cycle assessment of industrial gold mining in Mali.

Gold mining in Mali contributes significantly to the country's socio-economic growth, employing hundreds of people and generating considerable export revenues and income. At the same time, gold mining still has a bad reputation in public opinion due to the environmental and socio-economic challenges it poses. It is therefore important to integrate Mali's gold mining sector into a framework of social responsibility, using the Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) approach to identify and understand social opportunities and challenges. This study focuses on an application of the S-LCA approach to assess the social performance of industrial gold mining in Mali. Primary data were collected from company representative, workers and local communities. The results of the study show that in 85.2% of ratings, the company has at least good performance and poor performance in 14.8% of ratings. The results show also that the excessive working hours, corruption, sexual harassment and discrimination are identified as social hotspots in the gold mine in Mali. This paper provides a useful literature on the application of S-LCA and for political and administrative decision-makers in the sector to promote fact-driven policies for socially profitable gold mining. Further research would be useful to address the hotspots identified, particularly with regard to the effective management of labor and the prevention of corruption and sexual harassment.

Game-Theory-Based Multi-Objective Optimization for Enhancing Environmental and Social Life Cycle Assessment in Steel–Concrete Composite Bridges

Game-Theory-Based Multi-Objective Optimization for Enhancing Environmental and Social Life Cycle Assessment in Steel–Concrete Composite Bridges

Social sustainability in a good bioeconomy paradigm: A systematic review of social life cycle assessment (S-LCA)

Social sustainability in a good bioeconomy paradigm: A systematic review of social life cycle assessment (S-LCA)

Social perception of transport services: case study at the Autonomous University of Mexico State

This study analyzes the social perception of the mobility system at the Autonomous University of Mexico State. The survey categorizes findings into five key dimensions: accessibility, jobs, mobility and connectivity, safety and public health, and livability. About accessibility (transport services, stops and financial means), the analysis reveals a significant reliance on urban transport 39%, and the Potro Bus service 22%, and perceived efficiency and cost-effectiveness; the stops of mobility service on University community was 1 or 2, and the cost of daily travel was 1.50 USD. The mobility and connectivity (level of satisfaction, punctuality and average distance), around 29% acknowledge the efficiency of the transportation system and economic viability, because is free for students. Safety and public health (accidents, carbon footprint and inclusivity), with 78 % reporting no accidents, and 43% praising the inclusiveness. Moreover, 70% are interested to learn about their carbon footprint associated with transport. The livability (University projects, Urban mobility plans and Technological tools), involves actively educating and engaging in sustainable transportation initiatives with technological and environmental point of view. Additionally, the research introduces the application of Social Life Cycle Assessment methodologies to evaluate the environmental and social impacts of mobility services, aligning with ODS.

Comparative assessment of social impacts: conventional vehicles versus battery electric vehicles

This study assesses and compares the social impacts of conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) using the Social Hotspots Database (SHDB) and Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) methodology. The research focuses on the Japanese automotive industry, analyzing three scenarios: business-as-usual (BAU), widespread adoption, and a 2035 ICEV ban. The study examines social risks across various categories, including labor rights, human rights, health and safety, governance, and community access. Results indicate that BEVs present higher social risks than ICEVs due to manufacturing and battery replacement phase. They show lower risks in the well-to-wheel phase compared to ICEVs. The analysis reveals that increased BEV adoption correlates with reduced overall social impact. Key social hotspots identified include issues related to raw material extraction, battery manufacturing, and supply chain transparency. The study highlights the complex challenges in ensuring a sustainable and ethically responsible transition to electric mobility.

Social life cycle assessment and its methodological challenges: A bibliometric and content analysis

AbstractSocial life cycle assessment (S‐LCA) has garnered significant attention in academia and the business sector. To enhance the guidance of S‐LCA application and future research, it is imperative to conduct a thorough analysis of its research status and challenges, considering the extensive development of methodological approaches. Leveraging bibliometric and content analysis on 452 articles from the Web of Science database, this study examines publication trends and delineates the conceptual structure and coupling themes within the S‐LCA field. Through an amalgamation of bibliometric findings and a comparative analysis between life cycle assessment and S‐LCA, the study outlines prominent challenges. Five primary issues related to inventory construction and data conversion, as identified through content analysis, are presented. This article comprehensively reveals a deep understanding of research status and faced challenges, serving as a complement for future practitioners and researchers.

