The following is an article originally published June 6, 2024, by EINPresswire.
EcoEngineers’ LCA Academy Teaches How to Measure Farm-to-Fuel Carbon Footprint
Federal Agencies Slated to Join, June 25-26 in Des Moines
DES MOINES, Iowa – (EINPresswire.com) — Understanding and implementing life-cycle analyses (LCA) is crucial for farms and agribusinesses to stay ahead of regulatory requirements, consumer expectations for sustainability, and the competitive landscape shaped by environmental disclosures. To help the industry learn how LCAs function and their role in reducing environmental impact, EcoEngineers (Eco) is launching a new executive education program, the LCA Academy, on June 25-26 in Des Moines.
An LCA is a systematic and comprehensive method for evaluating the environmental impact of a product, service, or system from inception to end-of-life. This analysis examines energy usage, raw material extraction, processing inputs, and various outputs throughout each life-cycle stage, including co-products and waste.
READ MORE: Life-Cycle Analysis – The Praxis of Carbon Accounting
Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that starting in 2025, biofuel tax credit applicants under 45Z will be required to perform an LCA to determine the amount of credit they can receive. Further guidance from the IRS declared a 10-point reduction in a farm’s carbon footprint if it adopted certain regenerative farming practices such as cover cropping, no-till management, or nitrogen management.
“This is the first time the IRS requires an LCA to apply for a biofuel production tax credit,” said Jim Ramm, P.E., director of U.S. Biofuels at Eco. “As climate regulations and tax credits evolve, consumer preferences shift, and opportunities in voluntary carbon markets emerge, LCAs have become the cornerstone of impactful innovations in carbon removal. Now, there is an opportunity for farmers and ethanol producers to take advantage of this.”
Participants in the LCA Academy will learn about LCA concepts, methodologies, and the role of LCA in environmental, social, and governance (ESG), compliance, and conservation. They will gain a deeper understanding of the regulations that require LCAs and the drivers shaping the global marketplace.
Eco’s LCA Academy offers two tracks on the second day. In the Practitioner Track, participants will gain hands-on experience in modeling LCA scores using the Greenhouse gas, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) model developed by Argonne National Laboratory and modified and used by various federal and state programs.
READ MORE: Understanding and Measuring the Environmental Impact of Clean Hydrogen Production with LCA
In the Executive Track, participants will join a roundtable along with representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The roundtable will facilitate a moderated discussion between industry and regulators on creating a consistent LCA approach in policies.
Eco has performed more than 1,000 carbon LCAs on various products, including grains, oils, fuels, plastics, supplements, lubricants, and metals. Eco is adept at utilizing all available LCA tools, delivering a wide range of strategies and solutions to help organizations reach their carbon management and ESG goals.
To learn more about Eco’s LCA Academy and register to attend, CLICK HERE.
About EcoEngineers
EcoEngineers is a consulting, auditing, and advisory firm with an exclusive focus on the energy transition. From innovation to impact, Eco helps its clients navigate the disruption caused by carbon emissions and climate change. Eco helps organizations stay informed, measure emissions, make investment decisions, maintain compliance, and manage data through the lens of carbon accounting. Its team of engineers, scientists, auditors, consultants, and researchers live and work at the intersection of low-carbon fuel policy, innovative technologies, and the carbon marketplace. Eco was established in 2009 to steer low-carbon fuel producers through the complexities of emerging energy regulations in the United States. Today, Eco’s global team is shaping the response to climate change by advising businesses across the energy transition. For more information, visit www.ecoengineers.us.
