Indranil Deb Life Cycle Assessment 16102024

Indranil Deb Life Cycle Assessment 16102024

• 1. Life Cycle Assessment Indranil Deb Environmental Management © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 2. Evolution of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Stages in Product LCA A Code of Good Conduct for LCA Procedure for LCA Different Applications of LCA 1 2 3 4 5 © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 3. Evolution of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) What is LCA ? Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a tool to evaluate the environmental effects of product or process throughout its entire life cycle. Examining the product from the extraction of Raw material -------> final disposal by user Raw Material Production Use Disposal Product Life Cycle © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 4. Evolution of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) LCA Process The assessment process includes identifying and quantifying energy and materials used and wastes released to the environment, assessing their environmental impact and evaluating opportunities for improvement. Th unique feature of this process – it focuses on the entire LC , not single step or environmental emission Each step in the entire operation within a facility can cause impacts outside the facility gates that needs to be assessed when evaluating project alternatives Most of the principles in LCA was taken from late 1960s – evaluation of env. Impact of product known as Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis (REPA) Process/ © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 5. Evolution of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Early years of LCA • Most of the principles in LCA was taken from late 1960s – evaluation of environmental Impact of product known as Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis (REPA). Initially it was used mainly on the consumption of energy and other resources • In 1969, for ex, the Coca Cola Company funded a study to compare resource consumption and environmental releases associated with beverage containers (using REPA). Meanwhile, in Europe, a similar inventory approach was being developed, later known as the ‘Ecobalance’. • In 1972, in UK, Ian Boustead calculated the total energy used in the production of various types of beverage containers, including glass, plastic, steel, and aluminum • Assessment of product lifecycle experienced Renaissance through studies of the environmental loadings and potential impacts of beverage containers beer cans bell containers performed in various European countries in the early 1980s. These studies involved further elaboration of the principles underlying the assessment of plc and entailed a series of life cycle assessment of material used in packaging containers. • In the late 1980s and early 1990s have seen international attempts to standardise the principles underlying LCA and to develop code of good conduct in this field. Over the period list of products have undergone LCA And have grown into protect better product. • As a part of ISO 1400 series of standards Iso in 2000 has come out with the following standards: ISO 14040: Environmental management – LCA- Principles and Framework ISO 14041: Environmental management – LCA- Inventory analysis ISO 14042: Environmental management – LCA- Impact assessment ISO 14043: Environmental management – LCA- Interpretation Since the last decade LCA is gaining importance as an environmental management tool and has emerged as a decision support tool in business, policy and product development, etc. As a general concept the life cycle approach aims to support the overall goal of sustainability. Source: LCA © 2025 Indranil Deb - How it Came About, The Beginning in the UK, Ian Boustead in the International Journal of Life cycle Assessment 1 (3) 1996

• 6. Stages in Product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Diagrammatic representation of the stages in the life cycle of a product As depicted in these figures, each stage of the life cycle receives materials and energy as inputs and produces: • outputs of material or products to subsequent life cycle stages • emissions to the environment ≅ © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 7. There are a number of issues associated with the life cycle stages, and they are: Extraction of Raw Materials This stage in the life cycle includes the extraction of all materials involved in the entire life cycle of the product. Typical examples of activities included in this stage are forest logging and crop harvesting, fishing and mining of ores and minerals. The inventory for the extraction of raw materials should include raw materials for the production of the machinery (i.e., capital equipment) involved in manufacturing the product and other stages of the product life cycle. Raw materials used in the production of electricity and energy used in the different life stages of the product should also be considered. Collecting data for the raw materials extraction stage may prove to be a complex task. It may also lead into iterative processes such as assessing the inputs and outputs related to extraction of the raw materials that is used in the production of end products. Often, the most serious environmental problems of the product life cycle are associated with this first stage. It is a common error to leave out parts of the raw materials stage from the LCA. Essentially, the decision of what to include or exclude in the LCA should be based on a sensitivity analysis. Manufacture of a Product The manufacturing stage encompasses all the processes involved in the conversion of raw materials into the products considered in the LCA. Apart from the manufacturing processes at the plant where the product is made, this stage takes into account production of ancillary materials, chemicals and specific or general components at other plants, no matter where