A perspective on the environmental impact of plant-based protein concentrates and isolates

Plant-based proteins are promoted as nutritious, environmentally safe, and a key element for food security. Numerous studies using environmental life cycle assessments confirmed plant-based meat alternatives are more environmentally favorable than animal-derived meat. However, most missed other factors from protein extraction and concentration that contribute to environmental impact (both positive and negative). Furthermore, few studies examined the entire environmental impact because they overlooked social and nutritional life cycle assessments. Many publications assumed most environmental impact occurred in crop cultivation before high protein products are manufactured. However, industrial plant-based protein extraction, concentration, and purification require large amounts of natural resources, energy, chemicals, and highly specialized equipment seldom accurately assessed from an environmental, social, and nutritional perspective. This paper presents opinions and perspectives on additional information to consider to fully realize environmental benefits of highly proteinaceous plant-based food ingredients. Elements are also discussed we perceive as “hot spots” for future assessments in presenting a complete picture for minimizing environmental impact and how the numerous actors in this supply chain can transform our food system and secure protein availability for future generations.

Circular economy and social life cycle assessment: The role of corporate renewable energy strategies, environmental justice, and environmental impacts

Circular economy and social life cycle assessment: The role of corporate renewable energy strategies, environmental justice, and environmental impacts

Assessing social risks in Greek and Dutch economies: A product social impact life cycle assessment approach

Abstract Purpose Input–output tables describe monetary relationships between producers and consumers within an economy and have been used to assess the effects on job creation and gross domestic product (GDP). The objective of this study was to apply the social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) to assess direct social risks in national economies and explore whether S-LCA can replace or support beyond-GDP metrics. Methods S-LCA was applied in three ways. First, a hotspot assessment was conducted using the Product Social Impact Life Cycle Assessment (PSILCA) database to assess the direct social risks of monetary outputs of the Dutch and Greek economies in 2018. Classification 1 regarded the comparison of the Dutch and Greek economies based on direct social risks classified as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Classification 2 grouped the calculated social risks into sub-sub-topics of the European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Standards (CSRS) directive. In each classification, the calculated risks were normalized by the total monetary output of the national economy. Results and discussion This study showed that the Dutch economy results in lower normalized risk values for all S-LCA stakeholders and impact subcategories, except for “Respect of indigenous rights” and “Health and safety (Workers).” The main contributing parameters were sectorial monetary output and the risk levels of the indicators. Classification 1 showed that using input–output tables and PSILCA to simplify the calculation of SDGs was partially successful, because the SDGs also consider environmental aspects and PSILCA is limited to social aspects. Classification 2 showed that the Greek economy resulted in higher normalized risk values than the Dutch economy for almost all sub-sub-topics of the CSRS. Conclusions The results indicate that input–output tables can be extended to incorporate social dimensions with S-LCA and PSILCA. However, the nature of the SDGs means that S-LCA is not capable of simplifying the evaluation of countries’ societal progress, but S-LCA combined with PSILCA can assist national governments in taking targeted actions to reach SDG targets and enforce European CSRS directive compliance in the most impactful economic sectors for social performance monitoring and reporting.

Comparative life cycle assessment of on-site sanitation systems using lagoons or drying beds for fecal sludge treatment in low-income tropical countries.

Environmental challenges in low-income countries, such as Haiti, persist due to inadequate sanitation infrastructure. This study assesses the environmental impacts of nine on-site sanitation systems to identify those with the least environmental impacts and explore improvement options. Nine scenarios were developed, each representing different systems for managing 1 ton of fecal sludge over 1 year. The 'Impact World + ' and 'IPCC 2013 GWP 100a' methods evaluated impacts on ecosystems, human health, and climate change. Data sources included interviews, weighing records, and scientific publications. Results show that Scenario 8 (Flush Toilet - Evacuation - Planted Drying Beds) is most impactful on health (1.17 × 10-2 DALY), while Scenario 1 (Composting Toilet - Evacuation - Unplanted Drying Beds) is least impactful (1.77 × 10-3 DALY). For ecosystem impacts, Scenario 2 (Container-based Toilet - Evacuation - Planted Drying Beds) is most impactful (3.81 × 103 PDF·m2·year), while Scenario 6 (VIP latrine - Evacuation - Lagoons) is least impactful (3.52 × 103 PDF·m2·year). Key hotspots include toilet paper, wood shavings, GHG emissions, and water use. The study recommends an integrated approach combining environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) with life cycle cost assessment and social LCA for sustainable decision-making on sanitation systems in low-income countries.

