The Truth Behind Data Quality in LCA
How to interpret LCA data?
To find out more we spoke to Sustainability Expert Panu Pasanen. He is CEO at One Click LCA, who provide LCA software worldwide for the construction and manufacturing industries.
Where does the data come from?
We started by asking Panu about the fascinating way in which LCAs are calculated. If we take the example of the installation of a pipe in the ground, the installation process might be as follows.
-
Dig a hole.
-
Install the pipe and any necessary supporting materials.
-
Refill the hole and resurface.
-
Get rid of the waste.
The LCA will be calculated according to the fuel used by machines carrying out the work, the amount and characteristics of the new elements installed, the origin and composition of the filling materials and the end-of-life processing of the remaining products.
This must then be analysed further to get a more precise number. What kind of vehicles are being used? What is the total impact of the installed materials (including any supporting / installation elements)? What is the life span of these products? How much of the refill was already in-situ, etc? Then, and only then, we can begin to approach a figure representing the overall LCA.
End of Life.
They also touched on the interesting situation with calculating the ‘end of life’ element of an LCA. What happens to a pipe at the end of its life? There are many pipes that will never be recovered, especially if they are in a rural context, so this must also be considered when calculating an LCA.
EPD process.
Panu also explained how an EPD is published and the necessary processes that must be completed in order to publish it. All EPDs must be 3rd party verified. They must follow set standards which have rules with lots of detail on how to calculate an EPD. Once a manufacturer has calculated an EPD for their product or material, the EPD document must be verified and signed off by a 3rd party before it can be published.
LCAs and EPDs
Panu also helped explain how comparisons between EPDs can be made. How to decide which is better.We asked which EPD lines are the most important and Panu explained that it’s often a good idea to keep it simple. I.e., Looking at Global Warming Potential-fossil (GWP-fossil) and product specification for comparable sum of impacts cradle to grave (A1 to A3 life cycle phases).
How to compare a product specific EPD and an EPD for a range of products?
It was interesting to hear the sometimes complex situation regarding types of EPD. If we take the example of a pipe which has an insulation layer. The insulation layer would remain a standard thickness, but the pipe diameter might grow. Therefore, there is no linear scaling possible to calculate an EPD. But another plastic mono-material pipe might be easier to represent by mass.
Carbon neutral cities. Are we close?
Finally, we asked about the reality of carbon neutral cities. Panu’s answer was mixed. At a country level, we are still far away. We have some leaders who do enough, but many other players who do not. What’s needed is regulation to force players to catch up. Legislation needs to be in place, and needs to be constantly tightened.
