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A framework for assessing freshwater use within LCA: First results from the related project under the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative
Annette Koehler,*   ETH Zurich
Jean-Baptiste Bayart,   CIRAIG Montreal
Cécile Bulle,   CIRAIG Montreal
Manuele Margni,   CIRAIG Montreal
Stephan Pfister,   ETH Zurich
Francois Vince,   VEOLIA Environnement

Current life cycle assessment methods generally do not provide assessment schemes and characterization factors for the potential environmental impacts from freshwater use and depletion of freshwater resources. They thereby neglect important environmental consequences from the loss in quality and availability of freshwater. The project “Assessment of use and depletion of water resources within the LCA framework” undertaken within the second phase (2007-2010) of the UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative, addresses this severe methodological deficiency. The project aims at enhancing the global consensus and relevance of existing and emerging life cycle approaches and methodologies by taking the challenge to develop an operational framework for implementing the assessment of freshwater resources into current LCA practice. The presentation will focus on the main developments achieved in the first year of the project. A general framework for integrating freshwater resources into LCA is being proposed. The framework includes definitions of relevant freshwater resource types, a description of impact indicators on mid-point and end-point level, the latter reflecting different areas of protection, a set of possible impact pathways, a description of qualitative aspects of the cause-effect chain relationships and a procedure to define which pathways should be followed at which conditions. The suggested framework focuses on providing recommended guidance for development of LCA methods enabling the modeling of water extraction mechanisms and impact pathways up to the environmental damages as well as the integration of regionalization aspects. Supplying a methodological framework and operational assessment methods as final project deliverables in the next two years, this project will help to further stipulate the worldwide use of life cycle approaches in decision-making in business, government and the general public.


* corresponding author: annette.koehler@ifu.baug.ethz.ch