Top Life Cycle Assessment Conferences for 2026: Mark Your Calendar

2026 offers a strong lineup of conferences for LCA practitioners to advance their knowledge, present research, and build professional networks.

Key Events Overview

The year features major SETAC meetings in Europe and North America, specialized conferences on food systems and innovation, and regional gatherings across Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Here's your guide to planning 2026.

SETAC Europe 36th Annual Meeting

May 17-21, 2026 | Maastricht, Netherlands The flagship SETAC Europe event brings together environmental scientists, toxicologists, and LCA practitioners under the theme "Embrace the Outlier: In Science, Regulations and Networks." The program challenges the community to acknowledge outliers and value their potential merits while maintaining high scientific standards. Abstract submission runs from October 13 to November 26, 2025. The meeting features sessions spanning environmental chemistry, ecotoxicology, and life cycle assessment with particular emphasis on regulatory applications.

Session chairs are encouraged to propose sessions on less prevailing issues and non-standard methodological approaches, making this an excellent venue for innovative LCA research.

SETAC Europe 27th LCA Case Study Symposium

October 19-21, 2026 | Bruges, Belgium The successful LCA Case Study Symposium series continues in the charming Belgian city of Bruges with the theme "Designing Tomorrow: From Life Cycle Assessment to Sustainability Steering in Key Value Chains." This focused event invites session proposals highlighting innovative research, practical applications, and emerging topics in sustainability assessment. The symposium fosters dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers, showcasing how LCA serves as a strategic tool for sustainability transitions. Call for sessions deadline: January 14, 2026

LCA Food 2026

October 12-15, 2026 | Montréal, Canada The 15th International LCA Food Conference brings together stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to share the latest insights in food systems sustainability. The Montréal edition continues the conference's tradition of advancing methodological rigor and practical application in agricultural and food LCA. The conference is particularly relevant for practitioners working on agricultural datasets, food processing, and food system transformation projects.

Life Cycle Innovation Conference (LCIC 2026)

July 1-3, 2026 | Berlin, Germany (Hybrid) Organized by the Forum for Sustainability through Life Cycle Innovation (FSLCI), this conference focuses on bridging the gap between LCA research and practical implementation. Abstract and workshop proposal submissions are now open. The hybrid format enables global participation while Berlin provides an excellent venue for in-person networking among European practitioners.

SETAC North America Annual Meeting

November 1-5, 2026 | Montreal, Quebec The SETAC North America meeting complements the European gathering, bringing together scientists from across the Americas to address environmental challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration. Montreal's vibrant academic community makes this an attractive destination for researchers and consultants alike.

SETAC Asia-Pacific Biennial Meeting

September 20-23, 2026 | Tsukuba, Japan The Asia-Pacific meeting addresses regional environmental challenges while connecting practitioners with the growing LCA community in Asia. The Tsukuba location, Japan's science city, provides access to leading research institutions and industry partners.

WasteLCA 5

Date TBA, 2026 | Italy The fifth edition of the WasteLCA conference focuses on new tools for Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of municipal and challenging waste management. Topics include integration of blockchain, IoT, big data, and AI into LCA workflows, as well as prospective LCA for emerging waste technologies.

Regional Events

• ReSBE 2026: October 20-23, 2026 | Thessaloniki, Greece Focus on sustainable built environment applications
• SETAC Latin America: Date TBA Regional focus on sustainability challenges across Latin American economies.

Planning Your Conference Strategy

For practitioners deciding which events to prioritize:

• Academic focus: SETAC annual meetings offer peer-reviewed presentation opportunities and networking with research communities

• Practical application: LCIC and LCA Case Study Symposium emphasize implementation and industry case studies

• Sector specialization: LCA Food for agricultural/food systems; WasteLCA for waste management

• Regional networking: Choose based on your client base and geographic focus

Many conferences offer early bird registration discounts and student rates. Abstracts for major events typically close 4-6 months before the conference date.

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