LCA: life cycle assessment of your products

LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) is the methodology standardised by ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 to quantify the environmental impacts of a product or service across its entire life cycle: raw material extraction, production, transport, use and end of life. It does not only measure CO₂e emissions, but also water use, fossil resource use, eutrophication, acidification and land use.

To objectively quantify environmental impacts across the whole life cycle, in order to understand where they are concentrated and avoid shifting the problem from one stage to another, for example by reducing packaging but increasing transport emissions.

It is used to identify hotspots, i.e. the stages and materials that weigh most on the product's impact; to design better products by comparing materials, packaging, suppliers and ecodesign scenarios; to communicate credibly, backing environmental claims with quantified data in line with Directive (EU) 2024/825; and to meet customer, tender and regulatory requests, laying the groundwork for an EPD.

An LCA is not a pass/fail grade. A good result means low impacts per functional unit compared with products that perform the same function. A good LCA study, on the other hand, is one based on primary data, compliant with ISO standards and transparent about assumptions and limitations. Public comparison with other products requires common rules (PCR) and a critical review.

ISO 14040 and 14044 set out four phases: goal and scope definition (purpose, functional unit, system boundaries); inventory analysis (LCI), collecting data on raw materials, energy, water, packaging, transport and end of life; impact assessment (LCIA) with recognised software and databases; interpretation of results and drafting of the report, with analysis of hotspots, limitations and data quality.

There is no general obligation today. However, a growing number of European regulations require life cycle-based impact data for specific product categories: the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) with the Digital Product Passport, the new Construction Products Regulation, and the Batteries Regulation for the carbon footprint declaration. In Italy, the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) in public procurement reward or require EPDs. In addition, Directive (EU) 2024/825 requires environmental claims to be substantiated, and LCA is the most robust tool to do so.

It depends on the complexity of the product and on the availability of supplier data. After an initial assessment, we agree together on the phases, timing and data needed for the study.