Introduction

Life cycle analysis (LCA) and carbon-footprint calculations have become important tools in the transition of the manufacturing and metals industry to increase energy, resource, environmental, and climate efficiency. Many standards and guidelines have been developed to make the methodology more robust and credible. There are about ten LCA-related standards within ISO alone, and more are on the way. In parallel, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) has emerged as a de-facto standard.

The standards are open to different interpretations and also seem to contradict each other. However, we now have an opportunity to start making the standards more consistent, both within ISO and between ISO and GHGP, and to work towards a clearer structure and content of the standards.

Aim & Objectives

The project aims to generate knowledge and common insights on unclear and inconsistent points in LCA-related documents in ISO and GHGP. Based on these findings, we develop recommendations for improvements in the standards. We draw on our own accumulated experience, but also interview other LCA specialists, analyze the standards, and conduct case studies to identify, investigate, and illustrate conflicts and ambiguities in the standards. We use our channels into ISO and GHGP to communicate our recommendations and argue for them.

Expected Outcomes

We disseminate our findings and recommendations widely through the channels of Swedish Life Cycle Center and also at international conferences. This will contribute to helping LCA practitioners understand and apply the ISO standards and GHG Protocol.

Our insights and recommendations will also contribute to the basis for ongoing revisions of several important documents in ISO and GHGP. To the extent that our recommendations have an impact on the new versions of these documents, they will also have an influence on future revisions of other LCA-related standards.

Clear and consistent standards make LCA and climate footprint calculations more effective tools in the sustainable transition of the industry. It also facilitates the exchange of environmental data along the value chains, which makes the transition easier and more efficient.

Project contact

Project manager: Tomas Ekvall, terra@tomasekvall.se

Project coordinator: Yulia Liu, yulia.liu@chalmers.se