they are. Stages in Product LCA - continue © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 8. There are a number of issues associated with the life cycle stages, and they are: Transportation As is indicated in Figure transportation is really not a single life stage in itself. Rather, it is an integral part of all stages of the life cycle. Transportation could be characterized as conveyance of materials or energy between different operations at various locations. Included in this stage, apart from the transport process itself, is the production of packaging materials for the transportation of the product. The transport stage would possibly also include an appropriate share of the environmental loadings and consumptions associated with the construction and maintenance of the transport system, whether this is road, rail, water or air transportation. Use of Product The use-stage of the product occurs when it is put in service and operated over its useful life. This begins after the distribution of the product and ends when the product is used up or discarded to the waste management system. Included in the use-stage are releases and resource consumptions created by the use or maintenance of the product. Stages in Product LCA - continue © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 9. Stages in Product LCA - continue Waste Management Wastes are generated in each phase of the life cycle, and they need to be properly managed to protect the environment. The management of wastes may involve alternative processes such as the following: Alternative processes Which means … Reuse This means the use of the product or parts thereof in new units of the same product or in different products. Recycling This means the use of materials in the product for manufacture of the same or other products. Incineration This refers to the combustion of the product generating heat that may be used for electricity production or heating. Composting This refers to the microbial degradation of biological materials yielding compost for improvement of agricultural soils. Waste water treatment Refers to organic matter degradation and nutrients removal from sewage water, creating sludge that is deposited on agricultural land. Land filling This means the deposition of the product in landfills. Each form of waste treatment mentioned above may be considered as processing of waste associated with a certain consumption of resources. This results in various releases into the environment, and the possible generation of energy or materials that will be an input to the manufacturing process of this product or other products. As with every tool, difficulties do arise with LCA also. Next we will discuss the problems or the limitations and the questions that have to be taken into considerations while analyzing the LCA of a product. © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 10. A Code Of Good Conduct for LCA LCA emerged as a tool to provide an objective assessment of the total environmental impact associated with a product through its entire life cycle. In several countries, LCA is considered the primary tool by which environmental impacts of products should be regulated by government authorities. However, problems do exist. Some of the major LCA limitations as noted in several studies: 1. Data quality 6. Delimitation of system under study 2. Life cycle boundaries 7. Inventory 3. Country-specific technology types 8. Impact assessment 4. Evaluation stage priorities 9. Evaluation 5. Definition © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 11. A Code Of Good Conduct for LCA - continue 1. Data quality In a manufacturer-sponsored study to compare a product with its alternatives, the consultants performing the LCA were able to get a very detailed and current data from the manufacturer for the processes involved in the production of that product. However, they had to depend on secondary data from the literature or earlier studies with regard to the production processes concerning the alternative products. Obviously, comparative studies on the basis of the secondary data tend to lack credibility. Major LCA limitations: © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 12. A Code Of Good Conduct for LCA - continue 2. Life cycle boundaries A Dutch study excluded the production of several raw materials, including crude oil, for the polycarbonate production. The German study did not include emissions from the energy production associated with the life cycle of the milk containers. Most studies did not consider the working environment. Major LCA limitations: © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 13. A Code Of Good Conduct for LCA - continue Major LCA limitations: 3. Country-specific technology types An example is the LCA conducted on the production of electricity used in the product life cycle. In a Swedish study, the electricity production was based on nuclear power and hydroelectricity, while a Swiss study, based on a US energy scenario since 1972, used coal as the energy source. This should explain the difference in the emissions found in the two studies. In addition, as the waste processing systems contribute to the nature and level of emissions, it is important to examine these systems as well. For example, if the waste is incinerated and the combustion energy is used for electricity production, the Dutch study may tend to favor carton containers over recyclable polycarbonate bottles. © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 14. A Code Of Good Conduct for LCA - continue 4. Evaluation stage priorities In the cases where alternatives do not have particular advantage over another, the priorities in the evaluation stage become decisive for the outcome. A recommendation by the Danish study (referred to point 2) was based on evaluation stage choice between reduced consumption of raw material and water, but on the release of dichloromethane into the working environment (for poly-carbonate