Why Life Cycle Thinking?

• Life Cycle Thinking is essential for SCP and the 2030 Development Agenda– E.g. LCT is 3rd key principle of SCP in UNEP

(2015)

– LCT facilitates the identification and prioritization of policies and practices to deliver Resource Efficiency and SCP patterns: COMPASS, PATHFINDER

– Highlighting potential trade-offs

– Without LCT, impact measurement would be inaccurate

UNEP (2015) Sustainable Consumption and Production. A Handbook for Policymakers

Why Life Cycle Thinking?What do different actors get from LCT?

• Policy makers gain robust science-basedinsights from LCT in each step of the policy cycle; targeting policies to gate-keepers

• Industry gains objective evidence to inform sustainability strategy and decisions; strategic view of the value chain; directing alliances and partnerships

• Academia gain the necessary systemic thinking for sustainability; systematizing their contributions to sustainable development

LCT achievements in UNEP

Our Vision: relevant decisions for 2030 Agenda are supported by LCT

LCT supporting key SDGs

• Life Cycle Thinking’s holistic and systemic view enables implementation and shows links and potential trade-offs between SDGs– 8.4 Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource

efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation…

• LCT: RE; hotspots; avoiding unintended trade-offs; prioritization

– 9.4.1 CO2 emission per unit of value added.

• Including whole life cycle perspective and all GHG emissions

• Prioritization

– 12.2.1* Material footprint and material footprint per capita.

• As above, in order to prioritize reductions in Material footprint a whole life cycle view is essential

LCT supporting key SDGs

• Life Cycle Thinking and tools also enable delivery of the more thematic SDGs:– 2.4.1* Percentage of agricultural area under

sustainable agricultural practices. • LCT needed to inform what sustainable management /

practices / technologies are• Comparing life cycle impacts of different technologies, across

all metrics (GHG, water; toxicity; biodiversity…)

– 6.4.1: Percentage change in water use efficiency over time.

• RE: prioritizing key stages in the system where most improvement in efficiency is needed

– 7.3.1 Energy intensity measured in terms of primary energy and gross domestic product (GDP).

• Whole life cycle energy intensity measurement is needed to avoid “leakage” of energy intensive processes

LCT supporting key SDGs

• LCT also informs consumption and production systems for an efficient improvement in environmental and social quality, with indirect links to SDGs: – 3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and

illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination

• Consideration of social indicators (Social-LCA) also offers opportunities to inform synergies with some other SDGs:– 5.5.2 Proportion of women in managerial positions– 8.3.1 Share of informal employment in non-agriculture

employment, by sex– 8.5.1 Average hourly earnings of female and male

employees, by occupation, age group and persons with disabilities

– 8.7.1 Percentage and number of children aged 5-17 engaged in child labour, by sex and age group

LCT supporting Paris Agreement

• Deriving INDCs:– Hotspots analysis to focus on the areas where

emissions can be reduced most efficiently, even outside of the country’s borders

– E.g. IKI Tourism Value Chains proposal, understanding shares of impact in different value chains: identifying where the problem is and who are the gate-keepers, in order to propose solutions

• Environmental intelligence to identify and develop innovative solutions

• Highlighting trade-offs = Avoiding single-metric blindness– infographic by the International Resource Panel on

Green Energy Choices

INDCs: Intended Nationally Determined Contributions

Science, consensus, robustness, stability + progress:

DATA; INDICATORS; (TOOLS)

LCA methodological stewardship:

Global LCA Data Access (nomenclature; exchange infrastructure…)

Global Panel / Institute for Life Cycle Impact Assessment methods (CFs)

Capacity Conditions development:

LCT e-Modules

Training delivery (e.g. with ISO)

Governmental Dialogue LCA in Policy

Capacity implementation, agreed tools:

LCM / eco-innovation pilots in business

SCP policies: SWITCH; Inclusive Green Economy; towards achieving SDGs; 10YFP

Work with specific sectors: Food; Construction; Transport; Tourism; Energy; Extractives

Work with/through Networks

SCIENCE

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Our Mission: ENABLING the global use of credible life cycle knowledge

LCT HUB

DATA

Global Network of Interoperable LCA Databases

Global Guidance Principles LCA DB management

METHODSEnvironmental Footprints (CF; WF; biodiversity…)

Social

Life Cycle Costing

TOOLSHotspots

Product Sustainability Information

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

IMPLEMENTATIONDecision-Making for SCP and green value:• Public Policy• Private Sector• Individual Consumers• Technology

