Australian Input-Output Database
The Integrated Sustainability Analysis group at the University of Sydney have developed advanced LCA input-output models based on Australian economic data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (Lenzen, M. (2001). A generalised input-output multiplier calculus for Australia. Economic Systems Research 13(1), 65-92). This data had been disaggregated beyond the 106 sector provided in the Australian Input-Output tables to 135 Sectors (see Foran, B., Lenzen M. and Dey C. (2005a). Balancing Act - A Triple Bottom Line Account of the Australian Economy. Internet site http://www.isa.org.usyd.edu.au, CSIRO Resource Futures and The University of Sydney, Canberra, ACT, Australia, and Foran, B., Lenzen M., Dey C. and Bilek M. (2005b). Integrating Sustainable Chain Management with Triple Bottom Line Reporting. Ecological Economics 52(2), 143-157. This Input-Output model provides all the data on exchanges between sectors and is match with environmental input data for each sector including:
- Land use (by type forest, cropping, grazing, consumed);
- Land disturbance (five different grading from 0-1; see Lenzen, M. and Murray S.A. (2001). A modified ecological footprint method and its application to Australia. Ecological Economics 37(2), 229-255);
- Water use (reticulated and self –extracted; see Lenzen, M. and Foran B. (2001). An input-output analysis of Australian water usage. Water Policy 3(4), 321-340);
- Energy (by fuel source);
- Greenhouse emissions (by greenhouse gas);and
- Priority air pollutants (NOx, SOx, CO, NMVOC)
The data are based on 1994-95 economic year however economic structure changes slowly, and most statistical bureaux around the world produce input-output tables with a 3-6-year lag. Therefore, prices corrections are provided in SimaPro for converting the data to 2005 dollars and adjusting from basic prices (which the input output model is calculated in) to end consumer and industry prices (basic price plus margins and tax).
A list of the products, services and commodities which are contained in the each sector are provided in SimaPro to allow users to search for given production or service using the SimaPro search function.
For a more detail understanding of how the input output models are created see Lenzen M, A guide for compiling inventories in hybrid LCA: some Australian results, Journal of Cleaner Production, 10, 545-572, 2002.
Note that process based LCA data for Australia is available to SimaPro users from data collected predominantly by the Centre for Design at RMIT.
Licensing.
The data is provided under three different license conditions
1. Educational Use; A$500 per licence or sub-licence for educational and other non-commercial purposes; only to be used on the user’s designated computer; user has to acknowledge the University of Sydney when publishing results obtained using the Copyright Material.
2. In-house Commercial Use; A$1,000 per licence or sub-licence, but restricted to projects within the premises of the user; only to be used on the user’s designated computer; user has to acknowledge the University of Sydney when publishing results obtained using the Copyright Material.
3. Consultant Commercial Use; 10% of total project value, or a minimum of A$1,000 per project, carried out by the consultant, not restricted to projects within the premises of the consultant; only to be used on the consultant’s designated computer; consultant has to report to the Life Cycle Strategies, the total project value; consultant has to acknowledge the University of Sydney when publishing results obtained using the Copyright Material.
The license is for the user – and is independent of the SimaPro version (multi-user, single user etc.).