“Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) the environmental aspects and potential impacts throughout a product’s life from raw material acquisition through production, use, and disposal. The general categories of environmental impacts needing consideration include resource use, human health, and ecological consequences” – ISO 14040
To assess LCA, there are two well-known standards being used, which are ISO 14040 and 14044. But sometimes, we will find two similar topics for LCA but different results even though they are using the same standard, why is that?
Within their book, Walter Klopffer and Birgit Grahl emphasize that there are three things that can be the cause of contradiction of two different research with similar topics in LCA [1], the reasons are:
1. Different methodology
2. Different data quality
3. Different system boundaries
Different methodology means that how they collect and process primary and secondary data, thinking processes, and etc. Different data quality is should be already clear, the quality of precision and accuracy of data can be varied from one research to another. Last but not least, system boundaries, which can be very impactful. Even though the standard already has some rules to determine the boundaries, that govern which can be outside the boundaries and inside, but the interpretation and objective can be different.
Wanna have some discussion related to LCA, Renewable energy, Clean Technology, or a sustainable future? Lets!
Reference:
[1] Klopffer. W., Grahl, B, “Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) – A Guide to Best Practice”, Wiley, 2014
Firman Ramadhani 