S-LCA of lithium mining in Chile and its potential impacts on water and the local community

Abstract Purpose Lithium is critical to the clean energy transition, specifically for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and grid-level energy storage. Chile is a major source of lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate from brine. The main production facilities are in the Salar de Atacama (SdA), a hyper-arid region home to indigenous communities. A social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) was conducted to better understand the potential impacts of lithium mining on these communities, particularly in relation to water consumption as this is a concern within the region. Methods A cradle-to-gate S-LCA on lithium was performed from brine extraction to the gate of the chemical plant. A hotspot analysis using the Social Hotspots Database (SHDB), in combination with literature and local discussions, was used to prioritize stakeholder groups and subcategories for data collection. Local community, Worker, and Society were selected as stakeholder groups. Subcategories for the Local community included Access to material resources (with a focus on freshwater), Cultural heritage, Respect of indigenous rights, Community engagement, and Local employment. Data sources included primary data from a mining company and interviews with the local community during a site visit. The reference scale approach was applied using Chilean laws and international best practices. Results and discussion Two scoring approaches yielded different scores on the reference scale. With an average scoring approach, all subcategories were at compliance level or above for all stakeholders. The mining company has many projects and initiatives ongoing to improve the wellbeing of the local community. Policies and projects lead to higher scores when applying the average scoring approach. However, with a precautionary approach, where the worst performing indicator determines the score, four subcategories were identified as potential issues for the Local community: Access to material resources — freshwater, Access to material resources — agriculture, Delocalization and migration, and Respect of indigenous rights. For Access to material resources — freshwater, local community members had varying perspectives on freshwater scarcity, but some connected it to lithium mining and also described the cultural importance of water. Conclusions The results of this S-LCA can be used to better understand the potential social impacts from lithium production and how they can be improved. Recommendations are provided to address the potential social impacts of lithium mining in the SdA, including continuing increased communication and projects with the communities, fostering initiatives to improve the understanding of the lithium production process, and considering that community members have equal access to benefit from projects.

Assessing the Overall Sustainability Performance of the Meat Processing Industry Before and After Wastewater Valorization Interventions: A Comparative Analysis

The meat processing industry is rapidly growing, aiming to enhance the accessibility and affordability of meat products. However, this vital sector also presents significant environmental and social challenges alongside substantial waste management issues. Efforts to improve sustainability in this industry include introducing advanced waste treatment technologies. This study evaluates the overall sustainability of the meat processing industry by comparing the current waste treatment system with an advanced system incorporating improved technologies for water reuse, solid waste valorization, and energy production. We conducted environmental, social, and economic Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) using OpenLCA and the SOCA v2 database, with 1 kg of processed meat as the functional unit. The comparative analysis highlights significant improvements in the ‘50%’ scenario, where half of the wastewater undergoes advanced treatment. Environmental impacts decreased notably: Freshwater Eutrophication and Human Carcinogenic Toxicity by 25.9% and 31.5%, respectively, and Global Warming and Fossil Resource Scarcity S by 9.2% and 8.8%. Social risk indicators improved by 33.7% to 37.0%. The treatment system achieved a cost saving of EUR 0.00187 per kg of meat (EUR 63,152.70 annually), though these results are specific to this study and heavily dependent on the location and time period. Further analysis of four scenarios, including the baseline, demonstrated that increasing the proportion of wastewater treated by the new system improved environmental, social, and economic outcomes, with the 75% treatment scenario proving the most sustainable. Overall, the advanced treatment system significantly enhances sustainability in the meat industry, promoting a more environmentally, socially, and economically friendly waste management approach.

Barriers and enablers of life cycle assessment in small and medium enterprises: a systematic review

AbstractBusinesses are facing increasing pressure from multiple stakeholders to integrate sustainability into their practices and business models. Although Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) represent at least 90% of businesses worldwide and contribute approximately 60% of environmental impacts, assessing and improving their sustainability performance is not a priority for them. SMEs can address sustainability issues through the application of the different Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approaches. LCA focuses solely on the environment; however, other forms, such as social, costing, sustainability, and organizational LCA, enable practitioners to assess impacts across the entire life cycle of the studied system, each with different scopes and approaches. However, LCA remains in the domain of large companies. This article aims to identify the main barriers and enablers of LCA in SMEs for wider use as a tool to improve sustainability performance. Through a systematic review of the scientific literature on LCA among SMEs applying the Standardized Technique for Assessing and Reporting Reviews of LCA data, a sample of 61 articles provides a 20-year history. Our results characterize the application of LCA in SMEs through six main aspects. Our main conclusions identify three main barriers to the application of LCA among SMEs: lack of trained personnel, lack of data, and high costs. To overcome these barriers, we found that narrowing down the scope using simplified methods in clusters can increase the use of LCA among SMEs. A simplified SME cluster-elaborated LCA can be used to qualitatively identify sustainability hotspots, develop suitable strategies to improve sustainability performance, and respond to market requests.

