The provision of products (goods and services) rises environmental challenges on a
life cycle perspective, i.e. from cradle to grave. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a
system analysis methodology developed to ease the inventorization and evaluation
of both the material and energy demanded as well as the emissions generated by
product systems throughout their supply chain, usage and end-of-life stages.
While the methodology is fairly comprehensive, it still needs additional research
and development to further increase robustness and reliability. The more we
understand the ‘planetary boundaries’ the more we realize that LCA should become
a methodology for everyone, allowing the evaluation of environmental impacts in
different application areas.
As the interest on the methodology steadily increases, the number of open
questions and possible directions for future research grows as well. Topics of
discussion such as issues of uncertainty, variability, regionalization, accessibility,
homogenization of inventory modelling approaches, interpretation and, last but not
least, data representativeness, quality and modelling, are persistently seen as possible methodological pitfalls within the LCA research community. In this regard, discussion platforms to enable an exchange between different research groups and the dissemination of scientific findings and results are essential drivers of innovation. The Ökobilanzwerkstatt (LCA workshop) intends to contribute to this objective. The present work, Progress in Life Cycle Assessment, summarizes the findings and scientific results of the latest research activities in the field of LCA
presented at the 13th Ökobilanzwerkstatt jointly organized by the Technische
Universität Darmstadt and the Technische Universität Braunschweig.