Full integration of LCA with other assessment tools – new application areas and harmonized modelling approaches
Schmidt J (2014)
Publication info
Presentation for SETAC Europe 24th Annual Meeting, 11.-15. May 2014
Introduction
Commonly, life cycle assessment (LCA), input-output analysis (IOA) and mass flow analysis (MFA) are seen as separate assessment tools each with specific application areas. Recent and ongoing EU 6th and 7th framework projects are creating and integrating several different national accounts enabling for a full integration of the above mentioned assessment tools. The following projects together have led to the creation of the, to date, most detailed and complete set of integrated model for LCA, IO analysis and MFA: FORWAST [1], EXIOPOL [2], CREEA [3] and DESIRE [4]. The integrated model, which is called the exiobase, is a global multi-regional hybrid IO database which is based on fully balanced monetary, mass and energy accounts (supply use tables). The database has several application areas for use as an assessment tool for policy development at different levels of scopes like product, corporate, project, program and policy impact assessment, at different levels of organization from individual company to government/ intergovernmental, and at different geographical scales from local to global.