How do you improve your lifecycle assessment methods?

1 Define your goal and scope

The first step of any LCA is to define your goal and scope, which includes the functional unit, the system boundaries, the impact categories, and the data sources. This step is essential to guarantee that your LCA is accurate, transparent, and appropriate. To improve your goal and scope, you should review the latest standards and guidelines for LCA, such as ISO 14040 and 14044, and consult with relevant stakeholders to comprehend their expectations. Additionally, you should check the availability and quality of data for your system, as well as choose applicable impact categories and indicators that reflect the most significant environmental issues for your system. Utilizing consistent methods to assess them will also help you create an effective LCA.

2 Collect and validate data

The second step of LCA is to collect and validate data for the inputs and outputs of your system, such as materials, energy, emissions, and waste. Data collection can be a difficult task, particularly for complex or novel systems, and can affect the reliability and credibility of your LCA. To improve your data collection and validation, it is recommended to use primary data whenever possible, particularly for processes under your control or influence; this should be done in a systematic and standardized way. Additionally, secondary data from reputable sources such as databases, literature, or industry reports should be used for processes outside your control or influence. It is important to ensure that these data are compatible and representative of your system. Furthermore, data quality indicators such as age, geographical origin, completeness, consistency, and uncertainty should be applied to evaluate and compare the data sources before selecting the best available data for your system. Finally, document the data sources, methods, assumptions, and limitations; provide references and transparency for your data.

3 Analyze and interpret results

The third step of LCA is to analyze and interpret the results of your impact assessment, which will show the potential environmental impacts of your system for each impact category. This analysis and interpretation can help you identify hotspots, trade-offs, and improvement opportunities for your system. To improve your analysis and interpretation, you can use sensitivity analysis to test the influence of different parameters on your results, or scenario analysis to compare the results of different alternatives or options for your system. Additionally, you can use normalization and weighting to put the results into perspective, as well as graphical and numerical tools such as charts or indicators to present and communicate your results clearly.

4 Review and improve your LCA

The fourth step of LCA is to review and improve your LCA, which involves verifying the quality, validity, and relevance of your LCA, and applying the results to improve your system or decision-making. This process can help you increase the confidence and credibility of your LCA, as well as enhance your sustainability performance. To review and improve your LCA, you can conduct a critical review by qualified and independent reviewers who can check the compliance, consistency, completeness, and accuracy of your LCA. Additionally, you should update your LCA regularly when there are changes in your system or data. Furthermore, you can implement the improvement opportunities identified by your LCA such as reducing environmental impacts or optimizing resource use. Finally, it is important to report and disclose your LCA results and improvement actions in accordance with the standards and guidelines for LCA.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?