At the 8th General Assembly of the Life Cycle Initiative around 80 global stakeholders and experts gathered to discuss innovative strategies to strengthen life cycle approaches across high-impact sectors. From Thailand’s sustainability initiatives to the latest on digital product sustainability information system and biogenic carbon, this article covers the essential discussions shaping the future of LCA.

Llorenç Milà i Canals, Head of the Life Cycle Initiative Secretariat at UNEP, opened the 8th General Assembly of the Life Cycle Initiative, setting the stage with a focus on strengthening life cycle approaches (LCA) in high-impact sectors like buildings and construction. He introduced the event’s agenda, highlighting how LCA can drive sustainability and informed decision-making across industries.

Keynote:  Advancing Sustainable Consumption and Production with Life-Cycle Approaches

Elisa Tonda, Chief of the Resources and Markets Branch at UNEP, delivered the keynote, emphasizing the growing global relevance of life cycle approaches, particularly in the context of United Nations resolutions and agreements. She called attention to the need for training in life cycle approaches  to help countries adopt sustainable practices. Elisa’s speech outlined a strategic focus on addressing climate change, nature preservation, and pollution through LCAs, with sectors such as building, mining, and energy transition playing a pivotal role. A key message was avoiding regrettable substitutions, especially for plastic pollution, through expert LCA assessments.

Panel Discussion:  Leveraging LCA to Drive the Transition to a Sustainable Economy

Asad Naqvi, Senior Programme Management Officer at UNEP, framed the panel discussion around finance, sustainable economic transformation, and the challenges posed by global issues such as inequality, job displacement, and the lasting impact of past decisions. He introduced panelists  who shared insights on how LCA can promote sustainable production and consumption.

Zubeida Zwavel from CARES (South Africa) shared her experience with training and conducting LCAs across various sectors. She highlighted a case study where a company shifted from plastic to glass packaging based on LCA insights. Zubeida also spoke about LCA tools like the Product Environmental Footprint and Life cycle Inventory models, especially in the context of procurement decisions within the fashion industry. She noted the growing importance of sustainability in African fashion, explaining that while upfront costs of LCA might be high, the long-term environmental and economic benefits are substantial. Zubeida addressed the potential for global digital product passports (such as UNECE’s efforts in the textile sector) to simplify and reduce the cost of LCA implementation.

Jitti Mungkalasiri from the National Science and Technology Development Agency (Thailand) discussed Thailand’s approach to sustainability, emphasizing two major initiatives that leverage Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). He discussed the use of eco-efficiency indicators for the performance assessment of state-owned enterprises and the implementation of green public procurement policies. This approach aims to decouple economic growth from environmental impact, promoting greater resource efficiency while boosting economic output. These initiatives reflect Thailand’s broader strategy to align economic activities with sustainable development goals through policy, international collaboration, and the application of LCA principles.

Nydia Suppen from CENTRO DE ACV Y DISEÑO SUSTENTABLE (Mexico) joined the conversation to share her perspective on environmental initiatives in her region, as well as the challenges of methodology in LCA. Both Jitti and Nydia discussed the significant role of international organizations like the UN in promoting LCA.

Project Updates:

The discussion then shifted to updates on Life Cycle Initiative projects. Olivier Jolliet, Professor of Quantitative Sustainability Assessment at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), provided insights into the Global Life cycle Impact System Method (GLAM), which integrates key areas such as species vulnerability, microplastics, toxicity impacts, human health, and nutrition considerations into life cycle impact assessments (GLAM Method).

Sam Cooper, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bath, introduced ongoing work on biogenic carbon , noting the global stakeholder engagement and the role of standards in life cycle assessments. This project, divided into four working groups, focuses on building consensus around managing Biogenic Carbon in LCA , with a white paper due by year-end (Biogenic Carbon Project).

Holger Berg, Vice-Director and Co-Head of the Research Unit for Digital Transformation at the Wuppertal Institute, presented updates on the Digital Product Sustainability Information System , emphasizing the need for more structured sustainability data for products and materials. . He discussed upcoming consultations for the development of an  blueprint for a global framework by end of 2024 and a global framework by end of 2025.

Thiago Rodrigo from  the Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (IBICT), shared the latest on GLAD (Global LCA Data Access network), a platform dedicated to promoting LCA data accessibility (GLAD platform). He presented updates from the project to create a blueprint for a common governance nomenclature system and work on an LCA inventory format.

Mona Mohammed, Programme Officer at the UNEP Life Cycle Initiative, provided updates on the buildings and construction sector, a new focus area for the Life Cycle Initiative. She stressed the importance of reducing global emissions from building materials, which currently account for about 10% of global emissions. Mona introduced the “avoid, shift, improve” framework for building materials to promote resource efficiency and reduce environmental impacts (10 WLC Recommendations).

The session ended with a presentation from the nominees for the elections of new Steering Committee members of the Life Cycle Initiative.