Life Cycle Assessment

Ba­si­cLCA and AdvancedLCA is a standardised method developed by Car­bo­tech for the implementation of Life Cycle Assessments. This method is particularly suitable for an initial, rough analysis of already available data. Our many years of experience show that in many cases the results are clear enough and a further investigation is not necessary for the purposes of decision-making.

Ba­si­cLCA – for an initial rough analysis

BasicLCA is particularly suitable for an initial, rough analysis of already available data. Our many years of experience show that in many cases the results are clear enough and a further investigation is not necessary for the purposes of decision-making.can produce two types of LCAs. One of these allows the direct comparison of the environmental performance of two products or two processes (LCA­com­pa­re). The other analyses a product or a process for its relevant environmental impact factors (LCAna­ly­se).

Ba­si­cLCA is designed as a starter module, if internal questions need to be answered efficiently and environmentally sound. The advantages:

• you supply the data, we calculate the environmental impact (LCAna­ly­se)
• compact decision-making basis (2-4 A4 pages)
• results are obtained quickly, and in a standardised format
• we advise you concerning the choice of assessment methods
• low cost

AdvancedLCA – for more detailed analysis

Ad­van­cedL­CA is the perfect instrument to extend the Ba­si­cLCA if more complex questions demand the collection of additional data – or when the inventory analysis needs to be published.

Ad­van­cedL­CA has two versions: LCA­com­pa­re confronts two products, processes or variations, with regards their environmental impacts, while LCA­ana­ly­se examines the sources of the relevant environmental impacts.

Along with the services included in Ba­si­cLCA, Ad­van­cedL­CA offers the following advantages

• you define the question, we supply the independent LCA.
• the results may be communicated externally.

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

Nachhaltige Lösungen sollen langfristig tragfähig sein – nicht nur ökologisch und gesellschaftlich, sondern natürlich auch finanziell. Dabei ist es wichtig, Entscheide nicht nur auf den Einkaufspreis abzustützen, sondern die Kosten über die gesamte Lebensdauer eines Produkts oder einer Investition zu berücksichtigen. Gerade bei langlebigen Produkten können die Nutzungskosten bedeutend höher sein als die Anschaffungskosten.

Ziel der Lebenszykluskostenrechnung (Total Cost of Ownership TCO und Life Cycle Costing LCC) ist meistens der Vergleich von zwei Produktalternativen, um einen Kaufentscheid fällen zu können. Sie kann aber auch für die Budgetierung von Investitionen sehr hilfreich sein, um die Kosten in der Zukunft abzuschätzen.

Um eine Lebenszykluskostenrechnung zu erstellen, werden die relevantesten Kosten in den verschiedenen Phasen des Produktlebenszyklus identifiziert und abgeschätzt. Dies geschieht z.B. aufgrund von Offerten, Recherchen oder Erfahrungswerten aus Interviews mit Expert*innen. Je nach Produkt fallen unterschiedliche Kosten an, z.B. Reparaturkosten, Kosten für Energie, Entsorgungskosten und viele Weitere. Zeitfaktoren (Diskontierung) und Unsicherheiten über die Höhe zukünftiger Kosten können ebenfalls berücksichtigt werden.

Die Berechnung der Lebenszykluskosten ergänzt die Produktökobilanz, wenn man beim Entscheid zwischen verschiedenen Varianten sowohl ökologische als auch ökonomische Kriterien berücksichtigen möchte. Zur Verknüpfung dieser beiden Kriterientypen bestehen ebenfalls Methoden, z.B. die Ökoeffizienz oder die Methode der externen Kosten (bei der die Umweltbelastung in monetären Einheiten ausgedrückt wird).

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Jede Organisation verbraucht in ihrer Aktivität Ressourcen und verursacht Emissionen und Abfälle. Diese Faktoren führen zu ökologischen Belastungen, die zwar nicht vermieden, aber minimiert werden können. Die Ursachen dieser Belastungen variieren stark nach Branche und Geschäftsmodell. Eine Betriebsbilanz (auch Umweltbilanz genannt) analysiert die Aktivitäten einer Organisation auf ihre Auswirkungen auf die Umwelt.

Das Ziel der Betriebsbilanz ist die Identifikation sogenannter Hotspots, also der Aktivitäten mit dem grössten Einfluss auf die Umwelt. Häufig sind der Energieverbrauch, die Mobilität und die IT-Infrastruktur relevante Themen. In gewissen Sektoren spielt der Ressourcenverbrauch eine zentrale Rolle, in anderen die Verpflegung.

Die Grundlage einer Betriebsbilanz ist eine Bestandsaufnahme über alle Aktivitäten und Ressourcenflüsse der Geschäftstätigkeit. Nachdem wir gemeinsam die Systemgrenzen definiert und die erforderlichen Daten gesammelt haben, berechnet das Team der Carbotech AG die Umweltauswirkungen der Aktivitäten der Organisation – je nach Bedarf nach Wertschöpfungsphasen, Standorten etc. Das Standardvorgehen ist eine Bewertung der gesamten Umweltbelastung mit einer gesonderten Erfassung der Klimabelastung.

