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Happy New Year: Celebrating 2024’s Life Cycle Milestones |
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As we embark on a new year, we take this moment to celebrate and reflect on our accomplishments from 2024. The past year marked several major milestones advancing life cycle practices globally. The launch of the Global Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (GLAM1.0.2024.10) at the SETAC Europe 26th LCA Symposium in Gothenburg, Sweden, provides a consistent framework for evaluating impacts on ecosystems, human health and socio-economic assets. “A policymakers’ guide to Life Cycle Assessment – Policy Brief” strengthens LCA’s role in policymaking by providing clear guidance on conducting and evaluating LCA studies to inform impactful and evidence-based environmental policies. For the buildings and construction sector, the “10 Whole Life Cycle Recommendations for the Buildings Breakthrough” promote integrating life-cycle thinking into policies and standards. Developed through extensive global engagement, the recommendations guide areas like defining near-zero emissions buildings, improving data, and circularity in design. These achievements exemplify the Life Cycle Initiative’s mission to build life-cycle capabilities and drive adoption across high-impact sectors for promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns. We express our sincere gratitude to the dedicated life cycle community and esteemed funding partners for their devoted support in accomplishing these milestones. Stay informed about our ongoing work through our website! |
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Call for research institutions willing to connect their LCA datasets with the GLAD open scientific data node GLAD is working to create an Open Scientific Data Node on its platform. This initiative aims to establish a dedicated node for hosting LCA datasets from various academic sources, providing free access to academic institutions and an accessible way for university departments to share structured LCA data.
We invite academic institutions to collaborate with us in building this Open Scientific Data Node on the GLAD platform. Interested in connecting your dataset? Please contact archana.datta@un.org or tamino.koehne@un.org. |
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Opening soon: Life Cycle Initiative internship applications! The Life Cycle Initiative will soon begin accepting applications for 6-month internships. Keep an eye on our social media channels for the announcement. Don’t miss your chance if you’re interested or know of someone who may be!
Academic Institutions are encouraged to fill out this Survey. Your feedback will help us tailor potential internship opportunities to best meet the learning goals of your students. |
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INC-5 on plastic pollution in Busan The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) concluded in Busan, South Korea, on 1st December 2024, with the decision to finalize negotiations for the legally binding instrument to combat plastic pollution at a resumed session in 2025. Over 3,300 delegates from more than 170 nations participated, resulting in the agreement on a “Chair’s Text” that will guide future negotiations. UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen emphasized the urgency of addressing plastic pollution’s impact on ecosystems and human health, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach that includes identifying as well as eliminating harmful chemicals, implementing sustainable production and consumption measures, and establishing financial mechanisms to support implementation. The date for the next session is yet to be announced and we’ll stay tuned as the world continues to seek solutions to this pressing issue. |
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Project & Activity Updates |
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Policymakers’ Guide to LCA published
The Life Cycle Initiative recently launched “A policymakers’ guide to Life Cycle Assessment – Policy Brief”. The guide provides recommendations for policymakers to identify robust, science-based LCAs that adhere to standards, have aligned goals and comprehensive scope, undergo critical review, and ensure transparency. On November 19th 2024, a webinar introduced the guide to more than 160 participants, with government representatives sharing examples of leveraging LCA to address environmental hotspots and reduce impacts through policies. Discussions explored LCA’s role in advancing climate, nature and pollution goals, overcoming challenges, and best practices for eco-design, circular economy and sustainable procurement.
Watch the recording here. |
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Blueprint for a Global Framework for Digital Product Information Systems
In our last newsletter, we informed you about the two regional consultations on the sustainability potential of Digital Product Information Systems (DPIS) that were held on October 30 and 31 by the One Planet Network, the Lifecycle Initiative, and partners of the Digitalization for Circular Economy. The consultations featured presentations on various DPIS approaches, including overviews from ITU, the European Commission’s legislative initiatives, and the CIRPASS-2 project. Uruguay’s Ministry of Environment showcased a traceability platform, while China and South Korea shared recent developments. A summary of the consultations is now available here, and the full report can be accessed here.
To get involved, contact: ana.fernandezvergara@un.org and archana.datta@un.org. |
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Biogenic Carbon project: Phase 2 The Biogenic Carbon Project has completed the first phase, culminating in a draft white paper. Phase 2, running from January to December 2025, aims to finalise the white paper and develop consensus-based guidance on best practices.