Sustainability assessment of granite cutting waste incorporated cement sand rendering mortar: Technical, environmental, cost, and social parameters

The literature statistics unmistakably highlight the critical need to enhance the construction industry's sustainability to lower environmental damage and conserve natural resources. This study aims to evaluate the life cycle performance of mortar by assessing its ecological impacts, economic performance, and social feasibility, alongside a thorough technical performance evaluation. The technical performance evaluation performed through physio-mechanical performance revealed that 20% natural sand replaced by granite cutting waste (GCW) is best suitable for rendering application. The compatibility of GCW as natural sand is advocated by SEM and FTIR analysis. The three pillars of sustainability are evaluated as life cycle environmental impacts assessment (LCIA), life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) and social feasibility assessment (SLCA). For LCIA purposes, nine environmental impact (EI) categories have been studied. For LCCA, raw material procurement, transportation, repair, and maintenance have been utilized to obtain the life cycle costing. Social LCA (SLCA) was performed qualitatively through a five-point Likert scale-based questionnaire survey, and responses from 125 stakeholders were analysed using mean item score (MIS). The finding revealed that for GP20 mortar, all the nine EI categories had shown 10–13% lower environmental impacts and 7.2% lower cost than the GP0 mortar mix. The SLCA, comprising five subcategories, i.e., access to material resources, social acceptance, employment creations, safe and healthy living conditions, and community engagement, has positively impacted society when 20% GCW is utilized in rendering mortar as sand. The consolidated index calculation with higher ECM values for the GP20 mortar mix strongly endorsed a sustainable and viable alternative.

Sustainability assessment of products of the tropical tree moringa in Ghana with a focus on small-scale producers

With their numerous products and uses, multifunctional crops offer an attractive means for improving smallholder farmer livelihoods. This study applies a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) to Moringa oleifera (moringa), a multifunctional crop with diverse applications in nutrition, cosmetics, and water treatment. The LCSA includes an Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (ELCA), Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA), and Life Cycle Costing (LCC). Surveys were conducted with 58 smallholder farmers and five moringa processors in Ghana. The ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint method was used for the ELCA. The 10-year Net Present Value (NPV) and Payback Period (PBP) were calculated for farmers and processors in the LCC. The SLCA focused on the Worker stakeholder category, particularly smallholder farmer impacts, including indicators for Next Generation Farming, Inclusiveness, Access to Services, Food Security, and Livelihood. A composite sustainability score was calculated from the ELCA, SLCA, and LCC results using the Characteristic Objects Method (COMET), a multi-criteria decision analysis method resistant to rank-reversal. The study compared five supply chains: leaf-only, leaf-and-seed, leaf-and-seed with seedcake reuse, seed-only, and seed-only with seedcake reuse. Environmental hotspots were identified in leaf and seed collection. Economically, leaf-only cultivation provided the highest 10-year NPV for farmers, while seed-only with seedcake reuse yielded the highest NPV for processors. The leaf-only supply chain had the best PBP for both farmers and processors. Socially, leaf-only cultivators outperformed reference points across all indicators, making it the most socially sustainable supply chain. Our findings highlight that improving market access, organizing seed cultivators into farmer-based groups, and optimizing farm gate product collection can enhance the sustainability of moringa supply chains, offering a model for other multifunctional crops in rural development. This study is the first to integrate LCSA with COMET, a promising approach that could be adopted in other sustainability assessment case studies.

Selected social impact indicators influenced by materials for green energy technologies

The social risks of green energy transition are underexplored. One of the important questions is which materials used in green energy technologies offer the greatest social benefits, such as ensuring decent living conditions, and which pose the most social risks. To address this issue, we develop a dynamic material-energy flow model integrating system dynamics, social life cycle assessment, and geometallurgical approaches. The analysis focuses on critical materials: Rare Earth Elements, Nickel, Silicon, Graphite, Magnesium, Gallium, Germanium, Indium, Aluminum, Cobalt, Lithium, Zinc, and Tellurium used in wind turbines, electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar photovoltaic panels. We assess their social impact on work safety, gender equality, informal employment, labor income share, employment rate, and child labor—key issues addressed by Sustainable Development Goals 1, 5, and 8. Here we show that Aluminum production for electric vehicles, wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels generates the most jobs and income opportunities, while extraction of Cobalt, Lithium, Silicon, and Zinc carry the highest social risks.

Social life cycle sustainability assessment of dried tomato products based on material and process selection through multi-criteria decision making.

