JRC ongoing activities for the improvements of Data Quality and Harmonization in LCD datasets and databases

The availability of consistent, harmonized and quality assured datasets and databases is deemed as one of the most important factors for the robustness of LC-based studies and methodologies. The European Commission (EC), in the last decade, put a lot of effort on that, releasing the ILCD handbook that includes a set of rules on data quality (DQ) and a dataset format; recently, the "Single Market for Green Products" initiative, through the launch Environmental Footprint (EF) methods, highlighted again the above mentioned needs and advanced several requirements. In this framework the EC, through its Joint Research Centre, is leading some activities in order to evaluate the efforts needed to improve existing LCI databases relative to the ILCD and EF DQ requirements. Furthermore, some analyses have been carried out to assess the DQ Rating (DQR) of specific sectorial datasets and databases, within the European Life Cycle Database (ELCD), in comparison with other databases, in order to point out the strengths and weak-points of the ELCD and to help figure out some possibilities for improvement of DQRs. An analysis on three commercial databases was carried out to evaluate the needs for improvement aimed at fulfilling the DQ requirements for ILCD entry-level and EF compliance. Among the detailed DQR analyses, the evaluation of energy datasets (deemed as very important secondary data sources for LCA practitioners) from ELCD and from three commercial databases was conducted. The first, more general, analysis resulted in a sort of road map, analysing the milestones needed to fulfil EF and ILCD DQRs in the existing databases, particularly focusing on Format, Nomenclature, Documentation and Methodological aspects. The DQR analysis on energy datasets pointed out some actions to be taken in the short-mid and long term, in order to enhance the DQR of the ELCD datasets, and keep the overall DQ high over time at database level.

FAZIO Simone;  RECCHIONI Marco;  GARRAIN Daniel;  MASONI P.; 

2014-12-18

AVNIR

JRC90336

9782945343228,