The UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative recently published a new report on “Opportunities for National Life Cycle Network Creation and Expansion around the World”. The report, co-authored by Guido Sonnemann, Philip Strothmann, Steffi Weyand and Sonia Valdivia, is based on a global survey answered in average by more than 10% of the more than 2,500 members of the mailing list of the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative.
A special focus is given on the analysis of the status of mainstreaming life cycle approaches, comprising especially also Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) database development, in G20 countries plus Switzerland and a few selected emerging economies.
The report concludes that mainstreaming is on-going and that having a life cycle network of certain maturity often goes hand in hand with the development of a LCA database. A strong correlation is observed between having a national life cycle network with a legal entity and the probability of creating a LCA database; the survey also shows that a lot of countries have plans to develop a LCA database, while those who lack a networks also don’t have plans to develop a LCA database. Using the results of the study, concrete recommendations are provided, including guiding principles for LCA network creation and next steps for LCA database development around the world. You can access download the report free of charge from the UNEP Setac Life Cycle Initiative’s website at: http://www.lifecycleinitiative.org/new-publication-life-cycle-network-creation/
Tags: community database lca life cycle network Report UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative
