LCA Glossary

Impact category measuring the potential to cause acidification of soils and water, typically measured in SO2 equivalents.

Partitioning the input or output flows of a process or a product system between the product system under study and one or more other product systems.

An approach to LCA that describes the environmentally relevant physical flows to and from a life cycle and its subsystems.

Generic or average data used for processes in the background system, typically from LCA databases.

Carbon derived from biomass. In LCA, biogenic CO2 emissions and uptake are often tracked separately from fossil carbon.

The total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, or product, expressed as CO2 equivalent.

The calculation of category indicator results, converting LCI results into common units using characterization factors.

An approach to LCA that describes how environmentally relevant flows will change in response to possible decisions.

A system boundary that includes all processes from raw material extraction to the factory gate, excluding use and disposal phases.

A complete life cycle assessment from raw material extraction through manufacturing, use, and final disposal.

Specification of the amount of material, energy flow, or level of environmental significance excluded from a study.

Characteristics of data that relate to their ability to satisfy stated requirements. Includes precision, completeness, representativeness, consistency, and reproducibility.

One of the most comprehensive LCA databases, containing thousands of industrial processes and their environmental flows.

Material or energy entering the system being studied from the environment without previous human transformation, or leaving the system and released to the environment.

The stage of a product life cycle when it is discarded by the final user. Includes disposal, recycling, or reuse.

A standardized (ISO 14025) document that communicates the environmental performance of a product or service.

Impact category measuring the potential to cause over-fertilization of water and soil, leading to increased growth of biomass.

Specific data for the processes directly under the control of the commissioner of the study.

Quantified performance of a product system for use as a reference unit in an LCA study.

A partial LCA looking at only one value-added process in the production chain.

A measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere relative to CO2 over a specific time period.

Phase of LCA aimed at understanding and evaluating the magnitude and significance of potential environmental impacts.

Class representing environmental issues of concern to which LCI results can be assigned.

International standard that describes the principles and framework for LCA.

International standard that specifies requirements and provides guidelines for LCA.

A leading LCA software tool developed by Sphera (formerly known as GaBi), widely used in industry for comprehensive life cycle assessments.

Compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs, and potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle.

Phase of LCA involving the compilation and quantification of inputs and outputs for a product throughout its life cycle.

A characterization method that models the impact pathway up to a certain point before the endpoint.

Calculation of the magnitude of category indicator results relative to a reference value.

Open-source LCA software developed by GreenDelta, freely available for practitioners and researchers.

Impact category measuring the potential to destroy stratospheric ozone, typically measured in CFC-11 equivalents.

Data obtained from direct measurements or calculations based on direct measurements at their original sources.

Set of specific rules, requirements, and guidelines for developing EPDs for one or more product categories.

Collection of unit processes with elementary and product flows, performing one or more defined functions.

A widely used LCIA method that integrates midpoint and endpoint approaches into a consistent framework.

Measure of the outputs from processes in a given product system required to fulfil the function expressed by the functional unit.

Data obtained from literature, databases, or other indirect sources rather than direct measurement.

Systematic procedure for estimating the effects of choices made regarding methods and data on the outcome of a study.

A leading commercial LCA software developed by PRé Sustainability, used worldwide by practitioners.

Comprehensive LCA database developed by Sphera (formerly known as GaBi Databases), featuring extensive industry data particularly strong in automotive, electronics, and chemicals sectors.

Set of criteria specifying which unit processes are part of a product system.

An allocation avoidance technique that expands the product system to include functions of co-products.

Systematic procedure to quantify the uncertainty introduced into the results of an LCA due to cumulative effects of model imprecision and input uncertainty.

Smallest element considered in the LCI for which input and output data are quantified.

Metric measuring the total volume of freshwater used to produce goods and services consumed by an individual, community, or business.

Process of converting indicator results of different impact categories by using numerical factors based on value-choices.