Methodological Trends and Gaps in Social Life Cycle Assessment of the European Bioeconomy: A Systematic Review

The transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy has increased the need to assess social sustainability. Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) has emerged as a key methodology for this purpose; however, its application within the European bioeconomy remains fragmented. This study systematically reviews the methodological implementation of S-LCA in the European bioeconomy between 2015 and 2025 following the PRISMA framework. Searches were conducted in Scopus and Web of Science, resulting in 54 studies, of which 35 case studies were analysed according to methodological characteristics, stakeholder categories, social indicators, impact categories, and alignment with the UNEP-SETAC Guidelines. The results reveal considerable methodological heterogeneity, including inconsistent definitions of functional units and system boundaries, extensive variation in social indicator selection, uneven stakeholder representation, and a strong reliance on secondary data. Workers and local communities were the most frequently assessed stakeholder groups, while 505 unique social indicators were identified, highlighting a lack of standardisation. Several studies also conflated impact categories with indicators, reducing analytical consistency. These findings demonstrate that current S-LCA applications in the European bioeconomy are limited by methodological inconsistencies that affect comparability and policy relevance. Greater methodological harmonisation, stakeholder-informed indicator selection, and improved context-specific social data are needed to strengthen S-LCA as a decision-support tool for socially sustainable bioeconomy transitions in Europe.