An Evaluation of the Applicability of Social Life Cycle Assessment in the Aerospace Industry

Abstract

This master’s thesis evaluates the applicability and effectiveness of Social Life Assessment (S-LCA) as a method for assessing social sustainability within the aerospace industry. Given the increasing emphasis in recent years on corporate sustainability, the study investigates whether S-LCA can provide meaningful insights into the complex social impacts associated with aerospace products and their global value chains. The research combines a methodological review of S-LCA and its applicability with a case study on a selected aerospace product. The study assesses how S-LCA can be implemented across different life cycle stages, from raw material extraction to usage, a so-called “cradle-to-gate” approach, and identifies social hotspots on organizational as well as on industry level. The findings indicate that S-LCA is, in theory, a valuable tool for identifying social hotspots and, by extension, feasible to use for addressing social sustainability challenges. However, the methodology presents limitations, including data availability and quality challenges, the inherent subjectivity of the assessment, and sensitivity to selected system boundaries. The case study demonstrates that results vary to a great degree depending on made assumptions and what data sources are used, which highlights the need for careful methodological choices. To summarize, the thesis concludes that while S-LCA is a promising approach, its use and effectiveness in the aerospace industry is dependent on methodological development and increased data transparency