Environmental Information Systems in Corporate Engineering: Case Studies, Limits and Perspectives

Abstract

In this contribution two case studies are presented which demonstrate approaches to environmental assessment of industrial products, namely car components. Environmental Information Systems are the tool of choice for the estimation of mass flows within the systems and throughout the entire life cycle. Environmental Assessment is incomplete if this is the final solution for assessing goods and services for environmental purposes. To achieve corporate engineering it is necessary to use a bundle of methods for an holistic assessment of environmental consequences. Potential further developments of environmental information systems in the process of designing goods and services can be derived from the results of the case studies.