Life Cycle Assessment
This article focuses on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which is a method used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product, process or activity over its entire life cycle. The goal of LCA is to identify and quantify the potential environmental impacts of a product or service, from the extraction of raw materials, through the manufacturing and use phases, to final disposal. The LCA process provides a comprehensive and scientifically robust analysis of the environmental impact of a product, taking into account its entire life cycle.
In the context of project, program, and portfolio management, LCA can be used to evaluate the sustainability of projects and to identify opportunities for improvement. For example, a project manager may use LCA to assess the environmental impact of different project options and to prioritize projects that have the lowest environmental impact. Additionally, a portfolio manager may use LCA to assess the environmental impact of different investment options and to prioritize investments in companies that are actively engaging in sustainability.
LCA can also provide valuable information for stakeholders, including investors, customers, and policymakers, who are interested in understanding the environmental impact of the products and services they use and invest in, and help them make more informed decisions.
In conclusion, LCA can be a valuable tool for project, program, and portfolio management, as it provides a comprehensive and scientifically robust analysis of the environmental impact of projects and enables managers to identify opportunities for improvement and make informed decisions. As sustainability becomes increasingly important to investors and customers, LCA will play an increasingly important role in project, program, and portfolio management, helping companies and investors to achieve their sustainability goals and drive positive change in the world.
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History of LCA
Origins
The idea of LCA was conceived in the 1960s, when environmental degradation and limitations of raw materials and energy resources sparked interest in finding ways to cumulatively account for energy use and to project future resource supplies and use. This practice sees its roots in studies carried out uncoordinately in the US and Northern Europe regarding packagings, with a focus on energy use and a few emissions. At first, studies were primarly done for companies for internal use, usually without informing styakeholders, since interest in sustainability was very limited to few at that time. One example is an internal study initiated in 1969 for The Coca-Cola Company that laid the foundation for the current methods of life cycle inventory analysis in the United States. This study quantified the raw materials, fuels, and environmental loadings from the manufacturing processes for various beverage containers, in order to compare their impact on the environment and their depletion of natural resources. The aim was to identify the container with the lowest release to the environment and the least impact on natural resource supply. After a stall in the 1970s, it was just during the 1980s and 1990s, when international collaboration and coordination in the scientific community started to take place and universities engaged in working on method development, that the application of LCA spreaded across industry and governments, resulting in an increasing range of products and systems included into LCA studies. The term Life Cycle Assessment was itself coined in 1990 and, since then, this practice has seen a constant increase in both range of methodologies and applications.[1] [2]
Development and Standardisation
Starting from the early 1990s, the global Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) organised multiple workshops with the aim of developing a common "Technical Framework for LCA". The series culminated in the development of a Code of Practice for LCA, the first official guidelines for LCA in 1993.
Towards the end of the decade, leading researchers of the SETAC working group on life cycle impact assessment initiated a collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) to expand the global dissemination of good LCA practices beyond the primary activity centers of Europe, North America, and Japan. The partnership was aimed at ensuring the continued development of such practices on a global scale, and it culminated in 2002 in the launch of the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative. This initiative brought a wide scientific consensus on LCA.
Consequently to the publication of the first Code of Practice, a formal standardization process was initiated by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) to develop a global standard for LCA. Over a period of seven years, the development of standards led to the adoption and release of four different standards. These standards pertained to the LCA principles and framework (ISO 14040), goal and scope definition (ISO 14041), life cycle impact assessment (ISO 14042), and life cycle interpretation (ISO 14043). The ISO standards were found to have limitations in their applied methodology and consultation process, leading to potential ambiguities. As a result, the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative was launched to evaluate alternative practices and provide scientifically grounded recommendations. This need for improved consistency and reproducibility of LCA results also led the European Commission to initiate the development of the International Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) in the mid-2000s. The ILCD system includes a database of life cycle inventory data and methodological guidelines aimed at ensuring greater consistency and comparability of LCA results across different studies and practitioners. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag;
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Steps to perform an LCA
In the following paragraphs are listed the steps that have to be carried out in order to perform a well structured LCA study. These are, as well, the most important parts that must be included in an LCA report that can be considered detailed and professional.
The LCA process is a systematic, phased approach and consists of four components: goal definition and scoping, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag;
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Goal and Scope definition
Define and describe the product, process or activity. Establish the context in which the assessment is to be made and identify the boundaries and environmental effects to be reviewed for the assessment.
