The document outlines the objectives and progress of Phase 1 of a flagship project developing a common methodological framework for sustainability hotspots analysis. Phase 1 involved mapping existing hotspot analysis methodologies through literature reviews and expert interviews. 21 methodologies were selected for in-depth analysis across national, sectoral, and product levels. The analysis focused on characteristics like stakeholder engagement, impact coverage, and applicability to SMEs and emerging economies. Phase 2 will build on these findings to develop guidelines for appropriate use and communication of sustainability information from hotspots analysis.

1. A joint organisation
of UNEP & SETAC"
Global Principles and Practices
for Hotspots Analysis and
Sustainability Information!
James A. Fava & Curtis A. Harnanan, thinkstep!
Mark Barthel & Claire Kneller, WRAP/PSF !

2. Outline!
Overview of Flagship Project 3a!
What is Hotspots Analysis!
Outcomes of Phase 1!
Analysis!
Initial insights on methodological framework!
What to expect in Phase 2!
Future steps (Phase 3)!
Q&A and Discussion / Input!
2"

3. A joint organisation
of UNEP & SETAC"
Overview of Flagship Project 3a!
‘‘HHoottssppoottss AAnnaallyyssiiss’’!!

4. Ultimately . . .!
WWee aarree ddeevveellooppiinngg::!!
! A common methodological framework for sustainability
hotspots analysis at different scales; !
! A guideline for the appropriate use and communication of
sustainability information derived from hotspots analysis; !
! A community of practice on hotspots analysis; and !
! A range of options to bring together the findings from
existing hotspots studies to provide a richer, global picture
of sustainability hotspots in the economy and society.!
!
4"
Es#mated
comple#on:
late
2017

5. What is Hotspots Analysis?!
A methodological framework that allows for the rapid assimilation
and analysis of a range of information sources, including life cycle
based and market information, scientific research, expert opinion
and stakeholder concerns. !
!
The outputs from this analysis can then be used to identify
potential solutions and prioritize actions around the most
significant governance, economic, environmental and/or social
sustainability impacts or benefits associated with a specific
country, city, industry sector, lifestyle, product portfolio, product
category or individual product or service*. !
!
Hotspots analysis is often used as a pre-cursor to developing more
detailed or granular sustainability information. !
!
5"
*More
recently,
hotspots
analysis
is
also
being
used
to
assess
the
impacts
and
benefits
of
interven#ons
to
support
the
transi#on
to
more
sustainable
consump#on
paAerns
and
lifestyles.

6. Overview
&
Key
Phases

7. Status of Hotspots Analysis? !
➜ Growing number of different scales of application and
communications approaches!
➜ No common approach nor accepted guidance on how to
translate and apply the results of Hotspots Analysis into
meaningful product sustainability information for use by
business, governments and other stakeholders. !
➜ NNeeeedd for an effort to ensure gglloobbaall ccoonnssiisstteennccyy and inter-
operability among the various programmes and activities. !
7"

8. Application of Hotspots Analysis!
8"
Pathfinders & pilots
Real world product improvement programmes
(pilots, working groups, industry implementation)
Priority Products
Focusing on the products that matter
Value chain optimisation
and resource efficiency
Tesco’ global food loss and waste initiative
Sustainability Indexes
From domestic appliances to public gardens
Water catchment management*
Understanding water scarcity hotspots and water resource management
*Greenhouses
in
San
Agus#n
near
Almería,
Andalusia,
Spain
(36°42’
N
–
2°44’
W)
©
Yann
Arthus-­‐Bertrand
/
Al#tude

9. A joint organisation
of UNEP & SETAC"
Outcomes of Phase 1!
FFllaaggsshhiipp PPrroojjeecctt 33aa!!

10. Phase 1: Initial HSA Mapping Study!
➜ Approval & support from UNEP / SETAC !!
➜ OObbjjeeccttiivvee:: !!
➜ To provide an overview of existing hotspots methodologies via
literature reviews, expert interviews and stakeholder
consultations!
➜ To undertake an analysis of the commonalities and differences
in existing hotspots analysis and the reasons behind them!
➜ To assess the application of hotspots analysis at different
scales and levels of granularity!
➜ To share the learning from existing studies and initiatives and
benefit from proven practice in the development process!
➜ April – December 2014!
!
10"

