“Integrating the life cycle perspective into policy can help avoid burden shifting and focus policy on the most important issues”
Join us for the next Life Cycle Talks with Björn Spak, advisor at Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). In his upcoming talk, Björn Spak will talk about how SEPA applies life cycle thinking, how LCT and LCA are part of national and European legislation and how the SEPA contributes to the development of life cycle methodology to be used in policy.
Ahead of the talk, we had the opportunity to chat with Björn Spak and learn more about his work and the insights he will share.
How do you apply the life cycle perspective?
“I’m applying the life cycle perspective in the development of policy and also contribute to developing life cycle methods to the needs and limitations of policy. I’ve concluded that, in order for life cycle methods to be efficient within policy, an effort has to be made to adopt the methods with the specific goal of policy integration. In addition, I’ve noticed that life cycle literacy among policymakers needs to be further developed.”
What motivated you to focus on applying the life cycle perspective in your work?
“The life cycle perspective has mostly been driven by academia and industry while government agencies have been more passive. When joining the SEPA in 2020, after applying the life cycle perspective as an LCA practitioner within industry and research for several years, I felt a calling to participate in the integration of the life cycle perspective into policy.”
What impact do you hope your work will have?
“I hope to contribute to the development of life cycle methods that are adjusted to the needs and limitations of policy integration. I hope to contribute to the integration of life cycle thinking and LCA in policies in a way that makes the policies utilize LCT/LCA in the best and most efficient way. Furthermore, I hope to raise awareness of life cycle issues within the area policy development, and of policy issues within the LCA community.”
Why do you believe the life cycle perspective is essential for practical applications?
“I believe integrating the life cycle perspective into policy can help avoid burden shifting and focus policy on the most important issues. There is such a vast array of environmental legislation already in place and much more being developed. Applying the life cycle perspective is a way to assure different pieces of legislation work towards common goals.”
Life Cycle Talks with Björn Spak
The talk takes place on 26 November 2024, 10:00-10:30 CET, online via Zoom.
Title: How is life cycle thinking and LCA applied by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and how is it integrated into EU policy?
About Life Cycle Talks
Life Cycle Talks is a series of talks presenting the research front to keep you up to date with the science and application of the life cycle perspective.
