International Capability Development Activities on Life Cycle Topics

International Capability Development Activities on Life Cycle Topics

Note: presentations have not been updated match those given at the meeting

Special session coordinator: Sonia Valdivia, UNEP

Strengthening life cycle thinking in our societies is becoming a key element in the design of our future. Our awareness of the need to take more life cycle based decisions is being raised through a wide range of daily occurrences and events.

It is clear that people and organizations with differing world-views or from dissimilar cultures put life cycle thinking into practice differently. Governments may rather introduce green public procurement policies, ecolabels or regulations for energy efficient design from cradle to gate, while corporations may be able to implement supply chain programs, ecodesign in the design phase, LCM in the current activities, etc.

The UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative has acknowledged the need for capability development as core aim. It is deploying a number of international efforts in developed economies and Non OECD countries. Co-organization of international conferences, training programs in emerging economies, set up of platforms for networking of national life cycle networks and business clusters, elaboration, translation in 6 UN languages and dissemination of international guidance documents and training materials and the LCA Award for Non OECD countries are some of the activities.

This session has the aim to introduce some facts, aspects, thoughts and challenges around capability development processes to enable life cycle based decisions through the presentation of experiences of business and governments as well as through active discussions with the participants and the identification of common areas of interest which could represent a building block for future joint work.

Presenters:

Life Cycle Thinking Worldwide – Business and Governments Challenges and Needs
Sonia Valdivia, UNEP
Guido Sonnemann, UNEP
presentation

The Life Cycle Initiative is a joint programme of The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) launched in 2002. The Initiative has the aims to enhance global consensus of life cycle methodology and data, to improve knowledge and capacity to apply life cycle thinking in decision making of business, government and even the general public and to facilitate the implementation of life cycle approaches. UNEP has witnessed a positive progress worldwide with respect to the internalization of life cycle thinking in both governments’ and businesses’ policy development and activities; however, there is still an enormous gap between the levels of implementation in developing economies and industrialized countries. The Initiative acknowledges the role of government in mainstreaming life cycle applications in business and the society and recognized the need for better understanding of the challenges, requisites, and priorities of governments and business. The present study will present results from a first survey done (a) on the level of networking on life cycle topics at national level, (b) on business benefits, needs and challenges when implementing life cycle based tools, and (c) on government’s level of understanding on the life cycle concept and knowledge to apply life cycle thinking in policy design and development in developing and emerging economies. These results are relevant for the Initiative and help it to refine the current work and design middle term activities in the regions.

The Associação Brasileira do Ciclo de Vida and capability development activities in Brazil and contribution to the international community
Cassia Ugaya, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná - Brazil
presentation

The Associação Brasileira do Ciclo de Vida (ABCV) is a non profit organization and has the aims to promote and build capacity of life cycle assessment in Brazil, disseminate the implementation of life cycle based approaches and tools in the country, facilitate life cycle information in the country and other Latin American countries and advice Brazilian private, non profit and governmental institutions related to life cycle thinking. One important activity was the organization of the Second Latin-American Conference of Life Cycle Assessment (CILCA) in Sao Paulo in 2007, the 1st LCM Brazilian Conference in 2008 and the 2nd LCM Brazilian Conference in 2010. The ABCV is also member of the International Life Cycle Board of the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative and has the main role to present the views, needs and expectations of emerging countries such as Brazil in the design of activities of the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative.

Developing LCM Capability in Africa – How successful was LCM2009 in Cape Town
Philippa Notten, The Green House
presentation

Life Cycle Assessment is still an emerging field in Africa, with limited capability for implementation. However, advances have been considerable. These include improved information sharing and networking opportunities between African colleagues, advances in data and software availabilities, and training opportunities. An international Life Cycle Management Conference was recently held on African soil for the first time, with LCM2009 taking place in Cape Town in early September. This presentation will highlight what the recent LCM2009 conference has meant for African capability development and discuss some of the other barriers and opportunities to implementation of LCM in South Africa in particular.

European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment - International Interaction in Support of Business and Government
David Pennington, European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)
presentation

The European Platform of Life Cycle Assessment (EPLCA) has been established to support the development of scientifically robust, consistent and quality-assured life cycle methodology and data.

As stated in the European Integrated Product Policy Communication (IPP) of 2003, the European Commission has recognised LCA as “the best framework for assessing the potential environmental impacts of products, but the debate is ongoing about good practice”. To support this work and the global need for consistent methods and data, the European Platform of Life Cycle Assessment (EPLCA) has been established. One of the main activities of the Platform is to develop guidance on LCA methodology based on best practice worldwide and to improve the access to consistent and quality-assured data. As Life Cycle Assessment is a global issue, the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD), consisting of mainly a Handbook and a Data Network, was initiated via the Platform. International interactions are supported via e.g. Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) and Collaboration Agreements (CA) with governmental organizations in Brazil, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand as well as more broadly with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Similar interactions are equally ongoing with representatives of business. The platform supports capacity building, both directly and indirectly, e.g. via trainees, by organising workshops, via participation in international research projects, as well as through bilateral collaboration with partners outside from Europe agreed in MoUs and CAs. High level strategic guidance documents on Life Cycle Thinking and Assessment in support of governments and business are being prepared, in addition to the technical guidance documents of the ILCD Handbook. A data editor and database application are provided for free-of-charge use globally.

