Evaluating social impacts in children stakeholder: An innovative method for social life cycle assessment

The child population is a particularly vulnerable group within the life cycle of products and services. In alignment with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, addressing the socioeconomic impacts associated with childhood has emerged as a key research area aimed at fostering a more equitable society. In this context, Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) incorporated the “Children” category as a stakeholder in 2020. However, the development of inventory indicators and impact calculation models for this category remains ongoing, and no specific methodologies have been established. This study proposes an innovative socioeconomic impact assessment method aligned with ISO 14075 and the UNEP/SETAC Guidelines. The method incorporates indicators for the subcategories “Health issues for children as consumers”, “Education provided in the local community” and “Children concerns regarding marketing practices”. The calculation model is based on the concept of absolute positive impact, allowing the disaggregated quantification of positive and negative effects through the use of an ordinal Reference Scale (RS S-LCIA). A case study on a digital video game was used to validate the proposed model, demonstrating its adaptability and effectiveness in identifying both negative impacts and key social benefits from a child-centered perspective. It also shown challenges in data availability, particularly regarding health impacts and education practices. The results highlight the necessity of integrating a child-focused perspective into S-LCA to accurately assess the social impact of products and services on this vulnerable group.