bottles). and higher energy consumption and loading of bio-accumulating and possibly carcinogenic chlorinated compounds in the waste from production (for the milk cartons) Considering the versatility and diverse possible application of LCA tools, it may be difficult to obtain reproducible and consistent result through standardisation, without losing the necessary flexibility for adaptation to particular cases being studied. Given this scenario it is important that we include the following factors in a Code of Good conduct for LCA. Major LCA limitations: LCA is iterative in nature it needs to remain flexible and thus we are discussing limitations as in it is not standardized. © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 15. A Code Of Good Conduct for LCA - continue 5. Definition This involves finding answers to such questions as : Is the purpose of the study explicitly defined? Is it meant for internal company use or for public use? If the study is intended for public use, has it been peer reviewed? Is it clearly stated for whom the study is performed and by whom it is sponsored? Is this definition of the functional unit appropriate?, Etc…. Major LCA limitations: Again as per studies these are not standardized question in nature and may vary with further studies / case basis. © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 16. A Code Of Good Conduct for LCA - continue 6. De-limitation of system under study This involves finding answers to such questions as: Is there an explicit and clear delimitation of the system under study? Is the life cycle described in detail, stage by stage? Are the life cycle description and process tree plausible? Do they describe the real world system in a realistic way? Does the study include the extraction of raw material? Does the study include the production of electricity? What production scenario is used? Is it appropriate? Study include the manufacture of real capital for all life cycle stages? If the study has precluded capital, is this omission substantiated? Do you find the omission reasonable? Is the disposal stage covered by the study? , Etc…. Major LCA limitations: © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 17. A Code Of Good Conduct for LCA - continue 7. Inventory This involves finding answers to such questions as : Does the inventory cover all process of the process tree? Is there a reference to the source of every piece of data in the inventory? Is the data quality appropriate that is primary and recent data for all important processes of the life cycle? Do the data describe relevant technological level of the processes? Is the use of data of lower quality or omission of processes from the inventory based on sensitivity analysis? Major LCA limitations: © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 18. A Code Of Good Conduct for LCA - continue 8. Impact Assessment This involves finding answers to such questions as : Has any impact assessment been performed? Does it consider all the important environmental effect types? Does it consider resource and working environment issues? , Etc… Major LCA limitations: © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 19. A Code Of Good Conduct for LCA - continue 9. Evaluation This involves finding answers to such questions as: Are the subjective steps of evaluation separated from the objective ones? If not is the evaluation transparent? Are the priorities clear? The conclusions of the assessment clear? Are the assumptions underline the waiting explained and do you agree with them?, Etc…. Major LCA limitations: © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 20. Procedure for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Defining the Goal and Scope Preparation/ analyzing the Inventory Assessing Environmental Impact Evaluating Environmental Profiles Four steps are involved in carrying out an LCA and these: © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 21. - Should not be ambiguous in nature and state the intent and audience for carrying out the study - Should specify the intent of the study result and users of the result so that proper decision can be made based on the LCA study - Example: - Product comparison with same function ( laptops, safety tools, smart watch, fire alarm, etc) - To identify improvement in product for further innovation and design of new product - To identify steps, areas, in LC OF PRODUCT to meet the eco-labelling criteria - Transparency is essential in all kinds of LCA studies - In defining the scope of an LCA study, the following elements must be considered and clearly described: - The functions of the system, or in the case of comparative studies, systems - The functional unit - The system to be studied - The system boundaries - The allocation procedure - The types of impact and methodology of impact assessment and subsequent interpretations to be used Defining the Goal and Scope Procedure for LCA - continue © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 22. In defining the scope of an LCA study, the following elements must be considered and clearly described: - Data requirement - Assumptions - Limitations - The initial data quality requirements - The type of critical review - (12) The type and the format of the report required for the study The scope should be sufficiently well defined to ensure that the breath, the depth and the detail of the study are compatible and sufficient to address the stated goal. LCA is an iterative technique. Therefore the scope of the study may need to be modified while the study is being conducted as additional information is collected. Procedure for LCA - continue Defining the Goal and Scope © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 23. What / Used for Further/ which is why/ due to which Functional unit (FU) Definition of FU or performance characteristic is the foundation of LCA - the function and unit sets the scale for comparison of two or more products including improvement of one product (system) All data collected in the inventory phase will be related to FU Definition of FU is important when comparing different products fulfilling the same function (Ex: sub-4 meter car / Thar vs Baleno; iphone 15 vs iphone 16) System boundaries Define the process/ Operations (eg manufacturing, transport, and waste management process) and the i/p and o/p to be taken into account in the LCA Definition is subjective operation and includes Geographical boundaries, LC boundaries (limitation in LCA) and boundaries between technosphere and biosphere Since subjective in nature – transparency of the defining process and the assumptions are extremely important Note – waste water treatment is an example of a process that often is omitted when defining the system boundaries The three aspects to consider when defining the FU are: - Efficacy of the product - Durability of the product - Performance quality standard (Lindfors et all., 1995c) Procedure for LCA - continue Below are some of the elements mentioned are being discussed further to define the scope of an LCA: © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 24. Procedure for LCA - continue What / Use for Further/ which is why/ due to which Data quality The quality of the data used in the LC inventory is naturally reflected in the quality of the final LCA. It is important that data quality is defined and assessed in systematic ways – allows others to understand and control actual data quality Following additional data quality indicators needed to be considered (depending on goal/scope definition: - Precision - Completeness - Representativeness - Reproducibility - Consistency Critical review process To ensure the quality of the LCA. It could be internal or external. • Methods used to carry LCA are consistence with the international standard and are scientifically and technically valid • The data used are appropriate and reasonable • The interpretations reflect the limitations identified and goal of study • Study report is transparent and consistent Below are some of the elements mentioned are being discussed further to define the scope of an LCA: © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 25. - Analyzing Inventory is the Second In a phase in an LCA - Analysing inventory consists of - Data collection - Refining system boundaries - Calculations - Validation of data - Relating data to specific system and allocation - Allocating and recycling Procedure for LCA - continue Preparation/ analyzing the inventory © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 26. What / Used for Further/ which is why/ due to which Data Collection Inventory analysis includes collection, treatment of data to be used in preparation of material consumption waste and emission profile for the phases in each life cycle. It can be site specific and general sources. Data can be quantitative and qualitative. Qant data is often missing / poor quality etc. Data collection is the most work intensive part of LCA, if the site specific data are required for all single process in the life cycle. Note: Since average data are often some years old, They may not represent the latest in technological development. Refining System boundaries The system boundaries are defined as a part of the scope definition procedure. After the initial data collection, the system boundaries can be refined/ need adjustments . Due to Exclusion life stages or sub-systems Exclusion of material flows or inclusion of new unit processes shown to be significant according to the sensitivity analysis In short, the system boundaries are not fixed and can be adapted throughout the assessment process to make the analysis more accurate and relevant. Calculation procedures No formal demands exist for calculation in LCA except the described demands for allocation procedures. Due to the amount of data it is recommended as a minimum to develop a spreadsheet (calculate on MS excel platform). There are general purpose software and specific LCA software are available and depending on goal and amount of data users are free to use. Procedure for LCA - continue Issues under the Inventory Analysis of an LCA: © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 27. What / Used for Further/ which is why/ due to which Validation of data The validation of data has to be conducted during the data collection process in order to improve the overall data quality. Systematic data validation may point out areas where data quality must be improved or data must be found in similar process. During the process of data collection, a permanent and iterative check on data validity should be conducted. Validation may involve establishing, for example, mass balances, energy balances and/or comparative analysis of emission factors. Relating data Input and output data for industrial processes are often reported in arbitrary or non-standard units, and it emphasizes the importance of defining a reference flow to standardize this data for use in a life cycle assessment (LCA) or similar analysis. ExOne kilogram of material (if you're assessing the material flow for a product). One megajoule of energy (if you're looking at energy use). To solve this issue – reference data flow need to be set for each unit process. Once the reference flow is determined, the input/output data must be recalculated in relation to this reference unit. This allows for a consistent and comparable way to measure the environmental impact of product or process. Allocating and recycling When performing a LCA of a complex system, it may not be possible to handle all the impacts and outputs inside the system boundaries. This problem can be solved either by: 1. expanding the system boundaries to include all the inputs and outputs 2. allocating the relevant environmental impacts to the studied system Procedure for LCA - continue Issues under the Inventory Analysis of an LCA: © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 28. Further/ which is