Life Cycle Assessment Course

Lesson 1 • International Standards and Governance

Covers the internationally recognised standards that govern LCA methodology and reporting. Ensures students understand compliance expectations before conducting studies.

Lesson 2 • Applications and Use Cases

Surveys real-world contexts where LCA informs decisions in industry, policy, and procurement. Motivates learners by linking methodology to tangible outcomes.

Lesson 3 • What Is Life Cycle Assessment

Defines LCA as a systematic tool for quantifying environmental impacts across a product's full life. Establishes the vocabulary and rationale used throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Assumptions, Limitations, and Data Requirements

Identifies how to document assumptions and anticipate data gaps before fieldwork. Transparent documentation strengthens study credibility and peer review outcomes.

Lesson 2 • System Boundary Selection

Guides students through decisions about which life cycle stages and processes to include. Boundary choices directly affect completeness and comparability of results.

Lesson 3 • Articulating the Study Goal

Teaches how to state the intended application, audience, and decision context of an LCA. A clear goal prevents scope creep and guides all subsequent methodological choices.

Lesson 1 • Inventory Data Types and Sources

Distinguishes foreground from background data and primary from secondary sources. Understanding data provenance is essential for quality assessment and uncertainty analysis.

Lesson 2 • Allocation Methods

Addresses how to distribute environmental burdens when processes produce multiple outputs. Allocation choices can significantly shift results and must be justified methodologically.

Lesson 3 • Inventory Validation and Completeness

Covers mass balance checks, cross-validation techniques, and gap-filling strategies. Validated inventories reduce errors that propagate into impact assessment results.

Lesson 4 • Process Flow Modeling

Teaches construction of unit process models and their linkage into a product system. Accurate flow modeling is the structural backbone of a reliable inventory.

Lesson 1 • Selecting and Applying LCIA Methods

Guides selection among established LCIA methods such as ReCiPe, CML, and TRACI. Students practice applying a chosen method to a complete inventory dataset.

Lesson 2 • Climate Change and Energy Impact Categories

Covers global warming potential characterisation factors and cumulative energy demand methods. These are the most commonly reported categories and serve as a practical starting point.

Lesson 3 • Resource Use and Water Impact Categories

Examines mineral resource scarcity, fossil resource depletion, and water consumption methods. Resource categories are increasingly required in product sustainability disclosures.

Lesson 4 • LCIA Framework and Structure

Explains the compulsory and optional elements of the LCIA phase per international standards. Provides the conceptual map students need before applying specific methods.

Lesson 1 • Drawing Conclusions and Recommendations

Structures the process of translating quantitative results into clear, scope-consistent conclusions. Students practice formulating recommendations aligned with the original study goal.

Lesson 2 • Uncertainty Analysis

Introduces Monte Carlo simulation and scenario-based approaches to quantify result uncertainty. Uncertainty analysis is compulsory for credible comparative assertions.

Lesson 3 • Hotspot Identification

Teaches contribution analysis to pinpoint processes and flows driving the largest impacts. Hotspot identification directs improvement efforts to where they matter most.

Lesson 1 • Automating and Scaling LCA Workflows

Introduces scripting interfaces and batch processing to handle large or repetitive LCA tasks. Automation skills increase efficiency for portfolio-level or comparative studies.

Lesson 2 • Database Integration and Management

Teaches how to import, link, and manage background databases within LCA software. Correct database management ensures inventory accuracy and reproducibility.

Lesson 3 • Building a Model in LCA Software

Walks through creating unit processes, defining flows, and assembling a product system model. Hands-on model building consolidates skills from inventory and impact assessment chapters.

Lesson 1 • Critical Review of Comparative Studies

Covers the critical review process required for comparative assertions intended for public disclosure. Students practise both conducting and responding to expert panel reviews.

Lesson 2 • Industry Benchmarking with LCA Data

Shows how to use sector-average datasets and benchmarks to contextualise product performance. Benchmarking translates absolute scores into relative environmental positioning.

Lesson 3 • Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Integration

Combines LCA results with cost, technical, and social criteria for holistic decision support. MCDA integration prevents single-metric optimisation that ignores trade-offs.

Lesson 1 • Supply Chain Decarbonisation with LCA

Applies LCA to identify and prioritise emission reduction opportunities across supplier tiers. Supply chain hotspots often represent the largest leverage points for corporate climate targets.

Lesson 2 • Embedding LCA in Product Development

Shows how to integrate LCA at each stage of the product development process for proactive design. Early integration reduces costly redesign and maximizes environmental improvement potential.

Lesson 3 • Building an Organisational LCA Capability

Addresses staffing, data infrastructure, and governance needed to sustain an internal LCA function. Organisational capability ensures LCA delivers value beyond individual project studies.

Lesson 4 • Communicating LCA Results to Stakeholders

Teaches how to translate technical LCA findings into clear messages for non-expert audiences. Effective communication ensures LCA insights drive real decisions rather than gathering dust.