LCIA framework and cross-cutting issues guidance within the UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative

Increasing needs to provide decision support and advances in scientific knowledge in the area of life cycle assessment (LCA) led to a multi-year effort to provide global guidance on environmental life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) indicators under the auspices of the UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative. As part of this effort, a specific task force focuses on improving and harmonizing LCIA cross-cutting issues as aspects spanning over several or all impact categories including spatiotemporal aspects, reference states, normalization and weighting, and uncertainties. Findings of the cross-cutting issues task force are presented along with an update of the existing UNEP-SETAC LCIA emission-to-damage framework. Specific recommendations are made for metrics for human health (Disability Adjusted Life Years, DALY) and ecosystem quality (Potentially Disappeared Fractions of Species, PDF). Additionally, we stress the importance for transparent reporting of models, reference states and assumptions, in order to facilitate cross-comparison between models. We recommend developing spatially regionalized models, if the nature of the impact shows spatial variability. Standard formats should be used for reporting spatially differentiated models and shoices regarding spatial and temporal scales need to be clearly communicated. For normalization, we recommend to use external normalization references. Over the next two years, the task force will continue its effort with focus on providing guidance for LCA practitioners on how to use the UNEP-SETAC LCIA framework as well as for method developers on how to consistently extend or improve this framework.

VERONES Francesca;  BARE Jane;  BULLE Cécile;  FRISCHNECHT Rolf;  HAUSCHILD Michael;  HELLWEG Stefanie;  HENDERSON Andrew;  JOLLIET Oliver;  LAURENT Alexis;  LIAO Xun;  LINDNER Jean Paul;  MAIA DE SOUZA Danielle;  MICHELSEN Ottar;  PATOUILLARD Laura;  PFISTER Stephan;  POSTHUMA Leo;  PRADO Valentina;  RIDOUTT Bradley;  ROSENBAUM Ralph;  SALA Serenella;  UGAYA Cássia Maria Lie;  VIERA Marisa;  FANKTE Peter; 

2017-06-13

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

JRC103275

0959-6526,   

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652617311587,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC103275,   

10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.05.206,