Inventory analysis
Identify and quantify energy, water and materials usage and environmental releases (e.g., air emissions, solid waste disposal, waste water discharges).
Impact assessment
Assess the potential human and ecological effects of energy, water, and material usage and the environmental releases identified in the inventory analysis.
Interpretation
Evaluate the results of the inventory analysis and impact assessment to select the preferred product, process or service with a clear understanding of the uncertainty and the assumptions used to generate the results.
LCA softwares and databases
Example of LCA in project management
1. Apple's LCA of iPhone: Apple conducted an LCA study of the iPhone in 2018, which analyzed the environmental impact of the product over its entire lifecycle. The study was conducted by the company and was published on its website. The LCA study found that the largest portion of the iPhone's environmental impact comes from the production phase, particularly the mining and processing of the raw materials. The study also found that the device's energy efficiency and longevity play a significant role in reducing its environmental impact. Because of that, Apple has made efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its products by using recycled materials in its devices and transitioning to renewable energy in its production facilities. The company also encourages customers to recycle their old devices through its trade-in program.
2. LCA of Tesla Model S: Tesla conducted an LCA study of the Model S electric car in 2014, which analyzed the environmental impact of the vehicle over its entire lifecycle. The study was conducted by the company and was published on its website. The LCA study found that the Model S electric car has a lower environmental impact than gasoline-powered vehicles over its entire lifecycle, even when accounting for the production of the batteries. The study also found that the car's energy efficiency and the source of electricity used to charge the battery have a significant impact on its environmental footprint. Thanks to these findings, Tesla continues to prioritize energy efficiency and sustainability in its products, and has since released more electric vehicle models. The company also built its Gigafactory in Nevada, USA, to produce batteries with lower environmental impact and cost.
3. LCA of Coca-Cola bottles: Coca-Cola conducted an LCA study of its PET plastic bottles in 2019, which analyzed the environmental impact of the bottles over their entire lifecycle. The study was conducted by the company and was published on its website. The study was conducted in several locations worldwide, including the United States and Europe. The LCA study found that recycling PET plastic bottles is more environmentally friendly than disposing of them in a landfill. The study also found that the production of PET bottles has a significant environmental impact and that reducing the weight of the bottles can significantly reduce their environmental footprint. Based on these results, Coca-Cola has made efforts to increase the use of recycled materials in its PET bottles and reduce the weight of the bottles. The company also encourages customers to recycle their bottles and has invested in recycling infrastructure in some areas.
4. LCA of Unilever's products: Unilever conducted an LCA study of its products in 2018, which analyzed the environmental impact of the products over their entire lifecycle. The study was conducted by the company and was published on its website. The study was conducted in several locations worldwide, including Europe, North America, and Asia. The LCA study found that the largest portion of Unilever's products' environmental impact comes from the production of raw materials and packaging. The study also found that reducing the weight and volume of packaging, as well as using more sustainable materials, can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of the products. Unilever has made efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its products by using more sustainable materials and reducing the amount of packaging used. The company also encourages customers to recycle their packaging and has made commitments to reduce its carbon emissions and improve the sustainability of its supply chain.
Strenghts and limitations
Rather than saying that LCA calculates actual environmental impacts, it is more accurate to say that it calculates impact potentials.[3]
References
- ↑ Life Cycle Assessment:Theory and Practice, chapter 3 (Michael Z. Hauschild, Ralph K. Rosenbaum, Stig Irving Olsen) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-56475-3
- ↑ M.L. Brusseau, Chapter 32 - Sustainable Development and Other Solutions to Pollution and Global Change,Editor(s): Mark L. Brusseau, Ian L. Pepper, Charles P. Gerba, Environmental and Pollution Science (Third Edition),Academic Press,2019,Pages 585-603,ISBN 9780128147191,https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-814719-1.00032-X. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012814719100032X)
- ↑ Life Cycle Assessment:Theory and Practice, chapter 2.3 (Michael Z. Hauschild, Ralph K. Rosenbaum, Stig Irving Olsen) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-56475-3
- Project Management: A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide), 7th Edition (2021) https://findit.dtu.dk/en/catalog/2702860479
- Project Management: ISO 21502 (2021 Edition) https://findit.dtu.dk/en/catalog/2690497944
- Program Management: ISO 21503 (2017 Edition) https://findit.dtu.dk/en/catalog/2441783644
- Portfolio Management: ISO 21504 (2015 Edition) https://findit.dtu.dk/en/catalog/2441783648
