Tag: Life Cycle Assessment

To fully leverage sustainability as an advantage for any project, product or organisation, it is most helpful to have a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and risks at any given point and time. In particular, this includes having the ability to assess key aspects across the operations and supply chain to determine the use of energy, raw materials, water and natural resources, as well as carbon emissions and waste. This is the only way to ensure that the end result is truly the most sustainable option.

 

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
LCA is the systematic analysis of the environmental impact of fuels, products, structures and activities over their entire life cycle. A life cycle is comprised of production/construction, use/ operational, removal and disposal phases. Environmental impacts are evaluated comprehensively  including the evaluation of upstream and downstream processes associated with the production (e.g. production of raw, auxiliary and operating materials) and with the disposal (e.g. waste treatment). Environmental impacts refer to all relevant extractions / removals from the environment (e.g. ores and crude oil), as well as discharges and emissions into the same (e.g. wastes and carbon dioxide) during the entire life cycle.

To achieve this goal, the life-cycle analysis will consider exploring the environmental performance of the project according to criteria established in relevant good guidance practice. In addition good guidance practices will guide organisations how to communicate the results of any analysis of the environmental impact.

 

Relevant Standards:

• ISO 14021, Environmental Labels and Declarations — Self-Declared Environmental Claims (Type II Environmental Labelling)
• ISO 14025 (Type III Environmental Declarations)
• ISO 14040 Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Principles and framework
• ISO 14044 Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines
• ISO 14064-1 Greenhouse gases — Part 1: Specification with guidance at the organization level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals
• Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard

With the results of life cycle assessments completed in accordance with good guidance practice, benefits can be achieved through:

• transparent and comparable credible environmental performance information;
• facilitating the selection of low energy GHG emissions options based on facts;
• facilitating the evaluation of alternative product design and sourcing options, production and manufacturing methods, raw material choices, recycling and other end-of-life processes; and
• facilitating the development and implementation of GHG management strategies and plans across product life cycles as well as the detection of additional efficiencies in the supply chain.

GHG Accounting conducted environmental performance and Life Cycle Analysis studies for many innovative infrastructure projects and products. Contact us today if you have any questions in this regard.