Page 63 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

2.3 Illustration of the Component ‘Definition of Goal and Scope’ Using an Example of Practice 47

Inventory Analysis and Life Cycle Impact Assessment; see Figure 1.4) should be
present; the critical reviewers will then be in a position to accomplish interactively
at least the important phase of interpretation.
Alternatively, the critical review has to be accomplished really ‘a posteriori’
(afterwards) on the basis of the final study report.
According to the revised standard ISO 14044, a critical review team must consist
of a minimum of three individuals. The commissioner appoints the chair and the
appointment of co-referees usually takes place in consent with the commissioner
and the author (practitioner) of the LCA.
For internal LCAs a critical review is optional and can be conducted either by
internal or external independent experts. When internal experts are invited, great
care should be taken to provide independence of those and of all parties interested
in the results. This could, for instance, be a member of quality control or similar
specialist teams or headquarters such as product stewardship.
A detailed discussion of the critical review process can be found in Chapter 5.

2.2.8
Further Definitions to the Scope

Besides these issues that were discussed relatively in detail above, the international
standard 14044 52) additionally requires the following specifications for the task of
‘Definition of Goal and Scope’:

• allocation procedures,
• methods for interpretation,
• restrictions,
• type and structure of the report intended.

With the exception of allocation, which has already been addressed in Section 2.2.2.2
(treatment in depth in Section 3.3), these issues are of particular interest for the
phase ‘Interpretation’. They are discussed in Chapter 5.

2.3
Illustration of the Component ‘Definition of Goal and Scope’ Using an Example of
Practice

In practice, LCAs are very extensive studies. For an illustration of a gradual intro-
duction to the methodology of LCA, tasks as discussed are presented after every
leading paragraph on the basis of an LCA study published as ‘Comparative LCA of
Beverage Carton and PET single-use bottles’. The study was conducted by the Insti-
tute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU Heidelberg) commissioned by
the Association of Carton Packaging for liquid foods (Fachverband Getr¨ ankekarton

52) ISO (2006b).