Product Lifecycle Assessment Services

1. Goal and Scope of Definition
   The objective is finalized, which defines the application of the study and the audience to which it will cater. The project boundary is set, which outlines the process, inputs, and outputs included in the study. The company also decides the guidelines for LCA implementation.
2. Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) 
   At this stage, the inventory data is collected, right from the extraction of raw materials to the disposal of end-of-life materials.
3. Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA)
   Collected data is evaluated on factors such as climate change, greenhouse gases generated, ecosystem quality, resource depletion, etc. LCIA highlights the stages with the highest environmental footprint.
4. Interpretation
   In this stage, the environmental impact and areas that require assistance or opportunity for progress are highlighted.

LCA helps quantify and measure the impact, thus highlighting areas for improvement. It showcases the results of implementing innovative approaches. Working on the results can help reduce the environmental footprint and establish brand recognition.

Yes, Life Cycle Assessment is applicable for service companies. LCA can help service companies identify areas of improvement to reduce their environmental footprint. For example, Bank of America conducted an LCA to compare its electronic and paper statements. This study helped the bank understand the potential to switch to electronic statements.

LCA considers environmental impacts across the entire life cycle of a product, process, or service. While other tools focus on specific aspects such as carbon footprint or water usage. LCA evaluates several factors like energy consumption, resource depletion, emissions, and waste generation, letting businesses make informed decisions.

Life Cycle Assessment helps companies to perform better in compliance and get good ratings. Rating frameworks such as S&P require companies to share the results of LCA conducted for better rating.

Life Cycle Assessment study requires detailed input and output data of a product or service. It also includes data from extraction of raw materials, transportation, use phase, and end of life. The quality and completeness of the data collected determine the reliability and accuracy of LCA results.

Yes, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Product Carbon Footprint (PCF), and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) are different. Where LCA assesses the comprehensive environmental impact of the complete value chain following ISO 14040 and 14044, PCF evaluates GHG emissions following ISO 14067. CBAM, an EU regulatory tool, covers only direct emissions from fuel and electricity used in the production process, and specific upstream supply chain emissions.

The time required to conduct LCA, PCF or CBAM depends on the complexity of the product value chain, the number of products to be covered, the number of factories to be covered, comparatives and boundary of the study, i.e. gate-to-gate, cradle-to-gate or cradle-to-grave.

Setting boundaries is crucial in all LCA and PCF studies. While parts of the study can be reused when the same product is manufactured at multiple factories, conditions often vary by location, including energy profiles, renewable resource usage, raw material sourcing distances, and customer distribution distances. Therefore, such a study must be conducted using a combination of both the manufacturing location and the product.