Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

(Life Cycle Assessment) is a methodology used to evaluate the environmental impact of products, processes or services during their entire life cycle - from raw material extraction to final disposal or recycling. LCA to analyze in detail the consumption of energy, materials, emissions and other environmental impacts in all phases of a product's life cycle, aiming to identify the area with the greatest environmental impact so that steps can be taken to minimize it.

Content of the LCA documentation

LCA documentation consists of several main parts:

1. Goal and Scope Definition (Go Contains Goal and Scope Definition) – the purpose of the analysis, the boundaries of the system (what is and what is not checked) and the functional unit (e.g. 1 liter of product or 1 km of transport), which is the basis for comparing the results.
2. Inventory analysis (Life Cycle Inventory - LCI) – It includes the collection of data on all inputs and outputs of the system, such as material flows (raw materials, energy) and emissions to air, water or land.
3. Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) – In this phase, the collected data are analyzed in terms of their environmental impacts, e.g. global warming, acidification, eutrophication and more.
4. Interpretation of results (Interpretation) – A final phase that summarizes findings and provides recommendations to reduce environmental impact.

Legislation governing LCA

Within the European Union, LCA studies are regulated by several legal regulations and standards, which establish a framework for the correct preparation and use of LCA:

• ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards – These are international standards that provide general principles for life cycle assessment. ISO 14040 describes the general requirements for LCA, while ISO 14044 contains details on methodology, inventory procedures and rules for interpreting results.
• European Ecolabel Program (EU Ecolabel) – As part of the EU Ecolabel certification, LCA studies are often required to demonstrate the ecological benefits of products and to better assess their environmental impact.
• Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC) – This directive supports the design of products with a lower environmental impact and recommends the use of LCA in assessing the overall environmental impact of products from their production to disposal.
• Action plan for the circular economy – This plan, part of the EU's strategy for the transition to a sustainable economy, cod
• Environmental Claims Regulation – This draft regulation, which has not yet been approved, sets out the requirements for environmental claims. To qualify, claims are expected to be substantiated, such as LCA studies.

Importance of LCA documentation in practice

LCA documentation allows a company to gain a deeper insight into the environmental profile of its products, supporting emissions reduction, efficient use of resources and overall sustainability. LCA documentation also helps the company meet legislative requirements to obtain environmental certifications, which are increasingly important for access to markets with high sustainability standards. Co2AI