Global guidance on environmental life cycle impact assessment indicators: findings of the scoping phase

Excerpt

During Phase 1 (2002–2007) of the Life Cycle Initiative, work was intensively conducted on developing an initial framework (Jolliet et al. 2004) and contributed to the development of first-stage harmonized LCIA tools such as the USEtox model for life cycle toxicity impact assessment (Hauschild et al. 2008). Activities in Phase 2 (2007–2012) similarly addressed carbon footprint, water use and land use impact assessment throughout the life cycle (Bayart et al. 2010; Koellner et al. 2013; Kounina et al. 2013). In parallel, and also building on these activities, a number of other initiatives have been advancing proposals and dissemination of impact assessment indicators in various continents (Hauschild et al. 2013; Murakami et al. 2012). With the globalization of our economy, there has been a steadily growing need to create a worldwide consensus set of environmental impact category indicators embedded in a consistent methodological framework. Such a set is expected to be used in particular in environmental product information schemes, benchmarking in industry sectors, corporate reporting by companies, intergovernmental and/or national environmental policies and common LCA work commissioned by governments and companies. …