why/ due to which Allocating and recycling * When avoiding allocation by e.g. expanding the system boundaries there is a risk of making the system too complex. The data collection, impact assessment and interpretation can then become too expensive and unrealistic in time and money. Allocation may be a better alternative, if an appropriate method can be found for solving the actual problem. Allocation can be necessary when dealing with: • Multi-output “black box” processes, i.e. when more than one product is produced and some of those product flows are crossing the system boundaries. • Multi-input processes, such as waste treatment, where a strict quantitative causality between inputs and emissions etc. seldom exists. • Open-loop recycling, where a waste material leaving the system boundaries is used as a raw material by another system, outside the boundaries of the studied system. On the basis of the principles presented above, the following descending order of allocation procedures is recommended: 1. Wherever possible, allocation should be avoided or minimized. This may be achieved by subdividing the unit process into two or more subprocesses, some of which can be excluded from the system under study. Transport and materials handling are examples of processes which can sometimes be partitioned in this way. For systems which deliver more than one product or function, or involve recycle streams, allocation may be avoided or reduced by including further unit processes thereby expanding the system boundaries so that inputs, outputs or recycles remain within the system. 2. 2. Where allocation cannot be avoided, the system inputs and outputs should be partitioned between its different products or functions in a way which reflects the underlying physical relationships between them; i.e. they must reflect the way in which the inputs and outputs are changed by quantitative changes in the products or functions delivered by the system. These “causal relationships” between flows into and out of the system may be represented by a process model, which can also represent the economic relationship of the system. The resulting allocation will not necessarily be in proportion to any simple measure such as mass or molar flows of co-products. 3. Where physical relationship cannot be established or used as the basis for allocation the inputs should be allocated between the products and functions in a way which reflects economic relationships between them. For example, burdens might be allocated between co-products in proportion to the economic value of the products. Procedure for LCA - continue Issues under the Inventory Analysis of an LCA: In simple terms: when there’s a shared process producing more than one product, it’s tough to figure out how much environmental impact to assign to each product. You can either try to avoid splitting impacts by expanding the analysis or, if that’s too hard, you allocate impacts in a way that makes sense based on physical or economic factors. © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 29. Impact assessment – 3 rd phase of LCA involves. Depending on the goal and scope of the study and on the application of the study all or parts of the elements can be used. - Category definition - Classification - Characterization - Valuation/ Weighting Procedure for LCA - continue Assessing Environmental Impact © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 30. What / Used for Further/ which is why/ due to which Category definition The life cycle impact assessment involves, as a first element, the definition of the impact categories to be considered (ISO, 1997c). This is a follow-up of the decisions made in the goal and scoping phase. Based on the type of information collected in the inventory phase the boundaries defined in the goal and scoping may be re-defined. The impact categories are selected in order to describe the impacts caused by the considered products/ systems. The issues that needs to be considered are: Completeness – means all environmental problems of relevance should be covered by the list Practicality - the list should not contain too many categories Independence - double counting should be avoided by choosing mutually independent impact categories Relation to the characterization step - the chosen impact categories should be related to available characterization method (Lindfors, et. al., 1995) Procedure for LCA - continue Each of the elements under Impact Assessment in carrying out an LCA: The impact categories considered are: • Abiotic resources • Biotic resources • Land use • Global warming • Stratospheric ozone depletion • Ecotoxicological impacts Human toxicological impacts • Photochemical oxidant formation • Acidification • Eutrophication • Work environment © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 31. What / Used for Further/ which is why/ due to which Classification The life cycle impact assessment includes as a second element, classification of the inventory input and output data (ISO, 1997c). Classification is a qualitative step based on scientific analysis of relevant environmental processes. The classification has to assign the inventory input and output data to potential environmental impacts i.e. impact categories Some outputs contribute to different impact categories and therefore, they have to be mentioned twice. The resulting double counting is acceptable if the effects are independent of each other. However, double counting of different effects in the same effect chain (e.g. stratospheric ozone depletion and human toxicological effects as e.g. skin cancer) is not allowed. This step in the LCIA process ensures that environmental impacts are appropriately categorized, and care must be taken to avoid incorrectly attributing the same effect multiple times if they are related. Procedure for LCA - continue Each of the elements under Impact Assessment in carrying out an LCA: The impact categories can be placed on a scale dividing the