International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook: Review Schemes for Life Cycle Assessment

Quality and consistency of life cycle based decision support are essential in public policy and business context. Those can and should be supported by ‘critical review’ of underlying data and of life cycle assessment (LCA) studies themselves. A review can help avoiding errors, assuring that all options or method requirements have been appropriately taken into account, and increasing acceptance by stakeholders. The principle requirements for reviews are briefly addressed in the ISO 14040 series. While other LCA-based standards define some review requirements in more detail, information on how to conduct the review or what qualifications are required from reviewers is scarce. Building on these standards, more specific requirements and guidance on review are provided in the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) handbook. Distinctions are made depending on the application context. Differentiations are made with respect to the intended audience, the complexity and broadness of the assessment, and the need of stakeholder involvement. In result, two different review types were identified (with/without stakeholder involvement). The handbook also provides minimum requirements for the qualification of reviewers. An upcoming document will provide more detail on scope (“what”) and the method (“how”) of review.