11. Phase 1: Final Report!
11"
Available
at:
hAp://www.lifecycleini#a#ve.org/wp-­‐
content/uploads/2014/12/UNEP-­‐Hotspots-­‐
Mapping-­‐Project-­‐Final-­‐Report-­‐Phase-­‐1.pdf

12. Mapping Methodologies!
Engaged methodology owners, developers and users!
➜ Identified 44* various methodologies!
➜ Refined results → selected 28 for analysis !
➜ Further prioritized & selected final 21 for analysis !
12"
Scale
of
Application
Methodology
Stakeholder
engagement
Impact
coverage
Applicability
to
SMEs
Applicability
to
Emerging
Economies
Ease
of
Use
Business
Model
Approach
Public
Private
Qual.
Quant.
National
EU
EIPRO n ¢
✔ ✔
+
$
$
Getting
the
Numbers
Rights nnn ¢
✔ ✔
++
$
Global
Protocol
for
Community
Scale
GHG
emissions
nnn ¢
✔
✔
+
$ $
US
GSA
Supply
Chain
Hotspots
Project
n ¢
+
$
GHG
Protocol
Corporate
Value
Chain
(Scope
3)
Accounting
and
Reporting
Standard
nnn ¢
✔
✔
+
$ $
Sector
National
Cattlemen’s
Beef
Association
Hotspots
Analysis
nnn ¢¢
✔
✔
++
$
Public
Gardens
Sustainability
Index
Hotspots
Analysis
nnn
¢¢
¢¢
✔
✔
++
$
Sustainability
Accounting
Standards
Board
Materiality
Map™
nnn
¢¢
¢¢
✔
++
$ $
" 4
na#onal
" 5
sector
" 12
product
*NOTE:
since
comple#ng
Phase
1
in
December
2014
six
further
methodologies
have
come
to
light
which
will
be
further
inves#gated
during
Phase
2

13. Methodologies Identified from Survey!
13"

14. Final Selected Methodologies!
NNaattiioonnaall LLeevveell MMeetthhooddoollooggiieess!!
!
1. EU EIPRO!
2. Getting the Number Right (GNR)!
3. Global Protocol for Community-scale GHG emissions !
4. US GSA Supply Chain Hotspots Project !
!
!
SSeeccttoorr LLeevveell MMeetthhooddoollooggiieess!!
!
1. GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standards !
2. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Hotspots Analysis!
3. Public Gardens Sustainability Index Hotspots Analysis!
4. Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Materiality Map™!
5. Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture systems (SAFA) tool!
!
!
PPrroodduucctt CCaatteeggoorryy LLeevveell MMeetthhooddoollooggiieess!!
!
1. Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) Hotspots Analysis!
2. Japanese Carbon Footprint Programme!
3. Japanese Ecoleaf Programme!
4. French Grenelle I and II BPX 30-323-0 Product Lifecycle Environmental Impact Quantification Guidance Standard!
5. GHG Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standards!
6. ISO/TS 14067: Greenhouse gases - Carbon footprint of products!
7. Social Hotspots Database!
8. Social LCA!
9. The Sustainability Consortium!
10. WRAPs Product Sustainability Forum!
11. Water Quality Association (WQA) Hotspots Analysis!
14"

15. Summary Analysis!
15"

16. Summary Analysis!
16"
Scale
of
Application
Methodology
Stakeholder
engagement
Impact
coverage
Applicability
to
SMEs
Applicability
to
Emerging
Economies
Ease
of
Use
Business
Model
Approach
Public
Private
Qual.
Quant.
National
EU
EIPRO n ¢
✔ ✔
+
$
$
Getting
the
Numbers
Rights nnn ¢
✔ ✔
++
$
Global
Protocol
for
Community
Scale
GHG
emissions
nnn ¢
✔
✔
+
$ $
US
GSA
Supply
Chain
Hotspots
Project
n ¢
+
$
GHG
Protocol
Corporate
Value
Chain
(Scope
3)
Accounting
and
Reporting
Standard
nnn ¢
✔
✔
+
$ $
Sector
National
Cattlemen’s
Beef
Association
Hotspots
Analysis
nnn ¢¢
✔
✔
++
$
Public
Gardens
Sustainability
Index
Hotspots
Analysis
nnn
¢¢
¢¢
✔
✔
++
$
Sustainability
Accounting
Standards
Board
Materiality
Map™
nnn
¢¢
¢¢
✔
++
$ $