categories into four different space groups: Global impacts Continental impacts Regional impacts Local impacts In the manufacturing of refrigerator , combustion (fossil fuels) caused emission during production process are classified as : © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 32. What / Used for Further/ which is why/ due to which Characterisation The life cycle impact assessment includes, a third element, characterization of the inventory data (ISO, 1997c). Characterization is mainly a quantitative step based on scientific analysis of the relevant environmental processes. The characterization has to assign the relative contribution of each input and output to the selected impact categories The potential contribution of each input and output to the environmental impacts has to be estimated. For some of the environmental impact categories there is consensus about equivalency factors to be used in the estimation of the total impact (e.g. global warming potentials, ozone depletion potentials etc.) while for other there may not be any consensus (e.g. biotic resources, land use etc.) Valuation/Weighting Characterization, results in a quantitative statement on different impact categories (global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion and ecotoxicological effects). Comparison of these categories is not immediately possible. Therefore, the life cycle impact assessment includes as a fourth element a valuation/ weighting of the impact categories against each other. Weighting aims to rank, weight, or, if possible, aggregate the results of different life cycle impact assessment categories in order to arrive at the relative importance of these different results. The weighting process is not technical, scientific, or objective as these various life cycle impact assessment results are not directly comparable. However, weighting may be assisted by applying scientifically-based analytical techniques. Procedure for LCA - continue Each of the elements under Impact Assessment in carrying out an LCA: © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 33. Procedure for LCA - continue Each of the elements under Impact Assessment in carrying out an LCA: Different institutions based on different principles have developed weighting approaches What are these approaches Proxy approach One or a combination of several quantitative measures is stated to be indicative of the total environmental impact. Energy consumption material displacement and space consumptions are examples of this approach. Technology abetment approach The possibilities of reducing environmental burdens by using different technological abetment methods can be used to set a value on the specific environmental burden. This approach can be applied to inventory data as well as impact scores. Monetarization It is based on the premise that preferred values, willingness to pay/ accept is an adequate measures of preferences and the values of environmental quality can be substituted by other commodities. This approach can be applied to inventory data as well as impact scores Authorised goal or standards Environmental standards, quality targets as well as political reduction targets can be used to calculate critical volumes for emission chance to air, water, soil or work environment. National or local authorities within a company can formulate the targets or standards. Authoritative panels An authoritative panels can made up of lay people, expects, govt reps, international bodies, etc. Credibility of the panel can be improved by using LCA experts from different societal groups as panellists, peer review sets of valuation criteria and rules for their application, and a transparent ranking technique and the documentation of the arguments leading to final valuation (Volkwein,1996) The purpose of waiting is the following aspects: ➢ To express the relative preference of an organisation/group of stakeholders based on policies, goals and personal or group opinions ➢ To ensure that process is visible documentable and reportable ➢ To establish the relative importance of the results is based on the state of knowledge about these issues © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 34. Valuation/Weighting Procedure for LCA - continue Each of the elements under Impact Assessment in carrying out an LCA: Global Global warming Stratospheric ozone depletion Regional Acidification Nutrient enrichment Photochemical ozone formation (smog) Chronic toxicity Local Acute toxicity Area degradation including: -risks -noise -smell Physical disturbances including: -soil erosion -Deterioration in land quality - disturbance or destruction of habitats, and hence, ecosystems Table shows the list of environmental effects that ought to be considered in an assessment. The list is subject to change due to developments in scientific knowledge and to certain, extent political initiatives. The list should therefore be continually adjusted to accommodate such changes. The table shows quantitative inventories of environmental release and resources consumptions (for production of 1MJ heat from various fossil fuels) © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 35. • Evaluation involves a comparison of the alternatives studied • The objective of the evaluation is to decide which alternative causes the least environmental damage from a life cycle PoV • If one alternative is better in all the aspects considered the evaluation is straight forward. In fact this is often the case when product is reviewed first with the purpose of reducing its environmental impacts. However the evaluation situation gets complex when one alternative is better than the rest in some aspects while other alternative is better in other aspects. This create the need to give priorities to different aspects of the loading profiles. - In such case subject decisions are considered in LCA. Will be kept in mind that all work conducted in LCA steps leading up to the evaluation must be