Page 27 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

Chapter 2
Main Characteristics of LCA

Anders Bjørn, Mikołaj Owsianiak, Christine Molin
and Alexis Laurent

Abstract Life cycle assessment (LCA) has a number of defining characteristics
that enables it to address questions that no other assessment tools can address. This
chapter begins by demonstrating how the use of LCA in the late 2000s led to a
drastic shift in the dominant perception that biofuels were “green”, “sustainable” or
“carbon neutral”, which led to a change in biofuel policies. This is followed by a
grouping of the LCA characteristics into four headlines and an explanation of these:
(1) takes a life cycle perspective, (2) covers a broad range of environmental issues,
(3) is quantitative, (4) is based on science. From the insights of the LCA charac-
teristics we then consider the strengths and limitations of LCA and end the chapter
by listing 10 questions that LCA can answer and 3 that it cannot.

Learning objectives After studying this chapter the reader should be able to:
• Explain the relevance of LCA as a tool for environmental management.
• Explain four main characteristics of LCA.
• Demonstrate an understanding of strengths and limitations of LCA by providing
examples of environment-related questions that LCA can answer and questions
that LCA cannot answer.

A. Bjørn M. Owsianiak C. Molin A. Laurent
Division for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment,
Department of Management Engineering,
Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
A. Bjørn (&) C. Molin A. Laurent
CIRAIG, Polytechnique Montréal, 3333 Chemin Queen-Mary,
Montréal, QC, Canada
e-mail: anders.bjoern@polymtl.ca
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018 9
M.Z. Hauschild et al. (eds.), Life Cycle Assessment,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56475-3_2