LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS (LCA): WHAT IS IT?

Life Cycle Analysis, or LCA, is a technique that allows us to measure the environmental impacts, or Environmental Footprint, of products, processes, or activities of an organization throughout, as its name suggests, the entire life cycle. This includes everything from the extraction of raw materials and the generation of the necessary energy to carry it out, through the actual production process, to analysing the use of the product and the management of it at the end of its life (such as reuse or recycling).

All of this is carried out following an objective, systematic, and scientific methodology that is, therefore, reproducible, and, most importantly, comparable.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CARBON FOOTPRINT, ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT, AND LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS

We are quite accustomed to hearing about the Carbon Footprint, with many even measuring and communicating it, both for products and for events or organizations. This leads us to talk about “more sustainable” or directly “sustainable” products, events, and organizations.

However, these statements can lead to the following type of misunderstanding: calculating the Carbon Footprint of a product provides a reliable analysis of the impact of our products or services, but only in relation to one impact category within the variety of categories in the Environmental Footprint, which is the global warming category.

The Carbon Footprint of a product is therefore only one part of the Environmental Footprint, and its calculation is based on the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) methodology, simplifying the latter to a single impact category. For example, the ISO 14067 standard on the calculation of the Carbon Footprint of a product is based on the ISO 14040 series on Life Cycle Analysis.

This is the relationship between Carbon Footprint, Environmental Footprint, and LCA.

Other impact categories that could be considered include:

• Water footprint
• Consumption of fossil fuels
• Consumption of minerals and metals
• Acidification of water
• Eutrophication of freshwater
• Toxicity to humans, other living beings, or ecosystems

From this perspective, it is possible for a process to be more sustainable in terms of its potential for global warming but, on the other hand, be much more toxic or generate much more waste. An example of this is nuclear energy production, which has very low greenhouse gas emissions but generates highly toxic waste.

ADVANTAGES OF ANALYZING THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES OF AN ORGANIZATION THROUGH LCA

Among the advantages that the analysis through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of products and services can provide, the following can be highlighted:

• Competitive Comparison: Enables the comparison and enhancement of the environmental footprint of products and services in relation to competitors’ equivalents. This methodology is the basis of eco-labeling.
• Eco-design: Identification of opportunities for improving the environmental performance of the product, from the design or development phases.
• Identification of Resource-Efficient Products and Services: Identifies products and services that are less resource-intensive in terms of raw materials, energy, and waste generation, leading to cost savings.
• Progressive Reduction of Environmental Footprint: Essential for the gradual reduction of the environmental footprint, requiring measurement. Allows comparison between products or processes, enabling the selection of more sustainable options.
• Market Entry Opportunities: Enables entry into an increasing number of markets where sustainability criteria are a clear competitive advantage, if not a requirement.
• Implementation of Marketing Strategies: Facilitates the implementation of marketing strategies related to the sustainability of the product or service.

Rodrigo Gómez, Partner at Auren Consultants