based on objective and scientific principles. The subjective decisions are hence confined to this last step. Evaluating Environmental Profiles Procedure for LCA - continue © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 36. Procedure for LCA - continue Each of the elements under Impact Assessment in carrying out an LCA: Normalised Environmental Profile Environmental Profile of two Product Alternatives To help in the comparison of this nature each of the contribution in the environmental profile may be divided by the emission from a suitable common emission scenario. This scenario may, for instance be the environmental profile of the total emissions of your state or country. In this case the resulting normalised environmental profile as shown in table indicates the size of the fraction of national emissions due to environmental effect. When the inventory is complete and all the emission listed are classified into environmental impact classes, and converted into common effect units, the result of environmental profiles for each of the alternatives are examined which is shown in this table. It may be difficult to weigh between different classes of environmental impact. But it helps if you know the differences in contribution to environmental effects and which are not important factor. © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 37. Different Applications of LCA Product Development Marketing Organisational Marketing Strategic Business Planning Application for LCA can be broadly classified into private sector applications and government applications The main government applications include: • Product oriented policy • Deposit-refund schemes • Waste management policies, subsidise and taxation • General (process oriented) policies Private Sector Applications Public sector Applications Under the public application the use of LCA varies greatly. To a large extent this differentiation depends on where a given company is situated in the product chain and the key driver for the lc activity. For business team the LCA tool should be used to understand the environmental issues associated with upstream and downstream processes as well as on site process. Sustainable development has been included as a major item on most of the governmental agendas since the 1992 Rio Summit. Although a precise definition of sustainable development has not been given, it is obvious that LCA must be used to ensure that actions towards more sustainable future will have the desired effect in govt sector. Other tools such as risk assessment EIA, Cost benefit analysis are also used. Concepts and tool in which LCA is integral part © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 38. Different Applications of LCA Product Development Using LCA in product development helps orgs, as a large part of the future environmental impacts of a product (system) is determined by the design and construction phase. LCA applied in the design phase of product development may lead to lesser impact on environment. As per the graph, in the idea phase there is unlimited number of possibilities to experiment with design. Thus product developers can use LCA in the development phases to make product environmental friendly and minimize impacts. Analysis Concept Details Implementation Degree of freedom Detail of information Phases in Product development Relationships Between the Designer’s Degree of Freedom and the Level of Information/Hanssen, 1995. Idea Goal Private Sector Applications: Product development Product Development The system boundaries are enlarged step by step in parallel with the product development, but the level of detail is only increased if it delivers valuable information for the decision making process © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 39. Different Applications of LCA Communicating product properties and capabilities, in line with customers demands / solving problems As the level of environmental consciousness is increasing, the consumer pays more attention to the environmental properties of goods and services. There are three different kinds of environmental marketing. Environmental Labelling (ISO Type-I labelling) Environmental Claims (ISO Type-II labelling) Environmental Declarations (ISO Type-III labelling) Private Sector Applications Marketing © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 40. Different Applications of LCA - continue Private Sector Applications: Marketing What / Used for Environmental Labelling (ISO Type-I labelling) An environmental label (eco-label) can be seen as a seal of approval for environmentally benign (friendly) products and can, therefore, be attractive for marketing purpose. Equal label at the same time conveys information to the customer in a simple but not in an objective way enabling individuals to include environmental concerns in their own decisions while buying (journey) products. Enhance visibility of products which are less environmental impact ( are sustainable). Environmental Claims (ISO Type-II labelling) An environmental claim is presently defined by ISO as a label or declaration that indicates the environmental aspects of a product or service that may take the form of statements symbols are graphics on product/ packaging labels, product literature, technical bulletin, advertising, battle cards etc. Companies are motivated to improve their products, apply LCA, and declare their improvements through EPD ISO Type II labeling (environmental self-declarations), are self-declared environmental claims made by manufacturers or businesses. ISO 14021/22 is the international standard that defines the requirements for Type II environmental labels or symbols on products / services. Environmental Declarations (ISO Type-III labelling) Environmental declarations may be a tool in eco marketing to transfer the result from life cycle investigation of a product to the individual decision making process of a consumer. The general idea is to give a graphic