ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS BY SOCIAL LCA METHOD ALONG THE WHOLE SUPPLY CHAIN

Accessing information about potential and real impacts of products requires effective tool for evaluating every particular economic, environmental and social impact along the whole supply chain. Traditional environmental LCA - Life Cycle Analyses of products involve basically material, energy and economic flows, but social impacts of the supply chains are often underestimated. Social Life Cycle Assessment represents traditional environmental content of LCA extended by tools for assessment of social and socioeconomic impacts of product/s on the workers, the consumers, the local communities, the society and other shareholders involved in supply chain. Progressive enterprises introduce Supply Chain Management in consideration of potential savings and avoiding resources wastage. But effective supply chain management system should bring balanced information covering economic, environmental and social tasks along the whole supply chain. The contribution deals with limitations and problems related with evaluation of environmental and social impacts along the whole supply chain by Social Life Cycle Assessment method. The main objective is to determine possible system boundaries of Social Life Cycle Assessment for effective measurement and evaluation of social impacts of products and discuss problems related with evaluation of social impacts along the whole supply chain from a company perspective.