Choosing the Appropriate Environmental Assessment for your Company
Environmental assessments are not universally applicable. Each type is tailored to address varying levels of risk and complexity, and selecting an inappropriate one may result in incurring expenses for excessive detail that your project does not necessitate. Grasping these distinctions in advance can conserve time, lower costs, and guarantee that you receive the appropriate level of insight for your requirements.
LCA (Life Cycle Assessment)
A comprehensive environmental assessment encompassing various impact categories, including carbon emissions, water consumption, toxicity, ozone depletion, eutrophication, acidification, resource depletion, among others. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can also be performed on specific environmental impact categories, focusing solely on carbon emissions.
Best for: in-depth environmental analysis, research and development, or thorough reporting.
PCF (Product Carbon Footprint)
A carbon-only analysis concentrates exclusively on greenhouse gas emissions, employing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) principles to assess a product, service, or activity. By limiting the focus to carbon impacts solely, this form of assessment offers clear, focused insights without the intricacies of a comprehensive LCA. It is particularly advantageous for addressing customer inquiries, monitoring internal emissions goals, and facilitating more informed decision-making. One of its primary benefits is efficiency; carbon-only analyses are generally quicker to execute and more cost-effective than a complete life cycle assessment, while still yielding significant and actionable outcomes.
Best for: customer requests, internal targets, and improved decision-making.
Benefits: faster and more affordable than a full LCA.
EPD (Environmental Product Declaration)
A verified, published document based on an LCA and compliant with specific program rules and third party verification.
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a verified and publicly available document that communicates the environmental performance of a product in a transparent and standardised way. It is based on a full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and developed in accordance with specific program rules, known as Product Category Rules (PCRs). To ensure credibility and consistency, EPDs undergo independent third-party verification. This makes them a trusted tool for comparing products, meeting customer and regulatory requirements, and supporting sustainability claims with robust, science-based data.
Best for: regulated markets, public procurement, and product comparisons.
So, which one do you actually need?
Many organisations tend to rely on the most thorough environmental assessment available, believing that increased detail inherently provides greater value. However, this method frequently leads to unnecessary expenses, extended timelines, and added complexity, particularly when a more straightforward study would adequately fulfil their objectives. Overly extensive assessments can hinder project progress, strain financial resources, and inundate teams with information that is not essential for making informed decisions. Consequently, cost and complexity continue to pose significant challenges, and selecting an assessment that is excessively detailed has emerged as one of the most common and costly, errors that organisations commit when assessing their environmental impacts.
Conclusion: A Step
The appropriate selection depends upon your goals:
Are you addressing a customer inquiry?
Are you getting ready for compliance?
Are you enhancing internal decision-making processes?
Are you disseminating product information?
If you are uncertain about which study aligns with your circumstances, seek clarification prior to making a commitment. Opting for the correct level of analysis can conserve time, financial resources, and effort while maintaining credibility.
What LCA service is right for you?
Carbon LCA Certification provides all these services and is able to guide you through the process and provide you with a customised response to your requirements.
For a free scoping session please contact us on the LCA Certification Webpage now.
Sources
Environmental Impact Assessment Review: Simplified environmental impact assessment processes: Review and implementation proposals
EVS Institute: Environmental Studies: The Role of Cost-Benefit Analysis in Environmental Impact Assessment
Integrating life cycle assessment and environmental risk assessment: A critical review