presentation of a preset number of environmental impacts. The use of LCA is a prerequisite for environmental declarations. Standardisation efforts have been initiated by ISO and includes requirements on components methodology, transparency, external review and conduct of type three labelling practitioners. ISO Type III labels, also known as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), are based on life cycle assessment (LCA) and are used to communicate a product's environmental information © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 41. Different Applications of LCA The classical marketing of environmental performance has mainly been orientated towards products. However, with the increasing number of companies being certified according to ISO 14001, EMAS or BS 7750, some marketing initiatives are being directed towards the environmental capabilities of the company per se. As organisations implement the necessary policies for certification, they also encourage formalisation the implementation of LCA procedures and life cycle. Organisational Marketing A Life Cycle Assessment is the most vital step on that journey. Based on the generated insights, you can see where you already have an edge over your competitors – and where your company can use opportunities to become more sustainable. Private Sector Applications: Organisational Marketing © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 42. Different Applications of LCA Integration of environmental aspects in strategic business planning is becoming a common feature in many companies like the handling of environment management schemes such as EMAS (environment management and auditing scheme) and iso 14001 standards. But, many companies still handle the issue on a case to case basis. There are several motivating factors behind the decision to integrate environmental issues many of which are interrelated these include consumer demand compliance and community need security of supply and product and market opportunities. The LC information health decision makers to understand better the environmental pros and cons of their products and services Strategic Business Planning Life cycle assessment (LCA) can be used to improve a business's sustainability in a number of ways, including: Research and development Use LCA results to improve the impact of product design. Companies can consider their environmental footprint to meet corporate policies, regulations, customer demand, or other motivations. Carbon footprint The carbon footprint is an integral part of an LCA study. The phases and steps to follow in applying an LCA are similar to those of the life cycle approach Private Sector Applications: Strategic Planning © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 43. LCA advantage / used as framework for product innovation – based on Ansoff Matrix Market Penetration Product Development Market Development Diversification LCA (product) as per markets Innovation How LCA is akin to innovation – framework Same New high Low Life Cycle Assessment as tool/process can be used to enhance the product innovation. It can help identify environmental challenges and opportunities, and define pathways for implementation. Integrating LCA into the innovation process: •Keep LCAs up-to-date: Invest in tools that allow you to keep your LCAs up-to-date without having to redo them •Review and update regularly: Collect feedback from stakeholders and adapt the LCA methodology as the innovation progresses •Run what-if scenarios: Ensure your team can run what-if scenarios quickly and enjoy doing so Market Same New © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 44. Summary We discussed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as an environmental management tool. After tracing the evolution of LCA and describing the basic stages of product life cycle, we identified the elements that contribute to the making of code of good conduct for an LCA study. We then explained the steps such as goal settings inventory analysis impact assessment and profile evaluation involved in the LCA process. Finally we discussed LCA applications both in private and public sectors. © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 45. Case Study on LCA Key highlights: • 51 out of 100 companies analyzed disclosed their Scope 3 data for FY23 • 44% of the top 100 listed companies conducted the life-cycle assessment of their products or services • 89% of the companies disclosed their information on leadership indicators • 34% of the companies have reduced their Scope 1 emissions and 29% have reduced their Scope 2 emissions • 49% of companies have increased their energy consumption from renewable sources As India commits to achieve its net zero vision by 2070, the business sector is being viewed as a critical enabler in furthering this ambition (Source: pwc report 2024) Case Real Green Cars: Tata Motors has stepped out of box with its lifecycle assessment of cars (FY 2015-16) • Quantification of life cycle environmental impacts and run various scenarios for resource efficiency • Getting Vendors on Board • LCAs of several vehicles including the Safari, Ace CNG and the ACE diesel Source/ 2015: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/real-green-cars-now-tata-motors-hasstepped-out-of-box-with-its-lifecycle-assessment-ofcars/articleshow/49145219.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst For sustainable vehicle life-cycle management – Tata Motors “Much of our work in sustainability is within the fence,” says Shankar Venkateswaran, chief, Tata Sustainability Group. “We are trying to create a larger framework and look across value chains.” The $42-billion Tata Motors, India’s largest automobile maker, is one of the few companies infusing lifecycle thinking within and across its vendors (as per the news article/ * now $51 B as of July 2014) © 2025 Indranil Deb

• 46. Beacon of hope IISc campus_pic taken on 6th Sep 2024 Thank You © 2025 Indranil Deb