Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Management

Abstract

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used as a tool to assess the environmental impacts of a product, process or activity throughout its life cycle; from the extraction of raw materials through to processing, transport, use and disposal. It can take many forms, from simple matrix approaches through to the use of complex and data-intensive models. While there are a number of methodological issues which still need to be resolved, LCA is sufficiently developed to be useful as an environmental management tool.