On Thursday 6th February, there will be two webinars to share updates on the progress of the project. Register for the Webinar here. |
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Intex project – Success stories
UNEP’s InTex project promotes the shift to circular textile value chains, enhancing knowledge and technical capacity of governments and businesses (mainly SMEs) on life cycle thinking and circular business model. The project started in Kenya, South Africa and Tunisia, with funding from the European Union, and has since 2020 expanded to India and soon to Indonesia, with funding from Denmark. The InTex Project is part of the UNEP Textile Initiative.
Through the project’s training and technical support, SMEs have quantified their product environmental footprints, conducted eco-innovation assessments, and started considering the environmental impacts of their products throughout their life cycle. Partnerships have flourished, with South-South collaboration providing insights into recycling processes, financing models, and integrating life cycle concepts into education curricula. In Kenya, Tunisia, and South Africa, the project has enabled companies to prioritize actions for reducing environmental impacts, fostered expertise exchange on eco-innovation, and advanced strategies for sustainable practices. Read more about how the textiles sector is evolving in South Africa, Kenya and Tunisia. |
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Advancing Circularity and Responsibility for Critical Energy Transition Minerals Following the Secretary General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition minerals,which aimed to establish principles for ethical and equitable extraction of critical minerals needed for renewable energy technologies, the Life Cycle Initiative supported the release of UNEP’s working paper, “Critical Transitions: Circularity, Equity, and Responsibility in the Quest for Energy Transition Minerals”, published during the 20th Annual General Meeting of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development on November 18, 2024. It underscores the urgent need for sustainability in extracting and using critical minerals for the energy transition. As demand for critical energy transition minerals surges, the paper advocates for greater circularity, responsibility, and equity to minimize environmental and social impacts. It presents a framework of “Eight R’s” to guide policies and industry practices toward a circular approach. The paper highlights the crucial roles of governments, industries, and the international community in supporting a sustainable transition through coordinated policies, robust data sharing, and strong regulatory frameworks.
Access the full working paper here. |
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Buildings at COP 29: Accelerating the Buildings Breakthrough: Solutions for Addressing Whole Life Carbon, Circularity, and Shifting to Bio-based Materials
(Photo credit: Mariana Castaño Cano/10 Billion Solutions)
The Life Cycle Initiative, as a lead of the material hub of the GlobalABC, led the session titled “Accelerating the Buildings Breakthrough: Solutions for Addressing Whole Life Carbon, Circularity, and Shifting to Bio-based Materials” during COP29. The session aimed to promote practical approaches to achieving near-zero emissions in the built environment through circularity and whole life cycle methodologies. It showcased important tools and frameworks to help policymakers and industry professionals track progress and make informed decisions, while highlighting the potential of bio-based materials to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings. During the session, stakeholders presented key tools and case studies, such as the Circularity Assessment Framework, Bio-Based Materials Compendium, and 10 Recommendations for Whole Life Carbon. You can watch the recording here. |
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African Life Cycle Assessment Initiative (ALIES)
ALIES was inspired from an International S-LCA conference held in Brazil, in 2024. Their ambition is to bring together relevant stakeholders and LCA practitioners to encourage the appropriate use, development and implementation of life cycle assessment across Africa. ALIES aims to transform and unite existing LCA practitioners towards building capacity and increasing access to global opportunities and experiences in other regions and context. Visit ALIES’ LinkedIn page for more updates. |
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Life Cycle Community News |
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LCM 2025 – Call for Abstracts is open!
The call for abstracts of Life Cycle Management Conference 2025 is ongoing in ConfTool until 15th January 2025 (extended deadline). Accepted abstracts for oral and poster presentations will be communicated in mid-February and will be published in the LCM 2025 conference proceedings.