Mit den Erkenntnissen aus der Betriebsbilanz lassen sich danach Verbesserungspotenziale bestimmen. Mittels zielgerichteter Massnahmen kann folglich die Betriebsbilanz verbessert werden. Somit ist die Betriebsbilanz eine ideale Grundlage für die Entwicklung einer Umweltstrategie und bietet darüber hinaus gleichzeitig einen umfangreichen Überblick über ihr Wertschöpfungsmodell, der Grundlage für die integrierte Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung (nach IIRC).

Tailor-made Life Cycle Assessments

We are frequently confronted with questions which can not, or only to a limited degree, be answered from the existing data and methods. In such cases, it is necessary to collect more detailed data and/or extend the assessment methods. This demands not only sufficient experience in Life Cycle Assessment, but also considerable technical understanding of the systems being investigated, as well as detailed knowledge of the principles underlying the assessment methodologies.

Car­bo­tech has this broad background in its highly-qualified staff. We have accumulated a great deal of experience in a broad range of fields, including plastics manufacturing and processing, sewage treatment, agricultural products, building material production and construction, paper manufacturing, and events.

Within the experience of the various projects, we have developed assessment techniques which have been integrated by government agencies into their own methods. We have prepared the bases for data which meet the recognised standards, and which have been used by international data banks.

Our aim at all times remains to answer the questions of the client. To achieve this, we often need to seek innovative and pragmatic solutions. We nevertheless remain objective and independent and keep the primary goals clearly in focus.

The old saying “Show me your Life Cycle Assessment and I will tell you who paid for it!” may still apply in some cases. Some may say that every result in LCAs can be demonstrated. To a certain degree this is true because LCA does not licence the truth, but merely answers specific questions. In this sense, it is decisive that the system boundaries and the data inventory used match the question being addressed.

In order to guarantee the quality of the Life Cycle Assessment, a review is used. The review process is described in detail in ISO Norm 14040/44 concerning Life Cycle Assessments. In the process, an independent third party examines the LCA, verifying that:

• the methods used correspond to the international standards
• the methods used are scientifically and technically valid and applicable
• the data used are appropriate and sound enough in scope for the objectives of the study
• the conclusions cover the objectives and scope of the study
• the report is transparent and consistent

We always apply an internal review to our own Life Cycle Assessments, and we are very experienced as external reviewers: from simple and pragmatic supervision of the studies, and discussion of the relevant aspects, to a review process conforming to ISO 14040/44.

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) according to ISO 14’025 is a type 3 product label that contains environmentally relevant information about a product. In the building sector in particular, more and more product EPDs are being requested in tenders to declare the environmental impact and are also increasingly being used by planners and architects.

Carbotech AG works with various customers on the preparation of EPDs in accordance with EN 15’804+A2 and can draw on a wealth of experience. Using a simple tool, the extensive contents of an EPD can be compiled efficiently and consistently. We offer our clients a product-specific LCA including a background report and support them in the verification process with different programme operators. Based on our experience, the preparation of EPDs is an interdisciplinary task, which is precisely why we enjoy it so much.

EPDs provide a comprehensive list of information. Only by weighting the various life cycle assessment data listed is it possible to make an overall assessment of the environmental impact (environmental footprint). For this purpose, Carbotech AG has developed an online calculator to compare the environmental footprint of products.

Click here for the EPD calculator:

For the analysis of the environmental footprint, an adapted method ILCD Endpoint v1.06 is used (with the weighting set according to Huppes and van Oers). In part, the method was supplemented with simple approximations for an initial assessment of the environmental footprint. For example, impact categories from EPDs that do not correspond to the ILCD method were assigned to corresponding ILCD impact categories and converted. The selection of indicators listed for the screening corresponds to the most frequently used information in EPDs. For more precise clarifications, it may be necessary to add further indicators and evaluate them within the framework of the ILCD method. Carbotech AG accepts no liability for the evaluations created with the calculator and the use of the results.

The extraction of raw materials, which is largely carried out in emerging and developing countries, is often associated not only with environmental impacts but also with negative social impacts. In recent years, these have increasingly become the focus of public attention and thus the interest to extend the environmental life cycle analysis / footprint with social effects. The following aspects are covered:

• Finding social hotspots along the life cycle
• Identification of potential social risks
• Providing information to the interested public
• Identify positive social effects that may be hidden in supply chains.

We use the SOCA process database. This links the ecoinvent database with the PSILCA database, which is an economic input/output database containing 37 social indicators on 15’000 sectors from over 189 countries in addition to the corresponding cash flows. Based on the country-specific information from the PSILCA database, the corresponding social indicators for the process inventories from ecoinvent v3.3 were compiled in the SOCA database. The SOCA database is based on the UNEP Guidelines for social life cycle assessment of products and The Methodological Sheets for Sub-categories in Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA).

To determine the relevance of the different social impacts, we standardise them with the global social impact flows. This shows how the effects of the system examined affect society as a whole. The result of standardization is dimensionless quantities. The normalized indicators are aggregated to a final value using a weighting set (based on Manik et al. 2013). To make it easier to understand, we have introduced the term “Social Burden Points – SBP” for the final score.

This procedure allows us to combine the abundance of 37 indicator statements into one parameter and make the results more comprehensible.

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.