Tomatoes are a significant product of the Mediterranean region and a crucial component of the Mediterranean diet. The formulation of dried tomato products enriched with proteins and bioactive compounds could be a strategic approach to promote adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Six different novel tomato products were analyzed using different protein enrichment sources (pea proteins and leaf proteins) and drying technologies (hot-air dryer, microwave vacuum dryer, and conventional dryer). The novelty of this approach lies in combining product-specific criteria with global societal factors across their life cycles. Using 21 criteria and an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) survey of experts, the social sustainability score for each product was determined through a multi-criteria assessment. The tomato product's life cycles have minimal regional impacts on unemployment, access to drinking water, sanitation, or excessive working hours. However, they affect discrimination, migrant labor, children's education, and access to hospital beds significantly. The study identified nutritional quality as the top criterion, with the most sustainable design being a tomato bar enriched with pea protein and processed using microwave vacuum drying. The study revealed that integrating sensory and nutrient compounds into social sustainability assessments improves food sustainability and provides a practical roadmap for social life cycle assessments of food products. It emphasized the importance of considering global social issues when reformulating Mediterranean products to ensure long-term adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Incorporating social factors into sustainability scores can also enhance the effectiveness of product information for conscious customers. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Application of intuitionistic fuzzy set in social life cycle impact assessment

Abstract Purpose Intuitionistic fuzzy set (IFS) has been found promising for handling ambiguity forms of uncertainty in social data. This paper undertakes an application of an intuitionistic fuzzy set in the social life cycle impact assessment (S-LCIA) of a public building project. This work proposes to combine an intuitionistic fuzzy set (IFS) with multi-attribute decision-making in converting qualitative data into quantitative social impacts of the building project. This research utilises IFS to accommodate and handle experts’ imprecise cognitions in S-LCIA to facilitate the identification and prioritisation of the most pressing indicators accompanying social impacts in a project. Methods Data were collected using questionnaire(s), structured interviews, and through targeted focus group sessions. Intuitionistic fuzzy set (IFS) approach was used to model the obtained data from structured interviews. Using IFS, this research also accounts for missing or ambiguous data that emerged during the data elicitation process. In combining IFS with multi-attribute decision-making techniques, the social impacts of selected stakeholders were evaluated using fuzzy set and IFS approaches. Sensitivity analysis was then used to test the robustness of the results and ranking was conducted based on each social stakeholder subcategory. Results and discussion Results revealed that approximately 23% of missing datapoints in the public case study building were incorporated in the S-LCIA using IFS. The issues of highest priority in each of the considered subcategory in the public case study building project according to IFS are (i) consumer privacy by adopting more functional planning (0.27), (ii) public commitment to sustainability (0.33), and (iii) education provided in the local community by having an indigenous botanical element for children (0.39), respectively. Conversely, the FS technique inferred that the issue of highest priority in the consumer stakeholder is the feedback mechanism (0.26). The overall degree of correlation between the IFS and FS is only 0.234, revealing that IFS provides a different perspective from conventional FS when used in modelling social data. Conclusion The IFS method provides an objective and systematic approach for dealing with a heterogeneous scope of imprecise and inexact social data in achieving holistic social life cycle assessment results. Furthermore, expansive stakeholder involvement would rely on a robust approach for improving social well-being in public buildings, thereby leaving no one behind in accomplishing a sustainable world.

A systematic literature review of life cycle sustainability assessment of mass timber in the construction industry toward circular economy

AbstractLife cycle analysis has been used to evaluate the environmental impacts and economic costs of a range of engineered timber structural materials as well as other materials such as steel and concrete over the last two decades. This study presents a bibliometric analysis and systematic critical review by investigating the life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) of engineered timber products. LCSA is comprised of three main pillars namely, environment, cost, and social impact. The study compares alternative engineering wood products used in building structures such as columns, beams and wall surfaces. The geographical distribution, main sources of research, co-occurrence of keywords were analyzed for 93 peer-reviewed articles and conferences. The United States was the most productive country, contributing almost 23 documents. Australia was next with 12 publications. Most studies compared the LCA and LCC of alternative Mass timber products and concrete or steel. Most studies evaluated cross laminated timber (62%), followed by glued laminated timber (17%), and laminated veneer lumber (9%). A comparison of the economic and environmental aspects indicated that the social aspect are less considered. The review showed that the global warming potential of manufactring1 M3 of cross laminated timber is about 155.6–158.6 kg CO2eq. The majority of the publications reviewed focused on LCA whilst others focussed on the LCC of Mass timber. No research on social life cycle assessment has been conducted as yet. A framework is suggested for future research to identify the best alternative for engineering wood.