Life cycle assessments and decision making

Jess Twemlow from Ricardo looks at the six benefits for a business A life cycle assessment (LCA) determines the environmental impact of a product at each stage of its life cycle. It looks at the impact of extracting raw materials for the product, the resources used during manufacturing, how it is distributed to the end-user, its impact when people are using it, and what happens after it has reached the end of its useful life. Ricardo Energy & Environment is using LCAs to help its clients unlock greater value from their products and embed sustainability into their supply chains. Over the past decade, the company has developed a flexible approach to LCA which has delivered value for a diverse range of businesses from timber merchants and whisky distilleries to electric vehicle battery developers and chemical manufacturers. Ricardo has found that there are six benefits of LCA that all businesses can enjoy.   GET THE BIGGER PICTURE An LCA allows a business to get an overall view on the environmental impact of its products. For example, when assessing the life cycle of a chemical, the environmental impacts of all the materials would be considered and the emissions and...