Life Cycle Fundamentals
The phase where life cycle impact assessment results are reported/discussed along with the sensitivity analysis performed mainly to assess the robustness of results.
What is the Life Cycle Interpretation phase?
"The category that is a measure of how much energy the emissions of 1 ton of a gas will absorb over a given period of time, relative to the emissions of 1 ton of carbon dioxide (CO2)".
What is global warming potential?
The method of allocating environmental impacts based on the economic value of a product.
What is economic input-output analysis?
OR
What is economic allocation?
The term for processes excluded from an LCA because they are beyond the control or influence of the product system.
What are excluded processes?
This Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach assesses a product's environmental impacts from raw material extraction to the point it leaves the manufacturing facility.
What is Cradle-to-Gate analysis?
The step in LCA that involves data collection and analysis of the inputs and outputs of a product's or service life cycle.
What is the LCI phase?
The impact category associated with the release of toxic substances into the environment and have potential to cause toxic impact on humans.
What is human toxicity?
The approach that expands system boundaries to include additional processes affected by changes in the studied system.
What is system expansion?
The principle that suggests focusing on significant inputs and outputs to simplify the LCA study.
What is the principle of materiality?
The phase in which potential environmental impacts are assessed and quantified.
What is the Life Cycle Impact Assessment phase?
The phase of LCA that involves defining the purpose, boundaries, and methodology of the study.
What is the Goal & Scope phase?
The term for positive or negative outcome of a given economic and environmental activity that affects a third party that is not directly related to that activity.
What are externalities?
The method of avoiding allocation issues by considering the entire system.
What is system expansion?
It is a quantified amount of product(s), including. product parts, necessary for a specific product system to deliver. the performance described by the functional unit.
Example: 15 daylight bulbs of 10000 lumen with a lifetime of 10000 hours.
What is Reference flow?
The principle that emphasizes considering the entire life cycle of a product.
What is the principle of life cycle thinking?
The term for processes or data excluded from an LCA due to their negligible impact on results.
What is cut-off criteria?
An impact category that evaluates the impact of nutrient enrichment in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem, leading to phenomena like algae blooms.
What is Eutrophication?
The approach that involves considering multiple scenarios to account for uncertainties in LCA.
What is scenario analysis?
This acronym represents a document that transparently discloses verified environmental performance information about a product, facilitating informed and sustainable decision-making.
What is an EPD, standing for Environmental Product Declaration?
This crucial phase in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) involves external experts examining and providing feedback on the study's methodology, data, and conclusions to ensure its quality and credibility.
What is a Critical Panel Review?
The product attribute that defines the amount of service delivered by a product in LCA.
What is the functional unit?
The category of environmental impact that includes acidification and eutrophication.
What is ecosystem toxicity?
This advanced technique in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) involves tracing the environmental impacts through interindustry exchanges in economic systems, providing a comprehensive view beyond individual product life cycles.
What is Environmental Input-Output Analysis?
In Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) interpretation, this statistical method involves random sampling of input parameters to simulate various scenarios, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of uncertainties.
What is the Monte Carlo Method?
The international standard that provides guidelines for conducting environmentally conscious Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and ensures that the assessment follows consistent methodologies and practices.
What is ISO 14040, the standard for Environmental Management – Life Cycle Assessment – Principles and Framework?