Environmental Life Cycle Assessment

Olivier Jolliet, Myriam Saade-Sbeih, Shanna Shaked, Alexandre Jolliet, Pierre Crettaz

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781439887660
• eBook ISBN: 9781439887707
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Environmental Conservation & Protection
• Index: Biological Sciences

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment is a pivotal guide to identifying environmental problems and reducing related impacts for companies and organizations in need of life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA, a unique sustainability tool, provides a framework that addresses a growing demand for practical technological solutions. Detailing each phase of the LCA methodology, this textbook covers the historical development of LCA, presents the general principles and characteristics of LCA, and outlines the corresponding standards for good practice determined by the International Organization for Standardization. It also explains how to identify the critical aspects of an LCA, provides detailed examples of LCA analysis and applications, and includes illustrated problems and solutions with concrete examples from water management, electronics, packaging, automotive, and other industries.

In addition, readers will learn how to:

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• Use consistent criteria to realize and evaluate an LCA independently of individual interests
• Understand the LCA methodology and become familiar with existing databases and methods based on the latest results of international research
• Analyze and critique a completed LCA
• Apply LCA methodology to simple case studies

Geared toward graduate and undergraduate students studying environmental science and industrial ecology, as well as practicing environmental engineers, and sustainability professionals who want to teach themselves LCA good practices, Environmental Life Cycle Assessment demonstrates how to conduct environmental assessments for products throughout their life cycles. It presents existing methods and recent developments in the growing field of LCA and systematically covers goal and system definition, life cycle inventory, life cycle impact assessment, and interpretation.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Authors
• Symbols
• Acronyms
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: General Principles of Life Cycle Assessment
• Chapter 3: Goal and System Definition
• Chapter 4: Inventory Analysis of Emissions and Extractions
• Chapter 5: Life Cycle Impact Assessment
• Chapter 6: Interpretation
• Chapter 7: Conclusions and Key Points
• Chapter 8: LCA through Example from A to Z : Treating Urban Sewage Sludge
• Chapter 9: Metacomparison of the Life Cycle Environmental Impacts of Bio-Based Products
• Appendix I
• Appendix II
• Appendix III
• Appendix IV
• Glossary
• References
• Back Cover