Plans for EU-wide life cycle assessment take step forward
Possible plans for a harmonised approach to so-called ‘life cycle assessments‘ of a wide range of products have taken a step forward.
It comes after the European Commission revealed that it will launch a pilot project early in the new year which is designed to pave the way for life cycle assessments (LCA).
- In a life cycle assessment, the emissions and resources consumed by a product are documented in a ‘life cycle inventory’.
- The data is then categorised to establish the product’s significance in terms of its environmental impact.
One area still to be addressed, however, is whether any future law should be on a voluntary or mandatory basis.