Global LCA Data network (GLAD)

What is GLAD?

The Global LCA Data Access Network (GLAD) is the largest neutral directory of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) datasets from independent providers worldwide. GLAD supports the accessibility and interoperability of LCA data to inform sustainable decisions speeding up the transition toward more sustainable production and consumption. The Life Cycle Initiative is the custodian of GLAD. GLAD is a community, which not only offers datasets, but also working groups to further improve the accessibility and interoperability of datasets worldwide.

GLAD enables businesses to complement LCA datasets required to quantify and minimize the environmental impact during their product’s life cycle to develop future-proof businesses for the benefit of people and planet. The LCA datasets of GLAD also help governments to create science-based policies to speed up the transition towards sustainable consumption and production in their countries. Furthermore, GLAD improves the visibility and accessibility of datasets for data providers, including insights into the use of their data or data gaps for specific products and countries.

Why GLAD?

Life Cycle Assessment data allows policy makers to develop sound sustainable consumption and production policies, and industries can base their innovation and strategic sustainability decisions on more robust information. Enhanced data accessibility and interoperability benefits the whole life cycle community and affects the way in which LCA goes mainstream. GLAD supports access to LCA data.

How to use GLAD

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May/June 2023 LC Net Newsletter highlights

Call for Funding: a new project to develop consistent guidelines to model and consider Biogenic Carbon in LCA • GLAD continues to innovate • INC-2: Registration Open • Calling for your inputs on national/regional events related to life-cycle approaches • Interns: Welcome to the new! and farewell to the old

New Biogenic Carbon project gets underway; experts sought

This project aims to use an expert-led multi-stakeholder process to develop a recommendation that brings harmonisation, stability, verifiability and enhanced credibility of LCA results for food and other bio-based products.​

What did we accomplish in 2022? Find out in our latest Progress Report

2022 has been a monumental year, marking the 50th anniversary of UNEP and the 20th anniversary of the Life Cycle Initiative. Life-cycle thinking as an approach to inform decisions, received…