Collective impactTOWARDS the SDGs

LCA Networks RECPnet

LCT delivered through partnerships and networks

UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative

Flagship Projects

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a. Global capability

development

a. Communication strategy

b. LC Platform: clearing

house and social media

5. Communication &

stakeholder outreach

4. Capability Development &

implementation

a. Product sustainability

information meta guidance

b. Knowledge mining

a. Global database management

network & training

a. Integrating LCC, S-LCA, E-LCA and

linking with CSR

b. Key environmental LCIA

indicators based on mature

environmental approaches

c. LCA in organizations

1. Methodologies

2. Data

3. Product sustainability information

All projects in bold are flagships

Phase 3 Flagship Projects: Key

outcomes

➜ Data and Database Management

➜ Training on Global Guidance Principles for LCA database management

in Beijing (March 2014); New Delhi (Sept 2014); Sao Paulo (Nov 2014);

Cape Town and Istanbul (February 2015); Lima (July 2015)

➜ information repository on database conformance to the GGP

➜ Global Guidance on environmental LCIA indicators

➜ Pellston-style workshop in Jan 2016, global consensus guidance on

indicators for climate change; fine particles; water use; biodiversity

➜ 2016: publication (global guidance LCIA) with impact assessment

factors, planned for autumn 2016

➜ New task forces being scoped 2016-18

➜ Organisational LCA

➜ 2015: Publication (guidance O-LCA);

➜ 2016: Road-testing, ca. 10 companies

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Phase 3 Flagship Projects: Key

outcomes

➜ Global Principles and Practice for Hotspot Analysis

➜ Mapping of available hotspot methodologies; Guidance publication on

conducting and communicating hotspot analyses available in website

➜ Global Capability Development

➜ Several events in 2014-15: Malaysia, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey,

Botswana, Peru; Panama; India; Morocco; Peru; Sri Lanka; Bhutan

➜ LCC and Sustainable Public Procurement workshops in India (Sept) and

Brazil (Nov) alongside Database Management training

➜ Training + Implementation with LCM-CMM Model: companies in South

Africa; Uganda; Brazil; Colombia; India; Cameroon; Peru

➜ 2015: Baseline on “level of Life Cycle Thinking” worldwide

➜ Communication

➜ LC Net Newsletter (sign up in www.lifecycleinitiative.org)

➜ Booth! (next in SETAC Nantes, 22-26 May 2016)

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Specific focus: LCA DATA

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➜ UNEP level: International work towards a Global Network

of Interoperable LCA Databases. Vision:

➜ a global network comprised of independently-operated and

interoperable LCA databases that connects multiple data sources

to support life cycle assessment in a way that facilitates

sustainability-related decisions

➜ UNEP Technical support of National LCA Database

initiatives

➜ Promoting interoperability

➜ Hands-on experience from world experts

➜ Life Cycle Initiative Training on Global Guidance

Principles for LCA DB management

➜ Supporting countries in developing roadmaps for their National

LCA DB

REAL projectResource Efficiency through Application of

Life cycle thinking• Project duration: 2015-2019 (48 months)• Funded by: the European Commission with in-kind

contribution from UNEP. Co-finance by IKI and LC Init• Objective: Integrate resource efficiency in global

value chains by using life cycle data on environmental impact, thus enabling private and public organisation to make informed choices leading to increasingly sustainable consumption and production

• Geographic scope: global; regional focus AP, LAC• Expected outcome:

– Enhanced life cycle data accessibility and interoperability– Developed capacity on understanding and applying life

cycle thinking

REAL project: partners

Business and governments

in target countries and

regions

UNEP and regional offices

Life Cycle Initiative

Educational institutions

RECP net

Global Network of

Interoperable LCA

Databases

REAL projectMain activities

1. LCA Database

1.1. National LCA Databases development through

roadmaps and technical support

1.2. Global LCA DB alignment through “Global network of Interoperable LCA Databases” activities

2. Capacity development

2.1. eLearning modules on LCA and LCT/LCM for business application and policy making

2.2. National LCT Application in business sectors and public

bodies

REAL projectExpected results

• Criteria for LCA database management are applied in national interoperable LCA databases

• Capacity development tools are made available– eLearning courses on LCT, e.g.:

• Introduction to use of various LCT tools (LCA, S-LCA, O-LCA, LCC, HS Analysis, footprint etc.)

• Development and management of LCA databases

• LCA in policy making and business

• Footprints

• Capacity is developed in public and private organizations of target countries and regions through practical applications– Success examples of LCT applications

Thanking our sponsors

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Platinum Sponsors

Silver Sponsors Bronze Sponsors

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LIFE CYCLE INITIATIVE ACTIVITIES:

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Email: info@lifecycleinitiative.org

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