Systematic literature review on the application of social LCA to H2 technology in the energy sector

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:Highlights methodological gaps and future research directions for S-LCA in hydrogen systems.

🏢実務担当者:Offers insights on social hotspots to address in hydrogen value chain sustainability reporting.

🏛政策担当者:Underlines the need for social criteria in hydrogen certification and transition finance frameworks.

The widespread adoption of hydrogen as a key energy carrier to reduce greenhouse gas emissions entails complex value chains, including international supply routes, with potential effects (positive or negative) on the different sectors of society. While sustainable hydrogen deployment is often motivated by environmental and economic goals, the integration of social responsibility and human well-being is equally essential. However, studies exploring the prospective social impacts of hydrogen technology remain scarce, particularly in the energy sector. This study conducts a systematic literature review of the application of Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) applied to green hydrogen technology, identifying trends, methodological gaps, and key social hotspots. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify case studies applying S-LCA to green hydrogen technology in the energy sector. Relevant publications were selected through structured inclusion and exclusion criteria and assessed with respect to system boundaries, stakeholder inclusion, social indicators, and impact assessment methods. To contextualise academic findings, a thematic comparison was also performed with corporate sustainability reports (CSRs) from major electrolyser manufacturers, evaluating the extent of alignment between scholarly and industrial practices. This combined approach provides a comprehensive overview of the current S-LCA practices in the hydrogen sector. Ten relevant case studies were selected. The analysis highlights methodological weaknesses that limit the robustness and comparability, such as reliance on secondary aggregated data, which constrains the representativeness of social outcomes; insufficient justification for system boundary choices and cut-off criteria, which hampers transparency; and the predominant use of a single type of impact assessment method, which reduces the diversity of perspectives in evaluating social performance. These issues, combined with the absence of defined and shared criteria for selecting stakeholders, subcategories, and indicators, reveal the need for more consistent and transparent S-LCA practices. Strengths include the identification of upstream social hotspots and the flexibility of S-LCA to assess emerging technologies. Comparison with CSRs shows partial alignment: while companies emphasize occupational health, diversity, and ethical practices, gaps remain in addressing broader social issues such as fair wages, local community impacts, and supply chain transparency. The study underscores the value of S-LCA as a tool to support socially responsible decision-making in hydrogen technology development. It also emphasises the need for more robust, stakeholder-inclusive methodologies and stronger integration of the social dimension within Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) frameworks to ensure a just and inclusive hydrogen transition.

• openalex https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-026-02640-1first seen 2026-05-15 17:17:58