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24. 11. 202419:49
LCA. ESG. GHG. CSDDD. CSRD. ISO

Model LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) documentation

LCA documentation is used to systematically assess the environmental impact of a product or service throughout its entire life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials to final disposal. This structure can serve as a simplified template to help in compiling the LCA documentation according to the standard steps and requirements of international standards such as ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 and to correspond to the ILCD methodology:

Project name: Life cycle assessment of building material XYZ

Company: Exemplary construction company, as

Date: January 2024

Prepared by: Ing. Anna Prízková, environmental manager

1. Definition of goal and scope

Objective of LCA: This life cycle assessment (LCA) aims to measure the environmental impact of building material XYZ throughout its life cycle. The main goal of the LCA study is to identify hot spots in the life cycle of material XYZ from the point of view of greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and raw materials. This study belongs to Situations B defined in the document "ILCD Handbook - General guide for Life Cycle Assessment - Detailed guidance", as its aim is to provide information for the company's internal decision-making process on optimizing the environmental profile of material XYZ. The target group of the LCA study is company managers responsible for the development and production of building materials.

Scope of LCA: LCA applies to the entire life cycle of building material XYZ, from obtaining raw materials, through production, transportation, use in construction projects, to final disposal. The functional unit for this evaluation is 1 ton of building material XYZ. Data collection for the LCA study took place from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.

System boundaries: The analysis covers the entire life cycle of the product, including:

  • extraction of raw materials,
  • production and processing of materials,
  • transportation,
  • phases of use,
  • disposal or recycling at the end of life.

Graphical representation of system boundaries:

  • [Insert graphical representation of system boundaries here]

2. Inventory analysis (LCI)

Data collection: The data collected includes all inputs (materials, energy, water) and outputs (emissions to air, water and land, waste production) for each phase of the life cycle.

Data sources and their quality:

  • Phase of extraction of raw materials: Data on energy consumption and emissions were obtained directly from the supplier of raw materials - the company "Ťažobný podnik, sro". The data are technologically representative for the year 2022 and geographically specific for the mining region in the Slovak Republic.
  • Production phase: Data on energy consumption, materials, emissions and waste come from the internal monitoring system of the company "Příkladná stavebná spoločnost, as" for the year 2023. The data are technologically representative of the production process of material XYZ in the given year.
  • Transport phase: Energy consumption and transport emissions data were calculated based on transport distance and vehicle type using data from the Ecoinvent v3.8 database [database link]. The data are average values for the given type of transport in Europe.
  • Phase of use: Due to the complexity and variability of the use phase, average data from the Ecoinvent v3.8 database [database link] for building materials with similar properties to material XYZ were used for this phase.
  • Liquidation phase: For the disposal phase, average data from the Ecoinvent v3.8 database [link to the database] for mixed construction waste was used.

Data category:

  • Energy sources: Consumption of electricity and natural gas during production and transportation.
  • Materials: Quantities of input raw materials such as limestone, cement, water and additives, as well as auxiliary materials used in the production and transportation phases.
  • Emissions and waste: Emissions of CO₂, NOx, SO₂, PM10, as well as waste material arising during production, transportation and disposal.

Table:

Phase Materials Energy consumption (MJ/ton) Emissions and waste (kg/ton)
Extraction of raw materials Limestone: 0.8 t; Cement: 0.1 t 10 CO₂: 150; SO₂: 0.5; NOx: 0.1; PM10: 0.05; Waste material: 0.02 t
Production Water: 0.2 t; Ingredients: 0.05 t 50 CO₂: 300; SO₂: 1; NOx: 0.2; PM10: 0.1; Waste material: 0.05 t
Transportation Fuel: 0.01 t 15 CO₂: 50; NOx: 0.05; PM10: 0.02
Usage – 5 –
Liquidation – 2 –

3. Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA)

Impact categories: In the LCA study, the following impact categories were chosen, which are relevant from the point of view of the environmental profile of the building material XYZ:

  • Climate change: This category was chosen because greenhouse gas emissions from the production of building materials represent a significant contribution to global warming.
  • Acidification: This category was chosen because of the potential impact of SO₂ and NOx emissions from the production and transport of the material on soil and water acidification.
  • Eutrophication: This category was chosen because nitrogen emissions from material production can contribute to the eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems.
  • Consumption of non-renewable resources: This category was chosen because the production of building materials is demanding on the consumption of energy and raw materials, which are often non-renewable.

Characterizing factors: For each impact category, the characterization factors from the ReCiPe 2008 methodology (H, Europe ReCiPe H) [link to ILCD document] recommended in the "ILCD Handbook - Recommendations for Life Cycle Impact Assessment in the European context" were used to ensure comparability with other LCAs studies.

LCIA results:

  • [Insert table or graph here with quantified LCIA results for each impact category and life cycle phase]
  • [Insert here comparison of results with reference values for construction materials, if available]

Calculations: The complete methodology of impact calculations is documented in the appendix "Environmental Impact Calculations".

4. Interpretation of results

Key findings: A life cycle assessment of material XYZ showed that the phase production has the greatest impact on the environment in terms of CO₂ emissions, energy consumption and waste production.

  • The production phase represents 60% of total CO₂ emissions.
  • Extraction of raw materials is responsible for 20% of total energy consumption.
  • The transport phase has the least impact on overall emissions, but contributes to local air pollution.

Recommendations for improvement: Based on the findings of the LCA study, we propose the following measures to reduce the environmental burden of material XYZ:

  • Optimization of energy consumption:
    • Implementation of the energy management system (ISO 50001) in the production plant. Expected reduction in energy consumption by 10%.
    • Modernization of production technology in order to increase energy efficiency. Expected reduction in energy consumption by 5%.
  • Alternative materials:
    • Investigating the possibility of using recycled materials (eg recycled cement) in the production of XYZ material. Potential reduction of CO₂ emissions and energy consumption by 5-10%.
  • More efficient transport:
    • Optimization of transport logistics in order to minimize transport distances. Expected reduction of CO₂ emissions from transport by 5%.
    • Use of more ecological means of transport (e.g. rail transport).

By implementing the proposed measures, the total environmental burden of material XYZ could be reduced by 20-25%.

5. Conclusion

The life cycle assessment revealed areas where the environmental impact of material XYZ can be significantly reduced. Implementation of the proposed measures can reduce CO₂ emissions and energy consumption, making the material more sustainable.

6. Attachments

  • Detailed inventory data: details of each material and energy source.
  • Environmental impact calculations: Complete calculations and methodology used in the impact assessment.
  • Third Party Verification: A certificate of verification issued by an independent institution "Slovak Academy of Sciences" verifier "Prof. Ing. Ján Novák, PhD.", which meets the qualification criteria stated in the document "ILCD Handbook - Reviewer qualification for Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data sets".

7. List of used literature and websites

  • [Link to the document "ILCD Handbook – General guide for Life Cycle Assessment – Detailed guidance"]
  • [Link to the document "ILCD Handbook – Recommendations for Life Cycle Impact Assessment in the European context"]
  • [Link to document "ILCD Handbook – Specific guide for Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data sets"]
  • [Link to document "ILCD Handbook – Reviewer qualification for Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data sets"]
  • [Link to the Ecoinvent v3.8 database]

Note: Graphical representation of system boundaries and tables/graphs with LCIA results need to be supplemented according to the specifics of the LCA study.

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