"Life cycle assessment or LCA (also known as life cycle analysis) is a methodology for assessing environmental impacts associated with all the stages of the life cycle of a commercial product, process, or service."
The use of metrics to evaluate the environmental impact of a product at each stage of its lifecycle, from raw materials to disposal.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA): The study of the potential environmental effects of a product, process, or service throughout its life cycle.
Life cycle assessment (LCA): A comprehensive tool used to assess the environmental impacts of a product or service throughout its life cycle.
Sustainability: The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Green chemistry: The design and development of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous materials.
Environmental management systems (EMS): A management tool used to identify, control, and monitor environmental issues in an organization.
Environmental policy: A set of guidelines, regulations, and laws aimed at reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainable development.
Carbon footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gases produced by a product, process, or service over its life cycle.
Eco-labeling: A labeling scheme used to identify products that meet environmental standards or are produced in an environmentally sustainable way.
Sustainable development: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Cradle-to-Cradle design: A design concept that aims to create products that can be disassembled and recycled at the end of their useful life.
Material flow analysis (MFA): A method used to track the flow of materials through a system or process.
Resource depletion: The exhaustion of natural resources due to high rates of consumption and production.
Renewable energy: Energy sources that are replenished naturally, such as solar, wind, and hydro power.
Energy efficiency: The ratio of useful energy output to energy input in a system.
Waste reduction: The reduction of waste generation through source reduction, recycling, and reuse.
Green procurement: The process of purchasing products and services that have a lower environmental impact than their alternatives.
Sustainable agriculture: Farming practices that protect natural resources and promote environmental sustainability.
Green buildings: Buildings that are designed to be environmentally sustainable and energy efficient.
Circular economy: An economic system that aims to eliminate waste and promote the continual use of resources.
Environmental regulations: Regulations put in place by governments to protect natural resources and reduce environmental impact.
Attributional LCA: This approach assesses the potential environmental impacts of a product or service by analyzing its entire life cycle: From the extraction of raw materials to its disposal.
Consequential LCA: This approach assesses the potential environmental impacts of different scenarios or choices. For example, instead of analyzing the impacts of a car's life cycle, a consequential LCA would analyze the difference in impacts between driving the car, taking public transit, biking, or walking.
Social LCA: This approach assesses the social impacts of a product or service, such as labor conditions, human rights, health, and safety.
Exergy-based LCA: This approach incorporates the concept of exergy, which is a measure of the usefulness of energy. Exergy-based LCA aims to minimize the energy required for production and transportation, leading to lower environmental impacts.
Hybrid LCA: This approach combines various LCA methods to provide a more comprehensive assessment of environmental impacts.
Input-Output-Based LCA: This approach uses national economic data and industry profiles to assess the environmental impacts associated with economic activities.
Organizational LCA (O-LCA): This approach assesses the environmental impacts of an organization's activities, taking into account its supply chain, operations, and products or services.
Water LCA: This approach focuses on the impact of products or services on water resources, including freshwater availability, water quality, and ecosystem health.
"Environmental impacts are assessed from raw material extraction and processing (cradle), through the product's manufacture, distribution and use, to the recycling or final disposal of the materials composing it (grave)."
"An LCA study involves a thorough inventory of the energy and materials that are required across the industry value chain of the product, process or service."
"LCA calculates the corresponding emissions to the environment, thus assessing cumulative potential environmental impacts."
"The aim is to document and improve the overall environmental profile of the product."
"The widely recognized procedures for conducting LCAs are included in the 14000 series of environmental management standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), in particular, in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044."
"ISO 14040 provides the 'principles and framework' of the Standard."
"ISO 14044 provides an outline of the 'requirements and guidelines'."
"ISO 14040 was written for a managerial audience."
"ISO 14044 was written for practitioners."
"LCA studies the environmental aspects and potential impacts throughout a product's life cycle (i.e., cradle-to-grave) from raw materials acquisition through production, use and disposal."
"The general categories of environmental impacts needing consideration include resource use, human health, and ecological consequences."
"Criticisms have been leveled against the LCA approach, both in general and with regard to specific cases (e.g., in the consistency of the methodology, particularly with regard to system boundaries, and the susceptibility of particular LCAs to practitioner bias with regard to the decisions that they seek to inform)."
"Without a formal set of requirements and guidelines, an LCA can be completed based on a practitioner's views and believed methodologies."
"An LCA completed by 10 different parties could yield 10 different results."
"The ISO LCA Standard aims to normalize this."
"The guidelines are not overly restrictive."
"The general categories of environmental impacts needing consideration include resource use, human health, and ecological consequences."
"LCA calculates the corresponding emissions to the environment."
"The aim is to document and improve the overall environmental profile of the product."