LCA Database Guide
Life Cycle Inventory databases are the foundation of any LCA study. This guide covers the major databases, their strengths, and helps you choose the right data source for your project.
Choosing the Right Database
For General LCA Studies
ecoinvent is the industry standard with the most comprehensive coverage. Consider Sphera Managed LCA Content if you need strong industrial data.
For Food & Agriculture
Use Agribalyse for European food products or Agri-footprint for global agricultural supply chains.
For Budget-Conscious Projects
Start with free databases like US LCI, ELCD, or Agribalyse. Academic discounts are available for ecoinvent.
Showing 6 of 6 databases
Agri-footprint
by Blonk Consultants
Commercial database for agricultural supply chains with global coverage and multiple allocation approaches.
Key Information
- Dataset Count
- 5,000+ datasets
- Updates
- Annual updates
- Pricing
- Commercial license
Regional Coverage
Export Formats
Highlights
- Comprehensive agricultural coverage
- Multiple allocation methods
- Land use change modeling
- Global supply chain focus
Sector Coverage
Agribalyse
by ADEME (French Environment Agency)
Comprehensive database for agricultural and food products, widely used for food product environmental labeling.
Key Information
- Dataset Count
- 2,500+ food products
- Updates
- Regular updates
- Pricing
- Free
Regional Coverage
Export Formats
Highlights
- Specialized for food LCA
- Free and open access
- Supports eco-labeling
- Detailed agricultural processes
Sector Coverage
ecoinvent
by ecoinvent Association
The most widely used LCA database globally, providing high-quality life cycle inventory data for thousands of products and services.
Key Information
- Dataset Count
- 18,000+ datasets
- Updates
- Annual major releases
- Pricing
- From CHF 3,000/year (academic discounts available)
Regional Coverage
Export Formats
Highlights
- Most comprehensive global coverage
- Consistent methodology across datasets
- Regular updates and quality assurance
- Transparent documentation
Sector Coverage
ELCD (European Life Cycle Database)
by European Commission JRC
Reference database with EU-average life cycle inventory data, developed to support EU environmental policies.
Key Information
- Dataset Count
- 500+ datasets
- Updates
- Periodic updates
- Pricing
- Free
Regional Coverage
Export Formats
Highlights
- EU reference data
- Official government backing
- Free access
- Supports EU policy compliance
Sector Coverage
Sphera Managed LCA Content
by Sphera
Comprehensive LCA databases developed alongside LCA for Experts software, with strong focus on industrial data and supply chains. Formerly known as GaBi Databases.
Key Information
- Dataset Count
- 15,000+ datasets
- Updates
- Continuous updates
- Pricing
- Included with LCA for Experts software license
Regional Coverage
Export Formats
Highlights
- Strong industry partnerships for primary data
- Detailed supply chain modeling
- Automotive and electronics focus
- Integrated with LCA for Experts software
Sector Coverage
US LCI Database
by NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
Free, publicly available database focusing on US-specific life cycle inventory data for common materials, products, and processes.
Key Information
- Dataset Count
- 1,000+ datasets
- Updates
- Periodic updates
- Pricing
- Free
Regional Coverage
Export Formats
Highlights
- Free and publicly available
- US-specific data
- Government-backed quality
- Compatible with major LCA software
Sector Coverage
Data Quality Considerations
When selecting LCI data for your study, consider these quality aspects:
- Temporal representativeness: How recent is the data?
- Geographical representativeness: Does it match your study location?
- Technological representativeness: Does it reflect current technology?
- Completeness: Are all relevant flows included?
- Consistency: Is the methodology applied uniformly?
- Uncertainty: Is uncertainty data available?