Coupling Integrated Assessment Models output with Life Cycle Assessment.
premise
premise is a Python tool for prospective life cycle assessment.
It allows users to project the ecoinvent 3 database into the future,
using scenarios from Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs). It does so by
modifying the ecoinvent database to reflect projected energy policy trajectories, include emerging
technologies, modify market shares as well as technologies’ efficiency.
Among others, it can be used to assess the environmental impacts of future energy systems,
and to compare different energy policies. It includes a set of IAM scenarios
and a set of tools to create custom scenarios.
The tool was designed to be user-friendly and to allow for reproducible results.
While it is built on the brightway2 framework,
its outputs can naturally be used in Activity Browser,
but also in other LCA software, such as SimaPro, OpenLCA, or directly in Python.
The tool is described in the following scientific publication: Sacchi et al, 2022.
If this tool helps you in your research, please consider citing this publication.
Also, use the following references to cite the scenarios used with the tool:
The tool currently supports the following IAMs:
| Model | Description |
|---|---|
| REMIND | REMIND (Regionalized Model of Investment and Development) is an integrated assessment model that combines macroeconomic growth, energy system, and climate policy analysis. It is designed to analyze long-term energy transition pathways, accounting for technological, economic, and environmental factors. REMIND simulates how regions invest in different technologies and energy resources to balance economic growth and climate targets, while considering factors like energy efficiency, emissions, and resource availability. The model is particularly strong in its detailed representation of energy markets and macroeconomic interactions across regions, making it valuable for global climate policy assessments. |
| IMAGE | IMAGE (Integrated Model to Assess the Global Environment) is a comprehensive IAM developed to explore the interactions between human development, energy consumption, and environmental systems over the long term. It focuses on assessing how land use, food systems, energy systems, and climate change interact under different policy scenarios. The model integrates biophysical processes, such as land-use change and greenhouse gas emissions, with socio-economic drivers like population growth and economic development. IMAGE is commonly used for analyzing sustainable development strategies, climate impacts, biodiversity loss, and exploring mitigation and adaptation options. |
| TIAM-UCL | TIAM-UCL (TIMES Integrated Assessment Model by University College London) is a global energy system model based on the TIMES (The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System) framework, developed to evaluate long-term decarbonization pathways for global energy systems. It provides detailed insights into energy technology options, resource availability, and emission reduction strategies under various climate policy scenarios. The model focuses on the trade-offs and synergies between energy security, economic costs, and environmental outcomes. TIAM-UCL is frequently used to analyze scenarios consistent with the Paris Agreement and examine technological innovation’s role in mitigating climate change globally. |
IncrementalDatabase: allows distinguishing the contribution of each sector to the total impact.bw2data >= 4.0.0)https://premise.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
The objective is to produce life cycle inventories under future energy policies, by modifying the inventory database
ecoinvent 3 to reflect projected energy policy trajectories.
bw2data <4.0.0. To produce Brightway 2.5-compatible databases, you need bw2data >=4.0.0.[!NOTE]
Please note that the ecoinvent database is not included in this package. Also, read ecoinvent’s GDPR & EULA.[!WARNING]
If you wish to use standard IAM scenarios, you need to request (by email) an encryption key from the developers.
Two options:
From Pypi:
pip install premise
will install the package and the required dependencies.
premise comes with the latest version of brightway, which is Brightway 2.5.
This means that premise will output databases that are compatible with Brightway 2.5.
If you want to use the results in the Brightway 2 framework (e.g., to read them in activity-browser),
you need to specify it in the installation command:
pip install "premise[bw2]"
You can also specify that you want to use Brightway 2.5:
pip install "premise[bw25]"
A development version with the latest advancements (but with the risks of unseen bugs),
is available from Anaconda Cloud. Similarly, you should specify that you want to use Brightway 2.5:
conda install -c conda-forge premise-bw25
Or rather use Brightway2 (for Activity Browser-compatibility):
conda install -c conda-forge premise-bw2
The best way is to follow the examples from the Jupyter Notebook.
Do not hesitate to contact romain.sacchi@psi.ch.
See contributing.
BSD-3-Clause.
Copyright 2020 Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Paul Scherrer Institut.