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unreliability of sequestration over the long term, this would raise overall greenhouse gas levels
compared to a strategy of reducing emissions at the source. This sobering reflection on seques-
tration is not simply a caution on the use of offsets, but also shows how important social factors
are in any technical system – and underlines the fact that a more sophisticated approach to
assessment and design of strategies for carbon abatement is urgently required.
In parallel to further methodological development is the need for rapid development of policy,
regulatory and support mechanisms to provide confidence and viability to various industries to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While the cost of carbon is already in common parlance, it will
become more ubiquitous over the next decade and will have significant impacts on business and
practice. Experience with data provision and LCA-related assessment, as indicated in the Orica
case study, indicates that experience with LCA provides a good basis for organisations embarking
on best practice carbon-reduction programs. It follows, therefore, that organisations that have
begun to embed LCA as part of business management and decision-making will be well placed to
take advantage of carbon savings in carbon trading or taxation environments.

10.6 References
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Heritage Australian Greenhouse Office, Canberra.
Argonne (2008) The Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation
(GREET) Model. Argonne National Laboratory. Retrieved 14 April 2008 from <http://
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Beer T, Grant T, Morgan G, Lapszewicz J, Anyon P, Edwards J, Nelson P, Watson H and
Williams D (2002) ‘Comparison of transport fuels: life-cycle emissions analysis of alter-
native fuels for heavy vehicles.’ CSIRO, Aspendale, Victoria.
Beer T, Meyer M, Grant T, Russell K, Kirkby C, Chen D, Edis R, Lawson S, Weeks I, Galbally I,
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F3.5, CSIRO Division of Marine and Atmospheric Research, Aspendale, Victoria.
Blottnitz HV and Curran MA (2007) A review of assessments conducted on bio-ethanol as a
transportation fuel from a net energy, greenhouse gas, and environmental life cycle per-
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Council of Australian Governments (2005) Intergovernmental Agreement on a National Water
Initiative. Council of Australian Governments, Canberra.
Cowie AL and Gardner WD (2007) Competition for the biomass resource: greenhouse impacts
and implications for renewable energy incentive schemes. Biomass and Bioenergy 31, 601–
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Department of Climate Change (2008) National Greenhouse Accounts (NGA) Factors.
Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.
Fraanje P and Lafleur M (1994) Verantwoord gebruik van hout in Nederland. IVAM
Environmental Research, Amsterdam.
Gedalof Z, Peterson DL and Mantua NJ (2005). Atmospheric, climatic, and ecological controls
on extreme wildfire years in the northwestern United States. Ecological Applications 15(1),
154–174.
Horne RE (2005) A new decision support tool for biomass energy technology projects in
Europe. In: Proceedings of the 4th Australian LCA Conference, Sydney. Australian Life Cycle
Assessment Society, Melbourne.

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