Strategy for producing environmental information formats

Results from routinely produced environmental assessments like Sustainability reports, LCA-studies, EPDs etc are presented in many different formats in reports, on web-pages, etc. This strategy supplies some core guidelines for which information to include in the format, and what aspects of the information to consider when structuring an environmental information format. The strategy is based on a doctoral thesis at Industrial Environmental Informatics, Chalmers University of Technology.

Short background
Description of the question/problem to handle in the working procedure part pf the strategy:

• Environmental information is often difficult for target audiences to understand, and the credibility of the information is often weak. This strategy addresses how to solve these problems.
• The strategy is put forward and compiled in the Chalmers PhD thesis “Framework For Structuring Information For Environmental Management Of Industrial Systems”, defended in 2006 by Raul Carlson
• The prerequisites for using this strategy is that there is a need for structuring the use and data needs and information output for an environmental assessment tool within an organisation.
• The strategy belongs in any context where similar environmental assessments are produced on a regular basis.
• The structuring of the information format is relevant for any situation where the information itself is relevant for decision making and where the quality and the costs for the information can be questioned.
• The beneficiary’s of the strategy are those who have the responsibility to take decisions based on the environmental information, and those who are in charge of implementing the strategy and those that apply and communicate assessment results from environmental tools.

Detailed background

Figure 1 The figure describes how information systems are intended to mediate communication of ideas, and how the design and the use of information systems are related with the language and the ideas (Copyright R. Carlson 2000).

An information format is a collection, a logical structure and a semantic description of all information fields needed to communicate a specific message. Figure 1 gives a simple presentation of the role of information systems in general and specifically the role of information formats. The left vertical arrow of figure 1 represents the direction of the design process, from ideas to language to concept model to data model to information system. The right vertical arrow represent how communication via an information system goes from idea of sender, via language, concept models and data models to idea of the receiver of the sent information. The role of the information format is to structure and contain the message of the sender and to carry it to the receiver of the message in an effective form, so that the receiver understands the message as intended.

An actual message delivered in a format can be very simple, such as “Emission levels exceed target” or a full reviewable and transparent LCA study.

A format suitable for the simple message in this example contains one field, with a semantic meaning that makes sense to the intended audience. The intended audience is expected to understand which emission the message addresses and also to understand how to interpret what it means that the emission exceeds the target. Whether this information format is sufficient for the intended communication depends on whether the intended audience can understand the message fully and act in line with the intentions of the message. However, a more suitable format both allows for the simple statement for those that already know how to interpret the message, as well as a sufficiently rich set of meta data format that allows newcomers, reviewers and other stakeholders to ‘look behind’ that simple message. The format then needs to specify which emission is being addressed, what technical system (vehicle, machine, production site, life cycle, product-line, etc.) and under what circumstances the emission is being measured. It also needs to specify how the measurement has been performed. Hence, the format both needs to address the intended end users’ needs for a simple message like ”exceeds limits” as well as all transparency, reviewability and educational needs to understand that simple message.

A format suitable for a full and reviewable LCA study needs to take into consideration all transparency and reviewability aspects necessary for an LCA study. If LCA is to be performed on the basis of the ISO standard ISO 1404ff all these considerations are addressed in the standard texts. The message will necessarily be complex and full of details, consisting of many sections and data fields, probably in the form of a report, describing all text-documentation necessary to review an LCA-study, such as all results, data, methods, assumptions and limitations, transparently and in sufficient detail. In addition, when results are to be communicated to any third party, a third-party report shall be prepared as a reference document.
From the information needed for a full and reviewable LCA study it may also be possible to retrieve and derive different simplified LCA results, such as “Life Cycle CO2 emissions”, “Weighted eco-efficiency value” etc. The format needed for such simplified result presentations both needs a format for the simple message and the format needed for the full LCA study. Otherwise the simple message will not be reviewable etc.

The fact that a simple message should be supplied with all its background information to enable transparent review makes it difficult to decide how far to go, which aspects to consider to produce a reviewable format, and how to ensure that all relevant aspects are in fact considered. It is possible that the format becomes too simple and leaves out relevant aspects necessary for the purpose of the information, and it is also possible that the format becomes too complex and makes it unnecessarily difficult for the intended audience to comprehend the message.

This strategy states which aspects to assess when producing an information format for environmental management purposes. It is claimed that no further and no less aspects needs to be taken into account.

Working procedure