Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): Assess your product’s environmental impact
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What is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a standardized method for assessing the potential environmental impacts of a product, process or service throughout its life cycle. An LCA follows the international standards ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 and examines different life cycle stages, depending on the purpose and scope of the study. These may include raw material extraction, production, transportation, use and waste processing.
During a Life Cycle Assessment, data on raw materials, energy use, emissions and waste flows are collected and analyzed. The potential environmental impacts are then calculated, including:
- Climate change (Global Warming Potential, GWP)
The contribution to global warming. - Ozone depletion (Ozone Depletion Potential, ODP)
The potential impact on the ozone layer. - Water consumption and water scarcity
Impacts associated with water use. - Other environmental impacts
Depending on the research question, these may include acidification, eutrophication and resource use.
The results show which parts of the life cycle contribute most to the environmental burden. This enables you to take a more targeted approach to improving products and processes.
Why have an LCA conducted?
An LCA provides insight into the environmental performance of your products or processes and helps you substantiate sustainability decisions. The analysis is relevant to manufacturers, product developers and organizations seeking to improve their environmental performance.
With an LCA, you can:
- Identify opportunities for improvement
Determine which raw materials, production steps or life cycle stages have the greatest environmental impact. - Optimize products and processes
Use the results to assess alternative materials, production processes and design choices. - Substantiate sustainability policies
Use quantitative environmental data to support strategic decisions and establish improvement targets. - Communicate environmental performance transparently
Substantiate your sustainability claims with a systematic analysis. - Meet the information needs of customers and clients
Provide insight into the environmental impacts of your products and processes. - Support sustainability applications
Use the results as the basis for an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) or Product Carbon Footprint (PCF), for example.
An LCA can also be used to compare products. For this purpose, the functional unit, system boundaries, assumptions and data used must be sufficiently consistent, among other things. This prevents products from being compared on the basis of different assumptions.
How is a Life Cycle Assessment conducted?
Kiwa NIBE conducts Life Cycle Assessments in accordance with the international standards ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. Our experts tailor the approach to your product, the available data and the purpose of the study. The process generally involves the following five steps.
Define the goal and scope
Together, we establish why the LCA is being conducted, which product or process components will be examined and which life cycle stages will be included. We also define the functional unit, system boundaries and relevant assumptions.
Collect and analyze data
In the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI), we map the relevant input and output flows of the system under study. These may include raw materials, energy, water, emissions and waste. The quality and completeness of this data are important for the reliability of the results.
Calculate environmental impacts
Using LCA software and up-to-date environmental databases, we model the life cycle and calculate the potential environmental impacts. Kiwa supports this process, among other things, with our R<THINK by Kiwa LCA software platform.
Interpret the results
We assess the findings and identify which components contribute most to the various environmental impacts. We also examine the main uncertainties and potential improvement measures.
Report and apply the results
The results are documented in an LCA report tailored to the goal and scope of the study. You can use the findings for internal decision-making, product development and relevant sustainability applications. If you want to have an EPD prepared, the LCA results can serve as its basis, provided they meet the applicable requirements.
LCA services from Kiwa NIBE
Kiwa NIBE combines knowledge of Life Cycle Assessments with expertise in product environmental performance and sustainable construction. We support you in conducting an LCA and translating the results into actionable insights for your organization. Depending on your needs and intended application, our services may include:
- Conducting an LCA for a product, process or service
- Collecting, assessing and modeling environmental data
- Analyzing environmental impacts and identifying opportunities for improvement
- Preparing an LCA report in accordance with the relevant standards
- Preparing environmental data for an EPD or other sustainability applications
- Advising on the use of LCA results in product development and sustainability policies.
For organizations that want to conduct LCAs for multiple products or manage environmental data on a larger scale, Kiwa also offers support through R<THINK by Kiwa. This software supports the modeling of environmental performance and the preparation and management of EPDs. Available features depend on your application.
Have an LCA conducted by Kiwa NIBE
Would you like to quantify the environmental impact of your product or process and identify opportunities for improvement? Kiwa NIBE helps you with a Life Cycle Assessment tailored to your needs and intended application. Contact our experts to discuss the possibilities.
Frequently asked questions about LCAs
What is the difference between an LCA and an EPD?
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the analysis used to calculate the potential environmental impacts of a product or process. An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardized environmental declaration that reports the results for a product. An LCA can serve as the basis for an EPD, but not every LCA is automatically suitable for publication as an EPD. Additional requirements apply.
How much does it cost to have an LCA conducted?
The cost of a Life Cycle Assessment depends on the product, the complexity of the system being studied, the available data, the selected system boundaries and the purpose of the analysis. Kiwa NIBE can determine the appropriate approach and provide a tailored proposal based on your situation.
How long does an LCA project take?
The timeline depends on the complexity of the product, the availability and quality of the data and the intended applications of the results. A clearly defined scope and timely data submission help ensure that the study is conducted efficiently.
Which standards apply to an LCA?
The most relevant international standards are ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. These describe the principles, framework and requirements for Life Cycle Assessments. Depending on the application, additional methodologies and industry-specific rules may apply, such as EN 15804 for construction products.
Can an LCA help calculate a product’s carbon footprint?
Yes. An LCA can serve as the basis for a Product Carbon Footprint (PCF), which focuses on the contribution to climate change. A full LCA can also include other environmental impacts, such as water use, acidification and eutrophication.
Which organizations can benefit from an LCA?
An LCA is valuable for manufacturers, product developers and other organizations seeking insight into the environmental impacts of their products, processes or services. Governments and civil society organizations can also use LCA results to inform policy development and decision-making.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): Demonstrate your product’s environmental impact
Would you like to demonstrate the environmental impact of your products? An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) makes your product’s environmental performance transparent. Kiwa NIBE supports you throughout the EPD development process, from the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to reporting, verification and publication. This gives you reliable environmental data for tenders, sustainable construction and international market access.
LCA software for preparing and managing EPDs: R<THINK by Kiwa
With Kiwa’s R<THINK by Kiwa LCA software platform, you can calculate the environmental impact of products and prepare Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). The software is specifically designed for construction products (EN 15804) and electrical and electronic products (EN 50693).
