Sustainable Engineering

Assessment of the use of biotic and abiotic resources in the mobility sector: Development of LCA-compatible evaluation criteria, methods and concepts (RessMob)

Project description

An increasing demand for personal mobility combined with the social demand to conserve resources and to continually reduce undesirable environmental influences is pushing the development of new drive technologies and alternative transport concepts. A large number of diverse approaches are conceivable and currently under discussion, such as car sharing or drives that are based on biofuels or are powered by batteries.

The implementation of such innovative mobility alternatives requires diverse natural biotic and abiotic resources. However, the existing methodologies and database for the assessment of environmental impacts resulting from the use of resources are still poorly developed. The aim of the project is to develop an LCA-based method with the help of which the use of biotic and abiotic resources for any type of product or service can be assessed. This method is applied to various alternative mobility options. Based on the results, recommendations for sustainable personal mobility by land and air are derived, which should serve as a decision-making aid.

The research project is funded by the German Research Association (DFG) (project number 353450346).

Project-related publications:

V. Bach, M. Berger, S. Forin, M. Finkbeiner (2018):
Comprehensive approach for evaluating different resource types – Case study of abiotic and biotic resource use assessment methodologies,

Ecological Indicators, 87, p: 314–322
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.12.049

I. Dolganova, A. Rödl, V. Bach, M. Kaltschmitt, M. Finkbeiner (2020):
A Review of Life Cycle Assessment Studies of Electric Vehicles with a Focus on Resource Use,
Resources 9 (3): 32
https://doi.org/10.3390/resources9030032

I. Dolganova, F. Bosch, V. Bach, M. Baitz, M. Finkbeiner (2019):
Life Cycle Assessment of Ferro Niobium,
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, November
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-019-01714-7

Project duration: October 2017 - March 2021

Project partners: Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg (TUHH)

Contact Person:
Dr.-Ing Vanessa Bach

vanessa.bach(at)tu-berlin.de
+49 (0)30 314-27941

MSc. Daniel Lochner
daniel.lochner(at)tu-berlin.de
+49(0)30 314-26179