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calculate_hotspots

Identify the upstream processes driving the most environmental impact for an Ecoinvent activity.

Purpose

Runs a hotspot analysis on a standard Ecoinvent activity and returns a ranked list of the background processes contributing most to total impact. Use this after calculate_standard to understand where the impact comes from, not just how large it is.

Parameters

Parameter Type Required Description
activity_code string Yes Activity code from search_activities
method_specification string Yes Full impact method specification
database string Yes Database version (e.g., "ecoinvent-3.12-cutoff")
top_n integer No Number of top hotspots to return (default: 10)

Method Specification Format

"ecoinvent-3.12 > IPCC 2021 > climate change > global warming potential (GWP100)"

Must be exact — use search_methods or validate_method first.

Returns

A task ID — poll with get_task_status to retrieve results. The result contains:

  • hotspots: Ranked list of upstream processes contributing to impact
  • activity_name, activity_code, location
  • absolute_score: Contribution in impact units
  • fraction: Fraction of total impact (0–1)
  • classification: ISIC category
  • ecoquery_url: Direct link to the activity in EcoQuery
  • total_score: Total impact of the functional unit
  • unit: Impact unit (e.g., kg CO2-eq)

Example Usage

Prompt: What are the top hotspots for steel production using IPCC 2021 GWP100?

Workflow: 

1. search_activities("steel production") → activity_code
2. calculate_hotspots(activity_code, method_specification, database) → task_id
3. get_task_status(task_id) → poll until COMPLETED
4. Interpret ranked hotspot list

Tips

  • Use alongside calculate_standard to get both total impact and contribution breakdown in one session
  • Results are visualized as a Sankey diagram in the Live Workspace
  • Increasing top_n beyond 20 rarely adds meaningful insight for most activities