LCA Data Availability from an NGO Perspective InLCA-LCM 2002 Rita Schenck, IERE

What Do NGO’s Want?  While it is a mistake to assume that all NGO’s are the same, in general, most NGO’s want performance data that is: –Transparent –Accurate –Comparable between and among producers and products  Most NGO’s don’t want compliance data

What Does Industry Want  To protect its intellectual property  Not to be compared environmentally with its competitors (at least if they are not sure that their competitors are not worse than they are)  To have the necessary information for internal process improvement goals

Most LCA Studies Are Internal Engineering Studies  They are based on detailed process knowledge (and thus imbed business confidential data)  Their thought process is linear, starting at the beginning of the process and following all processed to the end of the life cycle  The focus is on the inventory, not the impact assessment (an inside-out view of the environment).  Studies often are cradle-to gate  They are useful for internal use, but difficult to disclose

NGO Performed LCA’s Are Impact and Externally Focused  They only incorporate as much of the process as necessary to be comprehensive  Unit processes tend to be larger: an entire facility rather than the classical unit process  Studies tend to be performed on finished goods: cradle to gate studies usually not done.  Focus is on impacts rather than inventory (an outside-in environmental view)  The audience is the general public

Typical Engineering Unit Processes An NGO LCA might combine all these processes into one unit process: Corn Refining Corn Refiners Association

Data Already Available to NGO’s  Facility specific data –Toxic emissions to air, soil and water –Water-borne releases –Hazardous waste production –Permit limitations to air emissions –Utility CO 2, SOx and NOx real-time emissions  Industry averages –Published LCA’s for some products –Industry average voluntary reports –Industry total production reports –Engineering estimates

Challenges with the NGO Approach  Data depends on publicly available information– which is sometimes difficult to obtain because it is stored in local regulators offices  Significant allocation challenges remain: how much of the emissions from a facility come from a particular product at that facility?  Input data are typically not publicly available, e.g. energy use, raw material consumption

Advantages to the NGO Approach  Responsive to needs of the public  Perceived as being unbiased  Does not disclose compliance-sensitive data  Reduced data requirements over engineering-type data, thus lower cost

Disadvantages of NGO Studies  Not useful for engineering applications  Publicly available data may not be comprehensive, or may be outdated  Validation by industry is limited

What Data is Needed  Information on the amount of product made at particular sites  Information on energy and raw materials used to make a product  Industry averages for comparison

The Opportunity:Comparisons  Producers whose product is environmentally superior have a competitive advantage they are not using  Partnering with NGO’s to produce LCA’s for public consumption can recover that advantage

Summary  NGO based LCA’s can be useful to industry as well as to the general public  Intellectual property and compliance disclosure issues can be avoided  Comparison among competitors is both the opportunity and the barrier to disclosure of LCI data  Industries that partner with NGO’s will have a competitive advantage