For more information please visit the LCM2025 conference website. Contact: info@lcm2025.org |
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Life Cycle Event Calendar |
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Greening the Giga: Advancing Sustainability in Saudi Construction27-29 January 2025 • Kaust, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia This international workshop will bring together experts and practitioners from around the world to explore sustainable development practices, lifecycle assessment methodologies, and environmental product declarations. The sessions aim to foster collaboration and share innovative approaches to advancing global sustainability goals. More information |
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XI International Conference on Life Cycle Assessment in Latin America – CILCA7-11 April 2025 • Mexico City, Mexico CILCA 2025 aims to showcase methodological advancements, discussions, success stories, and technological innovations supporting the life cycle approach as the scientific foundation of the circular economy. Abstract submissions on the theme “Life Cycle Assessment as the basis of the circular economy: production, consumption, and more sustainable societies” are welcomed. More information |
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CIRP Conference on Life Cycle Engineering7-9 April 2025 • Manchester, UK CIRP is organising the 32nd CIRP Conference on Life Cycle Engineering (CIRP LCE 2025), to be held in Manchester, United Kingdom, from 7th to 9th April 2025. The conference website will be regularly updated to provide you with the latest information. More information |
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12th International Conference on Life Cycle Management (LCM 2025)9-12 September 2025 • Palermo, Italy We invite industry professionals, policy makers and researchers to submit proposals for engaging and informative sessions that explore the conference theme: From Global to Local – Methods, Tools and Best Practices for an Efficient and Effective Sustainable Transition. Proposals should be submitted electronically by 10th September 2024 to info@lcm2025.org. More information |
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Life Cycle Job Announcements |
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Ball Corporation – Sustainability Director
Ball Corporation is recruiting a Sustainability Director Position to support their NCA business. They are looking for someone with strong LCA/carbon accounting skills who can support their customers decarbonize.More Details
Schneider Electric – Eco-design and Life Cycle Expert
Schneider Electric is seeking a passionate Eco-design and Life Cycle Expert to join their team in the United States. In this role, the selected candidate will support the company’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of products and solutions through eco-design approaches. The candidate’s expertise in life cycle analysis and product design will be important in driving Schneider Electric’s decarbonization and circularity goals. More Details
KeyLogic – Energy and Climate Life Cycle Analyst
KeyLogic Systems is seeking an analytically minded Junior Engineer to join their Energy Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) Team in Pittsburgh. In this role, you’ll utilize data analysis and modeling techniques to quantify the environmental impacts of energy systems. More Details
ESG Asia – Senior Sustainability Analyst
EarthShift Global is recruiting a Senior Sustainability Analyst who supports in the areas of life cycle assessment (LCA) consulting and critical review. The ideal candidate has strong technical capabilities related to LCA, systems modeling, data collection and interpretation, and the ability to identify and fix inconsistencies in data and prose.
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Sphera – Senior LCA Consultant (Energy and Mobility)
Sphera is seeking a talented, motivated and passionate environmental sustainability individual to join their Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) team. The primary function of this role is to conduct and manage projects on a variety of challenging assignments related to environmental Life Cycle Assessment modelling and reporting.
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EPD International AB – Junior LCA expert
EPD International AB is looking for a junior life cycle assessment (LCA) expert with an analytical mind and communication skills. You will support their international customers in matters related to LCA and Product Category Rules (PCR), be part of developing and harmonising LCA methodology, and help in the digitalisation and automation of the EPD process.
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| The work of the Life Cycle Initiative would not be possible without the support of its sponsors. By contributing to the Initiative, organizations not only gain access to unparalleled expertise in how to align their activities with their United Nations Environmental and Social Development commitments, but they also play a role in transforming their activities, as models of Life Cycle Thinking. With the new 2022-2027 strategy of the Life Cycle Initiative, funding partners will also get significant visibility through the Initiative’s support to UNEP projects in high-impact sectors such as plastics, textiles, buildings and construction, mobility, etc. If you are interested in becoming a funding partner, please contact us! |
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Ongoing call for LC Net contributions |
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| Members of the Life Cycle Initiative, please feel free to submit your event, job vacancy, news, capacity development opportunities, topics and stories related to life cycle thinking and LCA, to be shared with the global life cycle community. We are always looking for featured coverage on the experience how life cycle thinking contributes to different policy agendas, sustainable business and decision making, in various countries and regions. You may send your content to contact@lifecycleinitiative.org and Tamino Köhne. Note that we cannot accept contributions of a commercial nature. LCNet is released bimonthly in the beginning of January, March, May, July, September and November; please send us your piece approximately two weeks before the release date. We look forward to your contributions in disseminating life cycle knowledge from global policy and business agendas! |
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| THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDING PARTNERS! |
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