Life Cycle Assessment - LCA

 

 

What is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?

 Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) process

 

 

The Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is an international methodology that quantifies the environmental impacts associated with the products and services that are designed and manufactured, detecting areas for improvement through the study of the entire life cycle of the product. The development of an ACV involves the following steps marked by ISO 14040 and ISO 14044:

  • Definition of objectives, scope of the study and functional unit.
  • Production of Life Cycle Inventory.
  • Environmental impact evaluation.
  • Drafting the ACV report.

 

 

  

In a Life Cycle Analysis, each and every one of the stages of the life cycle is simulated, which includes the extraction and processing of raw materials, the manufacturing process itself, transportation, distribution, use , the reuse or recycling and the final disposal of waste. To carry out this analysis, IK Ingeniería has different specific software tools, developed by leading universities and administrations in the field of ecodesign and recognized by the European Commission, such as SimaPro, LCA Manager and OpenLCA

 Software analisis de ciclo de vida 

 

Why adopt a Life Cycle approach?

A life cycle approach helps companies to make decisions and to know and environmentally improve their product. More and more companies and business associations use and promote this life cycle approach within the framework of sustainability. In fact, the incorporation of this approach is mandatory for all those who are or want to become certified under ISO 14001. Other advantages of the use of Life Cycle Analysis for a company are the following:

  • It allows you to better know your product and reduce its environmental impact, making it more sustainable.
  • Improves the image of the company and its transparency towards the market, reinforcing the commitment to sustainability.
  • Serves as a basis for obtaining environmental label and certificates, such as Ecolabels or Environmental Product Declarations, or in the case of Buildings, to obtain points in sustainability certification systems such as Leed or Breeam.
  • It is an excellent tool to facilitate the purchase decision making online with the improvement of the environmental design of the product.
  • It improves the competitiveness of the products, as well as the image and the value of the brand, both in companies that compete in the global market, as in the case of smaller suppliers and producers.

  

Environmental Certifications of Buildings: LEED - BREEAM

We are experts in the development of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of building systems, materials and buildings. That is why we help you justify LEED and BREEAM credits related to the ACV of buildings and components.