By Raymond Wang of SSBTi.org/ZeoLCA.com 2023/8/29
1. Q&A about LCA methodolog
Q: What is the LCA method?
A: The LCA method is a method of assessing the environmental impact of a product or service throughout its lifecycle. There are three aspects required to perform the LCA method: regulatory guidance (e.g., 14067, EPD, PEF, etc.), LCA software (e.g., Gabi, Semipro, efootprint, etc.), LCA basic database (ecoinvent, Gabi, CLCD, ELCD, etc.). At present, there is no professional software in Taiwan that meets international standards (DoItPro is not accepted by GHG Protocol, and the database does not meet ILCD United Nations norms), and only CLCD with a Chinese background is the upstream database of the manufacturing industry in China accepted by the United Nations.
Q: What is the role of the LCA method in environmental assessment?
A: The LCA method can help us quantify the carbon footprint, resource consumption, environmental emissions, etc. of our products or services, and provide scientific evidence to make environmental improvements.
2. Q&A about LCA software
Q: What are the features and uses of LCA software?
A: Professional LCA software can help us establish a life cycle model, collect data, perform calculation and analysis, and present a detailed environmental impact report.
Q: Why do we need to use LCA software?
A: The use of LCA software can make our analysis more systematic, scientific, and improve work efficiency.
3. Q&A on Carbon Footprint
Q: What is the carbon footprint?
A: A carbon footprint is the total amount of all greenhouse gas emissions generated by a product or service over its life cycle. At present, the carbon footprint at the organizational level (ISO 14064-1), the carbon footprint at the product level (ISO14067), and the carbon footprint inventory required upstream of the supply chain (Scope 3) are commonly used. At present, Taiwan's listed companies are more likely to adopt ISO standards, while the international carbon tax or emission reduction needs are dominated by the GHG protocol and CDP/SBTi.
Q: What does carbon footprint have to do with environmental protection?
A: The size of the carbon footprint is a direct reflection of the impact of a product or service on climate change, and reducing the carbon footprint can help us protect the environment.
4. Q&A on the basic concepts of carbon footprint data analysis [Intermediate Flow], [LCA Evaluation], and [Basic Flow]
Q: What is the middle stream?
A: Intermediate flow refers to the flow of matter or energy from one process to another in a life cycle analysis. This is usually the process by which activity data is queried to the relevant emission factors.
Q: How is the intermediate stream used in LCA?
A: In LCA, we model the life cycle by tracing intermediate streams and convert these intermediate streams into resource consumption and environmental emissions for analysis.
Q: What is the importance of intermediate streams in LCA?
A: Intermediate flow is a very important concept in LCA. It helps us connect different processes to form a life cycle model. Without an intermediate flow, these processes can't connect. Once the data is collected, we use an intermediate stream to string these processes together to form a complete lifecycle model.
Q: Can you explain the basic idea of LCA?
A: First, we build a holistic model to address climate change, which will include all processes throughout the life cycle. Then, there will be inputs and outputs in each process, and these inputs and outputs are based on the intermediate stream. Finally, we calculate and analyze these data and add them up to get the final result (e.g. carbon footprint, water footprint, ecological footprint, etc.).
Q: What is the base stream?
A: The base stream describes the resources that are extracted from the environment and the substances that are emitted into the environment. In simple terms, it includes natural resources extracted from the environment, as well as substances emitted into the atmosphere, water bodies, and soil. It's an analysis of your actual impact on the environment. This is the distinction between the intermediate flow of the intermediate analysis and the final basic flow related to environmental emissions, and the professional LCA software is basically the two methods of analyzing the data.
By Raymond Wang of SSBTi.org/ZeoLCA.com 2023/8/29
Very helpful
Very good Q&A to help me understand LCA
This is a very good sharing. Thank you for the insights that help us a lot.
good job!