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Life cycle assessment part 1: framework, goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, and applications
G Rebitzer1, T Ekvall, R Frischknecht
1Life Cycle Systems Group, GECOS, ENAC, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology-Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Gerald. Rebitzer@epfl.ch
Environment International
|March 31, 2004
Summary
Life cycle assessment (LCA) provides tools to measure environmental impacts of products from raw materials to disposal. This framework helps identify pollution prevention and resource reduction opportunities for sustainable development.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Industrial Ecology
- Sustainable Development
Background:
- Human activities, from resource extraction to product disposal, generate environmental impacts like climate change and resource depletion.
- Current regulatory practices may not fully capture the scope of these impacts.
- A proactive approach is needed to complement existing methods for environmental impact reduction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the framework and procedure of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
- To outline methods for defining and modeling a product's life cycle.
- To provide an overview of tools for compiling life cycle inventory (LCI) data.
Main Methods:
- Introduction to the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework.
- Modeling of product life cycles.
- Overview of methods and tools for Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data compilation.
Main Results:
- This paper introduces the LCA framework, its procedures, and life cycle modeling.
- It details methods and tools for creating a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI).
- The application of LCA in industry and policy is discussed.
Conclusions:
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a crucial tool for understanding and mitigating the environmental impacts of products.
- This paper (Part 1) lays the foundation for LCA methodology, including LCI.
- The subsequent paper (Part 2) will delve into Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA).