DANTES is an acronym for Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability. DANTES dealed mainly with environmental activities that are usually characterized as voluntary rather than regulatory.

Background

There are numeroustools and methods for environmental assessment and many of them are frequently used in environmental work within companies. A tool or a method can for example be a structured routine for compiling data or a software for calculations of environmental impact. Many tools are designed to answer a specific question, such as what is the total environmental impact of a product during its life cycle. Often, different tools need to be combined, but to combine tools and especially to weight the results from them can be a complicated matter.

DANTES is not a tool, nor a method, but rather a tool box. DANTES presents examples of how different environmental work can be carried out. The toolbox presented on the web site can be used in many different ways by employees within Akzo Nobel, ABB, Stora Enso and Chalmers and other companies as well as by local and national authorities, organizations and within the educational system.

Aim & objectives

The main purpose of the DANTES project was to collect, exchange and present information and experiences from using different tools for environmental sustainability. This was done by looking at existing tools and methods for environmental assessment and their large-scale application in companies. Sustainability tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA), Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) are assessed and demonstrated by applying them on different products and systems in the partner’s organizations.

Outcomes

One of the project’s goals was to assess and demonstrate tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC). DANTES also resulted in strategies for eco-efficiency evaluation based on existing tools. Tools, case study results and other findings has been continuously disseminated through this web site and through several information campaigns during the project period. DANTES aimed to contribute to sustainable development, where environmental as well as economic and social aspects are included.
This public website (dantes.info)

Strategies

The project presents 23 strategies for different company roles, based on the experiences of the participating companies. A strategy is a guideline on how the methods and tools described within DANTES can be used to find information needed for environmentally related decisions.

Tools & Methods

14 methods are described with examples and 16 software tools are presented.

Publications

29 public reports covering e.g. LCA, ERA, SPI, SDS and LCC. Published on the site are also 34 Environmental Product Declarations and 9 survey reports.

Dissemination and demonstration

DANTES results have been presented in company internal meetings to 1400 persons and to more that 2800 people at external meetings (trade organizations, university, other companies, etc.).