What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?
LCA is a standardized method to quantify environmental impacts of a product or service across its life cycle, following ISO 14040/14044. It supports evidence-based decisions and prevents burden shifting.
Four Phases
- Goal & Scope: define goal, functional unit, system boundary, assumptions, audience.
- LCI (Inventory): collect input/output flows per life-cycle stage.
- LCIA (Impact): map flows to impact categories using characterization factors.
- Interpretation: hotspot analysis, sensitivity, uncertainty, conclusions.
Good Practice
- Use a clear functional unit to ensure comparability.
- Document data quality: time, geography, technology.
- Run sensitivity checks for key assumptions.
- Report limitations and avoid greenwashing.
Phase 1: Goal & Scope
Phase 2: LCI — Stages & Flows
Phase 3: LCIA — GWP100 (demo)
Total GWP: 0 kg CO₂e
Educational demo with one impact category. For formal studies include multiple categories, normalization, sensitivity, and uncertainty analysis.
Teaching Aids
Characterization Factors (GWP100)
| Gas | CF (CO₂e/kg) |
|---|
Quick Quiz
Phase 4: Interpretation
- Identify hotspots from stage contributions.
- Test sensitivity by changing electricity factor and CFs.
- Document data sources and representativeness.
- State limitations and avoid burden shifting.