Purpose The provision of resource services to humans, such as mobility or shelter, is essential for well-being. Dissipation jeopardizes resource services with the consequence of facing additional costs to adapt to dissipation, if feasible. However, if users cannot adapt to dissipation, they may face a deficit in resource provided services. The objective is to derive scenario-specific characterization factors of dissipative flows. Methods We propose two novel complementary characterization methods to assess the potential impact of dissipative flows. The first method, named the Additional energy Cost Potential (ACP), aims to quantify the additional cost for society to adapt to the loss of services induced by dissipative flows of resources. The second method, named Resource Services Deficit Assessment (RESEDA), aims at quantifying a deficit of resources providing services to meet human needs, when users of the resource are unable to adapt to dissipation. Characterization factors (CFs) are computed by conducting simulations of resource stocks and flows, including dissipative flows, at the global level, using the WIthin Limits Flow (WILMFlo) model. CFs are derived for three scenarios: the Decent Living Standards in a Net Zero World (DLS NZ), Net Zero (NZ) scenario and Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS). Results The two methods, ACP and RESEDA, characterize the potential impact of dissipative flows of 50 metals, including iron, copper, lithium and cobalt and 3 fossil resources. The characterization factors derived using the ACP method quantify the additional energy consumption for society relatively to a marginal dissipative flow, expressed in megajoule per kg. The characterization factors obtained with ACP range from 0 to <InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(1.75 \times 10^{5}\textrm{M}J/kg_{dissipated}\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> for the three scenarios. The RESEDA characterization factors quantify the resources deficit, which results in a deficit of services to answer to human needs, induced by a marginal dissipative flow. The characterization factors obtained with RESEDA range from 0 to 1 <InlineEquation ID="IEq2"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(kg_{deficit}/kg_{dissipated}\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>. Discussions and conclusions The two novel characterization models, namely ACP and RESEDA, provide valuable information on the potential impacts of dissipative flows respectively as the additional effort to provide services to humans in the technosphere and the deficit due to dissipative flows. The estimates of prospective mining capacity of metals, used in the WILMFlo model, is a significant source of uncertainty of developed characterization factors. Another noteworthy source of uncertainty is the mining energy intensity data, used to compute ACP CFs, which may evolve with adoption of new technologies in the future. To fully operationalize the two models, additional efforts are required to fully trace dissipative flows throughout the life cycle inventory (LCI) of a product system through tailored adaptation of LCA databases such as reporting dissipative emissions to the environment of all elements and reporting element composition of materials.

Scenario-specific temporally differentiated characterization factors of dissipative flows of abiotic resources: introduction to the ACP and RESEDA methods

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发表日期：

2026年3月16日

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Titouan Greffe,
Manuele Margni,
Cécile Bulle

摘要

Purpose

The provision of resource services to humans, such as mobility or shelter, is essential for well-being. Dissipation jeopardizes resource services with the consequence of facing additional costs to adapt to dissipation, if feasible. However, if users cannot adapt to dissipation, they may face a deficit in resource provided services. The objective is to derive scenario-specific characterization factors of dissipative flows.

Methods

We propose two novel complementary characterization methods to assess the potential impact of dissipative flows. The first method, named the Additional energy Cost Potential (ACP), aims to quantify the additional cost for society to adapt to the loss of services induced by dissipative flows of resources. The second method, named Resource Services Deficit Assessment (RESEDA), aims at quantifying a deficit of resources providing services to meet human needs, when users of the resource are unable to adapt to dissipation. Characterization factors (CFs) are computed by conducting simulations of resource stocks and flows, including dissipative flows, at the global level, using the WIthin Limits Flow (WILMFlo) model. CFs are derived for three scenarios: the Decent Living Standards in a Net Zero World (DLS NZ), Net Zero (NZ) scenario and Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS).

Results

The two methods, ACP and RESEDA, characterize the potential impact of dissipative flows of 50 metals, including iron, copper, lithium and cobalt and 3 fossil resources. The characterization factors derived using the ACP method quantify the additional energy consumption for society relatively to a marginal dissipative flow, expressed in megajoule per kg. The characterization factors obtained with ACP range from 0 to \(1.75 \times 10^{5}\textrm{M}J/kg_{dissipated}\) for the three scenarios. The RESEDA characterization factors quantify the resources deficit, which results in a deficit of services to answer to human needs, induced by a marginal dissipative flow. The characterization factors obtained with RESEDA range from 0 to 1 \(kg_{deficit}/kg_{dissipated}\) .

Discussions and conclusions

The two novel characterization models, namely ACP and RESEDA, provide valuable information on the potential impacts of dissipative flows respectively as the additional effort to provide services to humans in the technosphere and the deficit due to dissipative flows. The estimates of prospective mining capacity of metals, used in the WILMFlo model, is a significant source of uncertainty of developed characterization factors. Another noteworthy source of uncertainty is the mining energy intensity data, used to compute ACP CFs, which may evolve with adoption of new technologies in the future. To fully operationalize the two models, additional efforts are required to fully trace dissipative flows throughout the life cycle inventory (LCI) of a product system through tailored adaptation of LCA databases such as reporting dissipative emissions to the environment of all elements and reporting element composition of materials.