1. How does LCA software work?
A Life Cycle Assessment software allows its user to model all the flows that make up a product, and to calculate the environmental impacts it generates, either globally or in great detail, flow by flow.
The software is enriched with an environmental database that makes it possible to integrate different impact scenarios. The combination of the LCA software's calculator and the environmental database thus makes it possible to obtain the various impacts generated by the modelled product (for example: one kilogram of steel extracted in Europe represents a set of environmental impacts, according to the European PEF methodology).
1.1 What is a flow in Life Cycle Assessment?
A flow represents everything that enters the product's life, and everything released by the product and its life cycle: these are called input and output flows.
- examples of input flows: raw materials linked to the manufacture of the product's parts, energy consumption linked to its assembly, transport or use;
- examples of output flows: GHG emissions linked to the product's transport, residual waste linked to use or end of life, liquid discharges, etc.
Each of these flows will therefore directly impact the environmental indicators calculated by the software.
1.2 How do I model my flows?
Each flow is entered in the input or output category. Flows can, for example, represent a material and a transformation process, as well as a mass, a quantity, and a more or less precise geolocation (for example: 2 units of 27 kg of hot-rolled steel from Europe). It can also be a transport flow, an end-of-life process such as recycling or landfilling, the product's energy consumption during use, etc.
2. Which technological tools to carry out my LCAs?
2.1 Databases
Free databases:
- Base Empreinte: a French database, a merger of the Impacts database and the Carbone database, published by ADEME. It gives access to the data needed to produce the environmental labelling of products.
- Base Ecosystem: published by the eco-organisation in charge of managing the end of life of EEE, it integrates all the flows linked to this life-cycle stage.
- ELCD: a project abandoned in 2019, ELCD (European Reference Life Cycle Database) was meant to be the reference database for the countries of the European community.
Paid databases:
- CODDE: Bureau Veritas's database, very complete and fed by professional bodies. It is only accessible in a closed environment, within EIME.
- GaBi: a database operating in a closed environment, accessible through the software of the same name. With a multi-sector approach, it covers 14 verticals and data types.
- Ecoinvent: recognised as the most complete on the market, it makes it possible to carry out studies in various sectors (energy, building, electronics, metals…). Published by the association of the same name, it is compatible with various LCA software.
2.2 Software
- EIME: software published by Bureau Veritas, one of the most used today. Existing since 1994, it offers various modelling and analysis features. It is the only access point to the CODDE database.
- GaBi: Sphera's software, a historic player in LCA. It makes it possible to model products and offers additional features (interactive reporting, integration of social responsibility, graphical visualisation of flows).
- SimaPro: developed by Pré Sustainability, it is the most used software in the world. It notably makes it possible to carry out collaborative LCAs.
- Umberto: published by iPoint, it offers advanced features such as graphs detailing the impact of the product's life cycle.
- OpenLCA: the open-source LCA software, available free of charge. Developed by Green Delta, it offers several automation features.
3. How does Qweeko work?
Qweeko has developed a solution to automate the production of LCAs. We chose to build this solution on the OpenLCA software, and on the Ecoinvent and Ecosystem databases. This trio was selected for its great automation possibilities, as well as for the quality of the available data and its alignment with the standards in force.