Life Cycle Thinking e-learning courses

The Life Cycle Initiative offers e-learning courses that address life cycle thinking and approaches from the perspectives of business and governments.

You can learn more about the suite of e-learning courses in the recorded webinar offered in English and Spanish, linked below.

1. Introduction to Life Cycle Thinking

This e-learning course draws on materials from the Life Cycle Initiative and it is aimed at helping give all participants an overview of life cycle approaches while developing understanding as to how to assess the impacts of any given sustainability issue considering all of its life cycle stages. The course is also intended as a guide to which kind of LCT tools are to be used to which purpose.

This course is made up of four modules: 1) an overarching introduction to life cycle thinking, and its applications in 2) public policies, 3) by businesses and 4) by consumers. The course is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Arabic.

2. Life Cycle Thinking in business decision making

This e-learning course gives an overview of how to use life cycle thinking within businesses, including impacts that extend beyond their direct control. The course introduces case studies of how life cycle thinking has been applied by businesses globally and provides an understanding of various life cycle thinking tools, and when and how to apply them.

This course is made up of six modules: (1) concepts in life cycle thinking, (2) life cycle thinking in product design, (3) life cycle thinking in value chain assessment (4) life cycle thinking by industry associations, (5) product environmental footprints and eco-labels, (6) life cycle thinking in the future. The course is available in English and Spanish.

3. Life Cycle Thinking in policy making

This e-learning course gives an overview of how life cycle thinking can be used within policy making, including how it can help weigh up the impacts of individual policy choices on a whole system. The course is illustrated with case studies on policies from the transport, waste and food and agriculture sectors.

This course is made up of six modules: (1) life cycle thinking and policy makers, (2) life cycle thinking in transport policy, (3) life cycle thinking in waste policy (4) life cycle thinking in agriculture and food policy, (5) life cycle thinking in the future.