An auto-diagnostic SSbD tool to facilitate the integration of Safe and Sustainable by Design approach in the innovative stage

Since the publication of the draft Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework by the Joint Research Center, the European Commission has initiated several actions to support the evaluation and future deployment of this approach. However, the SSbD assessment remains a complex and resource-intensive process. This study proposes an initial, simplified SSbD assessment to minimize data requirements, reduce time investment, and lower the level of specialized expertise necessary, aiming to make SSbD more accessible and efficient while preserving its core objectives.

A three-tiered approach is introduced, with Tier 1 focusing on a simplified evaluation applicable to all considered alternatives. This tier is designed to facilitate early-stage integration of the SSbD approach. A generic questionnaire was developed to enable easy comparison between the reference and alternatives across four SSbD dimensions: safety, environment, economic, and social. The Tier 1 assessment serves as an auto-diagnostic tool, evaluating each SSbD dimension through a set of up to 10 generic questions. The user selects a score (0 for "No" or "I don't know", 5 for "Partly", and 10 for "Yes") for each question, and results are aggregated to provide a percentage score for each dimension, which is then weighted to yield an overall score. This evaluation highlights gaps and provides a foundation for developing an improvement plan and guiding higher-tier SSbD assessments.

The Tier 1 assessment has been applied to molecules and final products (flame retardants, plasticizers, surfactants) as well as processes (hydrogen production), demonstrating its versatility as a "quick-and-easy" pre-assessment tool.

The primary advantage of this Tier 1 auto-diagnostic tool is its ability to enhance the agility and adaptability of research and innovation (R&I) strategies. While it offers a first-level identification of the SSbD status of an alternative with minimal data, it also enables the identification of key gaps and outlines necessary next steps. In the comprehensive, multi-tiered SSbD approach, the generic questions from Tier 1 will be refined and consolidated in higher tiers, where more detailed, expert-driven assessments (Tier 2 and Tier 3) will involve a deeper focus on each SSbD dimension, including the participation of R&I experts.