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inventory and impact assessment are interpreted by identification of significant issues
in the life cycle, evaluation of data quality and reliability of results. Final conclu-
sions are defined taking into consideration the initial goals of the assessment. LCA
methodology is standardized according to ISO 14040 (2006) and ISO 14044 (2006).
A key aspect for a successful LCA is the availability of data from the entire life
cycle. On-site data are usually collected about consumptions and emissions of processes
under direct control. Involvement of other life cycle actors (e.g., suppliers, distributors)
provides another option to obtain data, although this is not always feasible. For LCA
practitioners, high-quality databases are a substantial support to model entire life cycle
systems. Efforts of public and commercial database providers need to focus on updated,
consistent and well-documented datasets.
LCA requires us to model complex process networks, to manage and elaborate
a huge amount of data and to carry out many calculations. These procedures are
supported by powerful software solutions where appropriate functions are available
for data implementation, data check, documentation, life cycle modeling, impact
assessment and interpretation.
5.3 Application trends
LCA's history started at the end of the 1960s while the first attempts at its standard-
ization were carried out in the 1990s (Consoli et al., 1993). The consolidation of
methodology, databases and software solutions had a key role in the diffusion of LCA
applications. Because sustainability has high priority in industry and policy making,
the role of LCA has strengthened: it offers a methodological framework for assessment
of environmental and climate performances, water footprint and energy-related anal-
ysis. It has been acknowledged that outcomes of an LCA study add significant value
to the definition of sustainability strategies (Fullana et al., 2009).
In the EU regulation, according to Integrated Product Policy (2003) and Sustain-
able Consumption and Production Action Plan (2008), more and more strategies,
directives and initiatives assign a key role to the life cycle concept and LCA, e.g.,
EuP/ELV/WEEE directives, Ecolabel, Green Public Procurement, Thematic Strategies
on resources and waste (ECE Website, 2013). The European LCA Platform has been
established to develop handbooks (ILCD Handbook, 2010), European Reference Life
Cycle Data System (ELCD, 2013), resource directories (Life Cycle Thinking and Assess-
ment, 2013; LCA Resource Directory, 2013) on service (LCA Contributors, 2013),
database (LCA Databases, 2013) and software (LCA Tools, 2013).
In business-to-business communication, LCA is the basic framework to exchange
data and information about environmental performance. Associations of materials
(e.g., steel, aluminum, plastics, nickel, zinc, glass, paper, chemicals) have carried out
extensive data collection projects to prepare high-quality, representative and credible
datasets. LCA applications for product eco-design and environmental communication
have become a usual practice in different industries (automotive, electronics, building,
etc.). An important driving force is represented by retailers whose increasing demands
for suppliers' environmental and climate performance has a direct influence on LCA
diffusion. LCA creates the methodological fundament of carbon footprint calculations
and environmental product declarations, both having gained high priority in recent
years (Florin, 2008).