17. Summary Analysis!
17"
Scale
of
Application
Methodology
Stakeholder
engagement
Impact
coverage
Applicability
to
SMEs
Applicability
to
Emerging
Economies
Ease
of
Use
Business
Model
Approach
Public
Private
Qual.
Quant.
Sector
Sustainability
Assessment
of
Food
and
Agriculture
systems
nnn
¢¢
¢¢
✔
✔
++
$
Product
Association
of
Home
Appliance
Manufacturers
Hotspots
Analysis
nnn
¢¢
¢
✔
✔
+
$
Japanese
Carbon
Footprint
Programme
nnn ¢
✔
+
$ $
Japanese
Ecoleaf
Programme
nnn ¢
✔
+ $ $
French
Grenelle
I
and
II
BPX
30-­‐
323-­‐0
Product
Lifecycle
Environmental
Impact
Quantification
Guidance
Standard
nnn ¢
✔
✔
+
$ $

18. Summary Analysis!
18"
Scale
of
Application
Methodology
Stakeholder
engagement
Impact
coverage
Applicability
to
SMEs
Applicability
to
Emerging
Economies
Ease
of
Use
Business
Model
Approach
Public
Private
Qual.
Quant.
GHG
Protocol
Product
Life
Cycle
Standards
nnn ¢
✔
✔
+
$ $
Product
Sustainability
Forum
nnn ¢¢
✔
✔
+
$ $
Social
Hotspots
Database
nnn ¢
✔
✔
++
$
Product
Social
LCA
nn ¢¢
✔
++
$ $
The
Sustainability
Consortium
nnn ¢¢
✔
✔
+
$
ISO/TS
14067:
2013
-­‐
Carbon
footprint
of
products
nnn ¢
✔
✔
+
$ $
Water
Quality
Association
(WQA)
Hotspots
Analysis
nnn
¢¢
¢ ✔ ✔
+ $ $

19. Commonalities!
➜ All of the key methodologies engage several stakeholders in
their development;!
➜ Most methodologies include environmental impacts;!
➜ All methodologies utilize to some degree, a quantitative
approach. A few only use qualitative elements;!
➜ Most approaches address multiple impacts.!
19"

20. Differences!
➜ National:!
➜ All utilize a quantitative approach to address environmental impacts!
➜ Tend to use input/output analysis or materials flows analysis!
➜ Sector & Product:!
➜ Tend to be more diverse in the impacts and issues they address, as
well as in the use of more qualitative elements!
➜ Tend to focus on life cycle approaches or ‘beyond LCA’ approaches!
➜ City-Scale: one methodology has specifically developed for
use in cities*, others could be adapted for use at this scale!
➜ Hybrid (public & private) funding appears to be dominant
among the methodologies, !
➜ No common funding model that can be attributed to any of the three
methodology levels!
!
20"
*Global
Protocol
for
Community-­‐scale
GHG
emissions

21. General Observations!
➜ Growing number of methodologies “move beyond LCA” !
➜ Development stems from a various organisations & linked to
a specific objective!
➜ All engage a wide stakeholder base !
➜ Majority are focussed on multiple issues, with most covering
a core set of environmental issues, though issue-specific
methods also exist !
➜ While the hybrid funding appears to be dominant, there is
no common model applied at a national, sector, or product
level.!
➜ Few incorporate financial data on the costs and benefits of
addressing hotspots. !
➜ Links to activity to reduce the impact of hotspots are sparse. !
! 21"

