What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product or process across its entire lifecycle—from raw material extraction to production, use, and end of life.
Instead of focusing only on carbon emissions, LCA considers multiple impact categories, such as climate change, resource use, water consumption, and impacts on human health and ecosystems.
LCA framework
LCA follows a standardized framework defined by international standards (ISO 14040/44), ensuring consistency and reliability of results. It consists of four main steps:
System boundaries
System boundaries define which lifecycle stages are included in the assessment. Depending on the goal, different approaches can be used:
Features of Zero Carbon Tool
Guided lifecycle workflow
Follow a step-by-step process across all lifecycle phases—from materials to end of life. The tool ensures that no critical input is missed and keeps the analysis structured and intuitive.
Scenario-based modelling
Create and compare multiple scenarios to understand how design or material changes affect environmental impact. Make better decisions based on real data, not assumptions.
Automated impact calculation
Run calculations instantly using a robust methodology based on standardized datasets. Results are generated in the background and presented in a clear, structured format.
Detailed impact insights
Analyse environmental impacts across multiple categories and identify key hotspots. Understand what drives your footprint and where improvements matter most.
Project and data management
Organize your work into projects and scenarios. Easily edit, duplicate, and track changes over time, all within a single interface.
Export & reporting
Generate professional reports and share results with stakeholders or use them for compliance and decision-making.
Continuous saving & user-friendly interface
All inputs are automatically saved, allowing you to work without interruptions. The interface is designed for clarity, even for non-experts.
Improvement recommendations (coming soon)
Discover opportunities to reduce your environmental impact by exploring relevant waste streams and real-world solutions used by other companies on Digital Circular Inventory.