Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

A Life Cycle Assessment measures the environmental impact of a product or service from cradle to grave.

When assessing the impact of a product, our scientific team calculates the greenhouse gas emissions from raw material extraction and processing (the cradle); manufacturing, distribution and use; and recycling or disposal of the materials that compose it (the grave).

An effective LCA must include carbon emissions generated in the full upstream and downstream supply chain.

Why choose Pangolin for your LCA

Clear reporting and a more cost-effective approach.

The energy and materials inputs for the creation and use of a product makes an LCA complex and expensive. We have developed an innovative, hybrid approach that makes an LCA, and the commitment to carbon neutrality, cost effective for our clients. We use financial data (the cost of creating and supplying a product or service) to calculate carbon emissions in the full supply chain, from cradle to grave.

LCA’s and carbon neutral certification for products and services

 

Climate Active is the Australian Government-recognised carbon neutral certification program. An LCA is a requirement for certifying an organisation’s product or service. Applicants must undertake a greenhouse gas assessment that captures all associated scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions.

We have worked with over half of the carbon neutral certified organisations in Australia, several of these required an LCA. We also help with the next step for certification, an Emissions Reduction Strategy (ERS). These strategies often include sustainable or circular product design, supply chain carbon management, and identifying and increasing energy efficiencies.

Applicants must demonstrate proof of emissions reductions for all types of certifications, whether certifying a product, service, event, building, organisation or precinct. Read more about Climate Active.

Compliance with international standards

We comply with the following:

• ISO 14040:2006 – Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and frameworks,
• ISO 14044:2006 – Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines,
• PAS 2050 – Specification for the assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services.

Examples of LCA’s

Some of our clients have undertaken an LCA for the Climate Active program. Here are a few examples:

• Frasers Properties International, Real Utilities (case study) – Climate Active PDS
• Hither & Yon Wines – Climate Active PDS, read more: The lifecycle of a Hither & Yon wine:
  Closed loop product from off farm to the customer’s table.
• Capital Brewing Co (case study) – Climate Active PDS
• Ross Hill Wines (case study) – Climate Active PDS
• Keith Tulloch Wines, Climate Active PDS
• Sustainable Living Fabrics – Climate Active PDS