22. Key Stakeholder Insights!
➜ Support ‘Beyond LCA’ approach !
➜ Clearly identify goal & scope !
➜ Build stakeholder credibility & use a phased approach!
➜ Keep hotspots actionable & manageable!
➜ Prioritize to meet goals for addressing hotspots!
➜ Make results clear & intuitive using visualization!
➜ Periodically review & revise HSA analysis!
➜ Clearly communicate uncertainty!
➜ Develop case studies & examples to support use!
!
22"

23. Methodological Framework: Initial Insight!
Define
Goal
&
Scope
Gather
data,
seek
expert
insight
Iden#fy
&
validate
hotspots
Iden#fy
&
priori#ze
ac#ons
Review
ini#al
findings
with
key
stakeholders
&
experts
Present
&
validate
findings
Iden#fy
implementa#on
gaps
&
recommenda#ons
Review
and
revisit
hotspots
analysis
23"

24. What to Expect in Phase 2!
➜ Wider stakeholder engagement and consultation process!
➜ Two one-day facilitated rapid prototyping workshops for
sector and product-level hotspots analysis modules (Q1 –
2016)!
➜ Interested in participating?!
➜ Three regional webinars (Q1 – 2016) !
➜ Interested in participating?!
➜ Refined methodological framework, including sector and
product category-level guidance based on expert input from
workshops & webinars!
➜ Guidance on the appropriate use and communication of
sustainability information!
24"

25. What to Expect in Phase 2!

26. Guidelines on use and communication!
➜ Appropriateness of how sustainability information used and
communicated will be dependent on scope/goals of study,
e.g.:!
➜ Availability of underpinning data and information; and depth and
granularity of research findings used to identify hotspots; !
➜ Quality and consistency of expert opinion and judgement and level of
agreement reached; !
➜ The level and inclusiveness of stakeholder engagement and degree
to which stakeholder concerns have been addressed; !
➜ The materiality / relevance of the sustainability information to be used
or communicated in the context of identified sustainability hotspots;
and!
➜ How and what this sustainability information is to be applied to in
order to provide information to consumers/stakeholders! 26"

27. Future Steps (Phase 3)!
➜ Tailoring of Phase 2 deliverables for specific applications:!
➜ UNEP 10YFP tourism sector guidance!
➜ Undertake a series of practical piloting projects to road-test
deliverables!
➜ City-scale pilot (Quito, Equador)!
➜ UNEP 10YFP Better By Design flagship project!
➜ Bringing together the evidence from !
different studies and initiatives !
under the auspices of the UNEP 10YFP !
on SCP!
27"

28. Questions!
28"
Interested
in
par,cipa,ng
or
learning
more?
Please
contact:
Jim
Fava
(
jim.fava@thinkstep.com)
Mark
Barthel
(Mark.Barthel@wrap.org.uk)

29. Questions to prompt discussion!
➜ What additional value do/can ‘beyond LCA’ approaches to
Hotspots Analysis bring? !
➜ At what level(s) of application of hotspots analysis does the ‘beyond LCA’
provide the greatest benefit? !
➜ Are there any applications where the use of a ‘beyond LCA’ approach is of
low value or should not be encouraged?!
➜ What issues and topics should be covered in the principles and
practices for hotspots analysis and how could they best be
applied (bearing in mind they will need to be flexible enough to
accommodate different scales of application (e.g. national, city,
sector, product category, lifestyles)? !
➜ In what format and/or information should the final guidance (i.e.,
principles and practices for hotspots analysis) be provided in
order to optimize its utility (and broadly encourage its adoption)
among all levels of users?!
29"

30. Thank you for your attention!!
!
SSTTAAYY UUPP--TTOO--DDAATTEE OONN !!
LLIIFFEE CCYYCCLLEE IINNIITTIIAATTIIVVEE AACCTTIIVVIITTIIEESS:!
!
Web: www.lifecycleinitiative.org!
Email: info@lifecycleinitiative.org!
Twitter: @LC_Initiative!
!
We’re also on LinkedIn and Facebook and you can subscribe
to our newsletter LC Net on our website!!
!
30"