Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) are scientific approaches behind a growing number of modern environmental policies and business decision support in the context of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP). The International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) provides a common basis for consistent, robust and quality-assured life cycle data, methods and assessments. These support coherent and reliable business and policy instruments related to products, natural resources, and waste management and their implementation, such as eco-labelling, carbon footprinting, and, green procurement.
This guidance document provides a framework and requirements for the models that are used to analyse the emissions into air, water and soil, as well as the resources consumed in terms of their contributions to different impacts on human health, natural environment, and natural resources.
In a Life Cycle Assessment, the emissions and resources consumed that are linked to a specific product are compiled and documented in a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI). An impact assessment is then performed, considering human health, the natural environment, and issues related to natural resource use.
Impacts considered in a Life Cycle Impact Assessment include climate change, ozone depletion, eutrophication, acidification, human toxicity (cancer and non-cancer related) respiratory inorganics, ionizing radiation, ecotoxicity, photochemical ozone formation, land use, and resource depletion. The emissions and resources are assigned to each of these impact categories. They are then converted into indicators using impact assessment models. Emissions and resources consumed, as well as different product options, can then be cross-compared in terms of the indicators.
This guidance document provides a framework and requirements for the models that are used to analyse the emissions into air, water and soil, as well as the resources consumed in terms of their contributions to different impacts on human health, natural environment, and natural resources. It supports the calculation of indicators for different impact categories such as climate change or acid rain in a Life Cycle Assessment.
Several methodologies have been developed for LCIA and some efforts have been made towards harmonisation. The ISO standards brought some clarity on basic principles, but a comprehensive set of requirements for LCIA methods is currently lacking. Therefore, this guidance document provides:
¿ sets of criteria and recommendations against which models and indicators for use in LCIA should be evaluated, such as the required scientific qualities (completeness of scope; environmental relevance; scientific robustness and certainty; documentation, transparency and reproducibility; applicability), and the aspects that influence their acceptability to stakeholders;
¿ recommendations for the overall impact assessment framework for considering a broad range of environmental impacts under the three Areas of Protection of human health, natural environment, and natural resources.
¿ a description of the environmental mechanism (¿cause-effect chain¿) for each impact category to provide a common understanding of what needs to be modelled;
¿ a set of model requirements for the specific environmental impact categories that are commonly addressed in an LCA.
NOT INDICATED .;
2011-01-18
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC48211
978-92-79-17539-8,
1018-5593,
EUR 24586 EN,
OP LB-NA-24586-EN-C,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC48211,
10.2788/38719,
