Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

To reduce the environmental impact of your product, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of its entire environmental footprint.

An LCA is the first step in achieving
carbon neutral certification with Climate Active

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is defined as the systematic analysis of the potential environmental impacts of products or services during its entire life cycle.

Our expert LCA team evaluate the environmental impacts throughout the entire life cycle of a product, which is known as cradle to grave assessment. This includes the raw material acquisition, manufacturing and production, distribution and transportation, use and operation, and end-of-life phases.

Every LCA sets out specific environmental impact categories that guide the outcomes. There are many unique sets of categories depending on the project including:

  • Climate change (contribution to global warming)

  • Energy (cumulative energy demand and loss throughout a life cycle)

  • Land use

  • Water use

  • Resource depletion

  • Air pollution

  • Acidification (contribution to the occurrence of acid rain)

  • Eutrophication (the release of nitrogen and phosphorous, which leads to algal blooms)

  • Radiation

  • Eco-toxicity (the release of toxins that are harmful to life)

Climate Active Certification

To achieve Climate Active certification, your organisation needs to demonstrate transparency and credible emissions reductions across your entire business operations and product lifecycle. A core part of this process is conducting a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory, which involves measuring the carbon emissions of your product through a Lifecycle Assessment (LCA).

At Earthed, we help guide you through the entire certification process, starting with delivering an accurate LCA that measures the carbon footprint of your product from start to finish. This detailed data not only forms the foundation for your certification application but also helps identify opportunities for reducing emissions.

We assist in gathering the necessary lifecycle data, ensuring calculations meet Climate Active standards, and preparing your submission for verification. Our support makes the complex certification process clearer and more manageable, giving you confidence in your sustainability claims and helping you achieve recognition for your climate commitment.

Learn more here in how we can support your certification journey

Why an LCA is a game-changer for your business

Engaging in a Life Cycle Assessment unlocks a multitude of advantages:

  • Discover hidden opportunities: Pinpoint the stages in your product’s life cycle where environmental impact can be minimised.

  • Enhance brand reputation: Showcase your commitment to sustainability with credible, data-backed results.

  • Meet regulatory requirements: Stay ahead of evolving compliance standards smoothly and confidently.

  • Drive innovation: Use insights from LCAs to develop new, more sustainable products and processes.

  • Scope 3 emissions: Refer to the indirect greenhouse gases generated throughout your entire value chain, both before and after your direct operations. This encompasses emissions from raw materials purchased, as well as those produced during the manufacturing, use, and eventual disposal of your products often called the hidden or overlooked emissions. By analysing the full lifecycle of your products, you can better understand and manage your scope 3 impact, paving the way for a more sustainable way of doing business. Sharing these insights with your customers not only highlights your commitment to transparency but also demonstrates your responsibility across every stage of your product’s life.

With more than 15 years of expertise, we offer detailed Life Cycle Assessment reporting tailored to your needs.

  • Full LCA: A thoroughly documented assessment that compares alternative scenarios, including extensive data collection on key components, comprehensive inventories, methodology, and interpretation of results. These reports can be aligned with ISO standards and subjected to an ISO review process to enhance their reliability and market credibility.

  • Social LCA: As societal awareness grows regarding corporate accountability across supply chains, understanding social impacts becomes vital. We offer comprehensive social LCAs using our lifecycle expertise, social-specific training, and tools like the Social Hotspots Database to identify opportunities for sustainable innovation.

  • Streamlined LCA: A simpler comparison of different products throughout their lifecycle, with some assumptions and results documented. Typically suited for internal use or preliminary decisions, this type of LCA can serve as a foundation for public disclosures or design choices with additional work.

  • Critical Review: An ISO-based evaluation of your LCA study aimed at improving its quality and credibility, ensuring it meets market standards and enhances stakeholder trust.

Contact us to kick start your LCA journey.

hello@earthedconsulting.com