Introduction to Life Cycle Assessment

This chapter gives an overview of the mainstream method of life cycle assessment (LCA) on the basis of the generally accepted principles as laid down in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) series of standards on LCA. The first part is devoted to the key questions addressed by LCA and sketches the historical development toward that method. The second part provides an overview of the LCA method itself, while the third part discusses some examples of LCA applications. Finally, the fourth part discusses some of the future challenges to LCA including life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) and streamlined LCA techniques.