Life Cycle Literacy (Concepts)

Goal & scope definition

The first step in doing an LCA in which the goal (what, why, for who, purpose) and the scope (modeling aspects) are defined

Scope 2 GHG emissions

Indirect GHG emissions from purchased electricity

Unit process

The smallest building block of a LCA model. It describes inputs entering the process (resources, products from other processes, waster streams) as well as the output leaving the process (emissions, waster flows)

Classification

The step in life cycle impact assessment in which the elementary flows are classified according to their potential contribution to an impact category.

Contribution analysis

Identification of the most problematic emission or environmental impact

Interpretation

Fourth and final step in a LCA methodology. Results are discussed and conclusions are made. Adjustments can be made to the previous sections of the LCA by adding details on inventory analysis or adjusting goal and scope definition.

Elementary Flow

A flow that crosses the system boundary and this causes an environmental impact

Characterization

Translation of an environmental load, that has been classified to an impact, into its environmental impact.

Dominance Analysis

Analyzes what processes are the main contributors to the environmental impact of a system

System boundary

The technical boundary that delimits the product system under study from the natural environment and other product systems

The LCA framework

An established procedure for LCA, comprising the goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment and interpretation steps

Inventory table

Table showing life cycle inventory analysis results in terms of inputs and outputs per functional unit

Ecodesign

Consideration of environmental issues in product development to minimize environmental impact over life cycle without compromising other essential criteria

Weighting

The aggregation of all environmental and resource impacts into one single score

Pedegree matrix

Table with criteria for assessing inventory data quality in LCA

Abiotic resource

Non-living, non-organic material resources, for example metals, minerals, land, fresh water, air and sunlight

ReCiPe

Package of LCIA methods

Nitrogen fixation

Process by which nitrogen (N₂) in the Earth's atmosphere is converted to nitrogen species that are available to living organisms

Actor-based LCA

Quantification of environmental impacts within an actor’s sphere of responsibility or influence

openLCA

Open-source software for LCA modelling

Open loop recycling

Recycling of a product into some other type of product, often implying a quality degradation

Well-to-wheel study

A LCA study of a vehicle fuel

Type I environmental label

Third-party verified labels telling that a product fulfills certain environmental criteria