Capability Development, Life Cycle Data and Methodologies related Activities in Mexico and Latin America
NYDIA SUPPEN, CENTRO DE ANALISIS DE CICLO DE VIDA Y DISEÑO SUSTENTABLE
presentation

The Center for Life Cycle Analysis and Sustainable Design (CADIS) of Mexico is a leading organization on innovation, development and training, and in sustainable consumption and production. Its activities extend to other Latin American countries with whom they cooperate more specifically on joint traininig, adaptation of life cycle methodologies for the Latin American context and the development of life cycle databases (e.g. in the fields of energy and building). Moreover, the Center for Life Cycle Analysis and Sustainable Design is a co-organizer of the Fourth Latin-American Conference of Life Cycle Assessment (CILCA) in Mexico in 2011. This Center has also strong linkages with North American organizations regarding the development of life cycle assessment studies. The positive increase of life cycle related activities in Mexico has been possible due to the intervention of CADIS.

National LCI Databases based on a common international, technology LCI database
Roland Hischier, ecoinvent Centre
Bo Weidema, ecoinvent Centre
presentation

While Swiss in origin, the ecoinvent database has the aim to respond to global needs and, therefore, efforts have been done during the last years to expand the international scope. The new version (version 2) includes, e.g., data on US agriculture, worldwide sourcing of raw materials and the production of electronics in Asia. This internationalisation will be continued in the development of version 3 which is planned to be launched end of 2011.

More cooperation with national and local initiatives is crucial for ecoinvent to keep this development of internationalization; this offer was presented at the last North-American LCA conference in Seattle. Key factors of such a cooperation with national database initiatives (NDI) are aspects like “national responsibility” or “use of common quality rules”.

It is expected that v3 of ecoinvent will present a new database structure which will be even more suitable to promote the internationalization. This new data structure will combine the completeness of input-output tables with process details used e.g. in the current version (v2) and, thus, provide a simple way to create consistent national versions out of the core part of the ecoinvent database. It will result in an international technology LCI database which will require very little efforts for the respective NDI.

Within its presentation, the management of the ecoinvent Centre will show the mutual advantages of its strategy for LCA users worldwide; resulting for all in a much broader access to transparent, consistent and quality-controlled life cycle inventory datasets and a contribution to capability development worldwide.

Progress in Chinese Capability Development on Life Cycle based Tools - Towards a Chinese LCA/LCM Platform
Hongtao Wang, Sichuan University
presentation

Despite the fact that local LCA infrastructures, especially a Chinese LCA database, are still missing, China has seen increasing interest in LCA and LCM. The roles of the Sichuan University and ITKE are essential and aim at providing a platform for LCA/LCM in China. This presentation will highlight experiences and lessons learned, LCA related R&D activities in Sichuan University and ITKE and news on the Chinese Conference on Life Cycle Management.

With the help of LCA award for non-OECD countries (2008), an exploratory LCA study on generation and transmission of electricity in China had been conducted by the Sichuan University, which led to the methodology and guidelines for developing a national average LCI database. The updating of Chinese LCIA parameters is under way, including an updating of characterization factors, normalization references and weighting factors. EPD (i.e. type III environmental declaration) is a promising way to communicate life cycle information among producers and consumers as well as a market based mechanism to inspire LCA/LCM practices. A Chinese EPD program has been established following the methodology of ISO 14025. Development of Product Category Rules of flat glass and aluminum-plastic panel as national standards will be introduced. Several Chinese software tools for LCA/LCM practice have been in development by Sichuan University and ITKE. The general LCA tool, eBalance, is designed for LCA case studies. The software suite, eDeclare, supports the full verification procedures of EPD and carbon footprint programs. A free tool for data collection is proposed, featuring with the documentation format for data collection developed in LCA award project. Tsinghua University and Sichuan University in collaboration with the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative will co-organize the 2nd Chinese conference on Life Cycle Management (CLCM2009) and the 3rd Chinese Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production from the 14th to the 16th November in Beijing, China. This international conference aims to bring Chinese and international LCA/LCM experts, policymakers, producers, retailers and intermediaries together to explore the potentials of life cycle approaches for Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), especially for policy making in China.

We Need a Truly International Life Cycle Database System
Mark Goedkoop, PRé Consultants b.v.

There is a rapidly increasing need to provide the world a truly international and transparent dataset. The world is asking for data on carbon, and many more impacts, not in a few years, but now, or at least in one or two years. Such a supply of data cannot come from uncoordinated regionally different projects. The lack of harmonisation is a problem. It also cannot come from one single regional centre, as one trade block cannot set the rules. It can also not come from commercial consultants; the world cannot become dependent on a commercial consultant.

What we can do though, is to sit together, talk and accept some kind of international coordination, preferably by a body that is not linked to any regional trade block, such as the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative. What we can also do is mobilise individuals to share the data they have been collecting in their work. By now there are many thousands of individuals working on a daily basis. We have proposed an open source database system to mobilise this huge LCA workforce, and this is now accepted as a UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative project. Of course there are risks around this approach, and these should be carefully managed. We need to avoid risks from being too slow and divided. Over the last decade the LCA community has been slow in satisfying the demands of society. By being too divided, and too slow the LCA community as a whole loses relevance, and credibility.

The presentation provides an outlook on how we can mobilise the LCA community, and how we can effectively satisfy the huge demand for LCA data and methods, so we all become a thriving community.