A Review Analysis of Electricity Generation Studies with Social Life Cycle Assessment

Abstract

This review explores the social impacts of electricity production by applying the framework of Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA). The authors adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to select studies that were published post-2010 and used S-LCA in the context of various electricity sources, including bioelectricity, solar, wind, and hydropower. The search yielded 13 eligible studies that employed both generic and site-specific assessment strategies, primarily relying on the Social Hotspot Database and Product Social Impact Life Cycle Assessment database for generic evaluations. The findings emphasize the Workers stakeholder as the most frequently examined, with significant attention also given to the Local Community, Society, Value Chain Actors, and Consumer stakeholders when social databases are employed. The studies primarily assessed socioeconomic impact subcategories related to labor practices, health and safety, and economic contributions, as well as a tailored set of self-developed social impacts and indicators specific to the energy sources and geographical contexts examined. This review demonstrates the crucial role of S-LCA in revealing the socio-economic impacts of electricity generation and the need to consider the impacts on Local Community and Society stakeholders through site-specific assessments. Such insights are crucial for guiding policy reforms and industry practices towards more socially responsible energy production.