Life cycle analysisLife cycle analysis

• definition and application of LCAdefinition and application of LCA

• key stepskey steps– goal and scope definitiongoal and scope definition

– inventory analysisinventory analysis

– impact assessmentimpact assessment

– interpretationinterpretation

Life cycle analysisLife cycle analysis

Life-cycle assessment (LCA)Life-cycle assessment (LCA)::

• a systematic framework for carrying out a systematic framework for carrying out an assessment of all of the an assessment of all of the environmental impacts associated with environmental impacts associated with a product over its entire life-cycle. a product over its entire life-cycle.

Life cycle analysisLife cycle analysis

Goal definition and scopingGoal definition and scoping: identifying the : identifying the LCA's purpose and the expected products of LCA's purpose and the expected products of the study, and determining the boundaries the study, and determining the boundaries (what is and is not included in the study) and (what is and is not included in the study) and assumptions based upon the goal definition; assumptions based upon the goal definition;

Life-cycle inventoryLife-cycle inventory: quantifying the energy : quantifying the energy and raw material inputs and environmental and raw material inputs and environmental releases associated with each stage of releases associated with each stage of production; production;

Life cycle analysisLife cycle analysis

Impact analysis:Impact analysis: assessing the impacts on assessing the impacts on human health and the environment human health and the environment associated with energy and raw material associated with energy and raw material inputs and environmental releases quantified inputs and environmental releases quantified by the inventory; by the inventory;

Improvement analysis:Improvement analysis: evaluating evaluating opportunities to reduce energy, material opportunities to reduce energy, material inputs, or environmental impacts at each inputs, or environmental impacts at each stage of the product life-cycle stage of the product life-cycle

Life cycle analysisLife cycle analysis

1.1. Goal and scope definition.Goal and scope definition.

2.2. A detailed life cycle inventory (LCI) A detailed life cycle inventory (LCI) analysis, with compilation of data both analysis, with compilation of data both about energy and resource use and on about energy and resource use and on emissions to the environment, through emissions to the environment, through out the life cycle.out the life cycle.

Life cycle analysisLife cycle analysis

3.3. An assessment of the potential An assessment of the potential impacts associated with the identified impacts associated with the identified forms of resource use and forms of resource use and environmental emissions.environmental emissions.

4.4. The interpretation of the results from The interpretation of the results from the previous phases of the study in the previous phases of the study in relation to the objectives of the study.relation to the objectives of the study.

Life cycle analysisLife cycle analysis

GoalGoal• unambiguously states the intended unambiguously states the intended

application, including the reasons for carrying application, including the reasons for carrying out the study and the intended audience, i.e. out the study and the intended audience, i.e. to whom the results of the study are intended to whom the results of the study are intended to be communicatedto be communicated. .

Life cycle analysisLife cycle analysis

Goal examples: Goal examples: • to compare products fulfilling for marketing or to compare products fulfilling for marketing or

regulating the use of the products regulating the use of the products

• to identify improvement possibilities existing to identify improvement possibilities existing products or in the design of new products products or in the design of new products

• to identify areas, steps etc. in the life cycle of to identify areas, steps etc. in the life cycle of a product where criteria can be set for a product where criteria can be set for ecolabelling.ecolabelling.

Life cycle analysisLife cycle analysis

ScopeScope

The following need be considered and The following need be considered and described: described:

• the functions of the system, or in the case of the functions of the system, or in the case of comparative studies, systems; comparative studies, systems;

• the functional unit; the functional unit; • the system to be studied; the system to be studied; • the system boundaries; the system boundaries;

• allocation procedures;allocation procedures;

Life cycle analysisLife cycle analysis

• the types of impact and the methodology of the types of impact and the methodology of impact assessment and subsequent impact assessment and subsequent interpretation to be used; interpretation to be used;

• data requirement; data requirement; • assumptions; assumptions; • limitations; limitations; • the initial data quality requirements; the initial data quality requirements; • the type of critical review, if any; the type of critical review, if any; • the type and format of the report required for the type and format of the report required for

the studythe study

Life cycle analysisLife cycle analysis

Inventory Inventory analysisanalysis

• data collection data collection

• refining system boundaries refining system boundaries

• calculation calculation

• validation of data validation of data

• relating data to the specific system relating data to the specific system

• allocation allocation

Life cycle analysisLife cycle analysis

Impact assessmentImpact assessment

• category definition category definition

• classification classification

• characterization characterization

• valuation/weightingvaluation/weighting

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Interpretation Interpretation

• identification of significant identification of significant environmental issues environmental issues

• evaluation evaluation

• conclusions and recommendationsconclusions and recommendations