Driving Effects of Green Technology Innovation on Sustainable Development: A Multi-Case Analysis based on Life Cycle Assessment

Licun Zhong; Futai Zhang

doi:10.54691/w4zpa157

Authors

Licun Zhong AmazingX Academy, Shenzhen, China
Futai Zhang AmazingX Academy, Shenzhen, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/w4zpa157

Keywords:

Green technology innovation, life cycle assessment, sustainable development, carbon neutrality, environmental impact.

Abstract

By now, green technology innovation (GTI) is broadly acknowledged as a key route for reaching sustainable development goals. At the same time, there is still a lack of systematic quantification of the environmental benefits that GTI delivers across varied industrial sectors. We use a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework aligned with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards to evaluate how GTI performs environmentally in three representative sectors: photovoltaic (PV) energy systems, electric vehicles (EVs) and green building materials. A cradle-to-grave boundary is adopted, and we quantify midpoint impact categories including global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP) and cumulative energy demand (CED). A 38.6% reduction in the GWP of crystalline silicon PV modules relative to conventional power generation emerges from the results, and lithium-ion battery recycling technologies are found to lower the life cycle carbon intensity of EVs by 22.4%. Green building materials that incorporate industrial byproducts give a 31.2% reduction in embodied carbon compared with traditional Portland cement. These findings are found to be robust when considering parameter uncertainty, as shown by sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulation. Empirical evidence supporting policy frameworks that encourage GTI deployment toward carbon neutrality targets is provided by these results.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Du, K., Cheng, Y., & Yao, X. (2021). Environmental regulation, green technology innovation, and industrial structure upgrading: The road to the green transformation of Chinese cities. Energy Economics, 98, 105247.

[2] Zhang, D., Zheng, M., Feng, G.-F., & Chang, C.-P. (2022). Does an environmental policy bring to green innovation in renewable energy? Renewable Energy, 195, 1113–1124.

[3] International Organization for Standardization. (2006). Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework (ISO 14040:2006). International Organization for Standardization.

[4] Bjørn, A., Owsianiak, M., Molin, C., & Laurent, A. (2018). Main characteristics of LCA. In M. Z. Hauschild, R. K. Rosenbaum, & S. I. Olsen (Eds.), Life cycle assessment: Theory and practice (pp. 9–16). Springer International Publishing.

[5] Wang, H., Cui, H., & Zhao, Q. (2021). Effect of green technology innovation on green total factor productivity in China: Evidence from spatial Durbin model analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 288, 125624.

[6] Creutzig, F., Niamir, L., Bai, X., Callaghan, M., Cullen, J., Díaz-José, J., Figueroa, M., Grubler, A., Lamb, W. F., Leip, A., et al. (2022). Demand-side solutions to climate change mitigation consistent with high levels of well-being. Nature Climate Change, 12(1), 36–46.

[7] Liu, L., Feng, A., & Liu, M. (2024). The effect of green innovation on corporate financial performance: Does quality matter? Finance Research Letters, 62(Part B), 105255.

[8] Xu, D., Chen, Y., Wang, J., & Huang, X. (2023). Legal environmental regulation and green technology innovation of energy enterprises: Based on panel threshold regression. Frontiers in Energy Research, 11, 1198706.

[9] Huijbregts, M. A. J., Steinmann, Z. J. N., Elshout, P. M. F., Stam, G., Verones, F., Vieira, M., Zijp, M., Hollander, A., & van Zelm, R. (2017). ReCiPe2016: A harmonised life cycle impact assessment method at midpoint and endpoint level. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 22(2), 138–147.

[10] Mendoza Beltran, A., Cox, B., Mutel, C., van Vuuren, D. P., Font Vivanco, D., Deetman, S., Edelenbosch, O. Y., Guinée, J., & Tukker, A. (2020). When the background matters: Using scenarios from integrated assessment models in prospective life cycle assessment. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 24(1), 64–79.

[11] Sherwani, A. F., Usmani, J. A., & Varun. (2010). Life cycle assessment of solar PV based electricity generation systems: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 14(1), 540–544.

[12] Pehl, M., Arvesen, A., Humpenöder, F., Popp, A., Hertwich, E. G., & Luderer, G. (2017). Understanding future emissions from low-carbon power systems by integration of life-cycle assessment and integrated energy modelling. Nature Energy, 2(12), 939–945.

[13] Knobloch, F., Hanssen, S. V., Lam, A., Pollitt, H., Salas, P., Chewpreecha, U., Huijbregts, M. A. J., & Mercure, J.-F. (2020). Net emission reductions from electric cars and heat pumps in 59 world regions over time. Nature Sustainability, 3(6), 437–447.

[14] Baars, J., Domenech, T., Bleischwitz, R., Melin, H. E., & Heidrich, O. (2021). Circular economy strategies for electric vehicle batteries reduce reliance on raw materials. Nature Sustainability, 4(1), 71–79.

[15] Favier, A., De Wolf, C., Scrivener, K., & Habert, G. (2018). A sustainable future for the European cement and concrete industry: Technology assessment for full decarbonisation of the industry by 2050. ETH Zurich.

[16] Singh, B., Ishwarya, G., Gupta, M., & Bhattacharyya, S. K. (2015). Geopolymer concrete: A review of some recent developments. Construction and Building Materials, 85, 78–90.

[17] Ritchie, H., Rosado, P., & Roser, M. (2023). CO₂ and greenhouse gas emissions. Our World in Data.

[18] Miao, Y., Hynan, P., von Jouanne, A., & Yokochi, A. (2019). Current Li-ion battery technologies in electric vehicles and opportunities for advancements. Energies, 12(6), 1074.

[19] Su, S., Li, X., Zhu, C., Lu, Y., & Lee, H. W. (2021). Dynamic life cycle assessment: A review of research for temporal variations in life cycle assessment studies. Environmental Engineering Science, 38(11), 1013–1026.

[20] International Energy Agency. (2021). Net zero by 2050: A roadmap for the global energy sector. International Energy Agency.