This book gives a selection of contributions from the 6th Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) Conference in Pescara, Italy. S-LCA is a social (real and potential) impact assessment method that aims to drive improvements in order to increase the value of products and services. It helps organizations to plan better, implement more effectively, and promote scale initiatives. More in general, the assessment activity also facilitates accountability and supports stakeholder communication. Consumers are greatly aware of the provenance of the goods they purchase. They have greater access to product information than ever before, also thanks to the new digital platforms. They are also empowered to make more responsible purchase decisions about what concerns sustainability aspects. Therefore the need to linger on the social aspects has been emerging recently. Although the business evolution of environmental methods and metrics has advanced significantly over the past decades, tools and metrics to estimate the social aspects of products and services are in progress. In this volume several sections provide methodological developments and tool focus, contextualizing S-LCA scientifically and explore the fields of applications. Through current development (conferences, articles, seminars and industry group publications), the method is spreading, evolving and gaining in maturity. However, it still is an evolving field, and main developments foresee, both at the level of methodology and results, interpretation and communication in order to find a path forward. S-LCA has been changing since the beginnings. From our observations as educators, researchers, practitioners, and peer reviewers in the S-LCA community, there are trends that are of importance us.

This book focuses on an important technology for mineralizing and utilizing CO2 instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. CO2 mineralization and utilization demonstrated in the waste-to-resource supply chain can “reduce carbon dependency, promote resource and energy efficiency, and lessen environmental quality degradation,” thereby reducing environmental risks and increasing economic benefits towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). In this book, comprehensive information on CO2 mineralization and utilization via accelerated carbonation technology from theoretical and practical considerations was presented in 20 Chapters. It first introduces the concept of the carbon cycle from the thermodynamic point of view and then discusses principles and applications regarding environmental impact assessment of carbon capture, storage and utilization technologies. After that, it describes the theoretical and practical considerations for “Accelerated Carbonation (Mineralization)” including analytical methods, and systematically presents the carbonation mechanism and modeling (process chemistry, reaction kinetics and mass transfer) and system analysis (design and analysis of experiments, life cycle assessment and cost benefit analysis). It then provides physico-chemical properties of different types of feedstock for CO2 mineralization and then explores the valorization of carbonated products as green materials. Lastly, an integral approach for waste treatment and resource recovery is introduced, and the carbonation system is critically assessed and optimized based on engineering, environmental, and economic (3E) analysis. The book is a valuable resource for readers who take scientific and practical interests in the current and future Accelerated Carbonation Technology for CO2 Mineralization and Utilization.