On the social implications of technological processes: Towards hybrid social life cycle analysis (H-SLCA)

Recent approaches to hybrid life-cycle analysis (H-LCA) and social life-cycle analysis (SLCA) converge in common aims to develop methods for assessing the social dimensions of technological processes, with particular attention to the conditions affecting the provision and reproduction of labor. In this paper, we explore ‘hybrid social life-cycle analysis’ (H-SLCA), an integrated approach combining process-based SLCA with economy-wide social accounting to assess environmental and social impacts of particular technological processes in their interactions with the wider economy. To do so, we modify the numerical example with which Suh (2004) introduced the input-output based H-LCA to build a proof of concept for H-SLCA. The resulting model exploits the compatibilities in the computational structures of process-based LCA, the input-output model and social accounting matrices to include labor provision, income generation, and household consumption in the characterization of both the foreground system and the background economy. Thus defined, hybrid-SLCA computes impacts in those social variables while also producing estimates for environmental impacts higher than those obtained with H-LCA. This is because the social accounting matrix is more comprehensive than the input-output table. The model for H-SLCA is sufficiently flexible to potentially include additional social dimensions relevant to SLCA (human rights, safety, gender, etc.) when represented quantitatively. Finally, we suggest that this richer representation of production technologies is compatible with understandings of technology in the wider social sciences. As such, H-SLCA can be a basis for multidisciplinary collaboration between researchers interested in technological processes from either quantitative or qualitative orientations. Hybrid social life cycle analysis: SLCA in the foreground process and social accounting in the background economy. • A numerical example shows the feasibility of hybrid social life cycle analysis (H-SLCA). • Labor provision and income generation are treated as defining features of technology. • H-SLCA combines process-based LCA, input-output tables and social accounting matrices. • Environmental impacts from socio-economic interactions should be taken into account. • H-SLCA can foster multidisciplinary work with qualitative analysis in the social sciences.