Life Cycle Assessment is a tool increasingly used by decision-makers in industries and governments for the analysis of products with respect to environmental impacts. The goal of our research is to integrate the assessment of land use impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services into this method. This improvement should allow to assess e.g., biofuel production more realistically.
Projects
2010-2013: Development and application of environmental Life Cycle Impact assessment Methods for imProved sustAinability Characterisation of Technologies (LC-IMPACT), financed by EU 7th >> more information
2009-2013: Assessing and Compensating the Ecosystem Impacts of Agricultural Products in the North-South Context (myEcosystem), financed by CHIRP ETH Zurich >> more information
2008-2012: Operational Characterization Factors for Land use Impacts on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Life-Cycle Impact Assessment (LULCIA) – Compatible with the Framework of the UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative, financed by UNEP >> more information
Main publications
van Zelm, R., van der Velde, M., Balkovic, J., Čengić, M., Elshout, P. M. F., Koellner, T., et al. (2018). Spatially explicit life cycle impact assessment for soil erosion from global crop production. Ecosystem Services, 30 (Part B), 220–227. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2017.08.015
Verones F, M A J Huijbregts, A Chaudhary, L de Baan, T Koellner and S Hellweg (2015): Harmonizing the assessment of biodiversity effects from land and water use within LCA. Environmental Science & Technology 49: 3584−3592. Abstract and pdf
de Baan L, M Curran, C Rondinini, P Visconti, S Hellweg and T Koellner (2015): High resolution assessment of land use impacts on biodiversity in Life Cycle Assessment using species habitat suitability models. Environmental Science & Technology 49: 2237–2244. Abstract and pdf
Mueller C, L de Baan and T Koellner (2013): Comparing direct land use impacts on biodiversity of conventional and organic milk – based on a Swedish case study. Int J LCA 19: 52-68 Abstract and pdf
de Baan L, C Mutel, M Curran, S Hellweg and T Koellner (2013): Land use in Life Cycle Assessment: Global characterization factors based on regional and global potential species extinction. Environmental Science & Technology 47: 9281-9290. Abstract and pdf
All papers online now & July printed 2013 Special Issue Global Land Use Impacts on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in LCA in the Int J LCA:
Koellner T and R Geyer (2013): Global land use assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services in LCA. Int J LCA 18 (6): 1185-1187 PDF of Editorial to the Special Issue
Koellner T, L de Baan, T Beck, M Brandão, B Civit, M Margni, L Milà i Canals, R Saad, D Maia de Souza and R Müller-Wenk (2013): UNEP-SETAC Guideline on Global Land Use Impact Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in LCA. Int J LCA 18 (6): 1188-1202 Abstract and pdf (open access)
Koellner T, L de Baan, T Beck, M Brandão, B Civit, M Goedkoop, M Margni, L Milà i Canals, R Müller-Wenk, B Weidema and B Wittstock (2013): Principles for Life Cycle Inventories of land use on a global scale. Int J LCA 18 (6): 1203-1215 Abstract and pdf
de Baan L, R Alkemade and T Koellner (2013): Land use impacts on biodiversity in LCA: a global approach. Int J LCA 18 (6): 1216-1230 Abstract and pdf
Maia de Souza D, D Flynn, F DeClerck, R Rosenbaum, H de Melo Lisboa and T Koellner (2013): Land use impacts on functional species diversity: proposal of characterization factors to assess effects on ecosystem processes. Int J LCA 18 (6): 1231-1242 Abstract and pdf
Saad R, T Koellner and M Margni (2013): Land use impacts on freshwater regulation, erosion regulation and water purification: a spatial approach for a global scale level. Int J LCA 18 (6): 1253-1264 Abstract and pdf
Curran M, L de Baan, A de Schryver, R van Zelm, S Hellweg, T Koellner, G Sonnemann, M Huijbregts (2011): Toward meaningful end points of biodiversity in life cycle assessment. Environmental Science & Technology 45 (1): 70-79. Abstract and pdf
Koellner T and R W Scholz (2008): Assessment of land use impacts on the natural environment. Part 2: Generic characterization factors for local species diversity in Central Europe. International Journal of LCA 13: 32-48. Abstract and pdf
Koellner T and R W Scholz (2007): Assessment of land use impacts on the natural environment. Part 1: An analytical framework for pure land occupation and land use change. International Journal of LCA 12: 16-23. Abstract and pdf
Koellner T (2003): Land Use in Product Life Cycles and Ecosystem Quality. Peter Lang: Bern, Frankfurt a. M., New York. 294. Abstract