By Lauren Tarde, Account Manager and Carbon Consultant, VCM
EcoEngineers

Embedding sustainability into corporate strategies is crucial for organizations to meet evolving investor pressure, consumer demand, and regulatory requirements. Understanding the environmental impact of products and operations is not only optional; it’s also a necessity. Life-cycle assessments (LCAs) are the cornerstone of a sustainable future, providing the insights necessary to drive informed decision-making, achieve regulatory compliance, and enhance market competitiveness. After all, you can’t manage what you can’t measure, and you can’t lower your environmental impact if you don’t first measure it. 

Why Consider LCAs?

An LCA provides a systematic and comprehensive evaluation of a product’s environmental impacts throughout its entire life cycle—from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal. LCAs typically assess the global warming potential, or carbon footprint, of a functional unit but can also encompass other impact categories such as land use, eutrophication, acidification, water use, and more. This powerful tool can be tailored to your specific needs, whether you are just beginning your sustainability journey or are already a leader in your field. 

Below are 10 reasons why you should consider incorporating LCAs into your sustainability strategy:

1. Achieve Carbon-Reduction Targets and Net-Zero Goals

LCAs are a powerful tool for informing net-zero decisions by providing precise measurements, prioritizing carbon-reduction strategies, and reporting progress in alignment with global standards and stakeholder expectations. This allows companies to ensure their sustainability efforts are both credible and impactful. 

2. Support Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Methodologies

Comprehensive LCAs aid in the development and validation of CDR methodologies. Detailed insights into the carbon footprint at each stage of the CDR process can help you meet and exceed your carbon reduction targets. LCAs can help identify the true potential for carbon removal in a CDR project and offer a complete and transparent picture of what is achievable. 

3. Enhance Supply Chain Diagnostics

According to a report by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), companies’ supply chains are responsible for over 11 times their direct emissions—more than 90% of their total GHG emissions. LCAs, when done correctly, can provide a granular view of your supply chain, identifying emission hotspots where carbon reduction opportunities could exist and operations could be optimized. Working with experienced LCA practitioners ensures you gain actionable insights to drive meaningful change.

4. Facilitate Product Comparisons and Compliance

LCAs provide a robust framework for comparing products and processes, whether for internal innovation or external benchmarking. By quantifying environmental impacts, LCAs can help companies make informed decisions that align with product sustainability goals and comply with emerging regulations.

5. Support Business Scaling and Investment Decisions

Transitioning from lab-scale projects to full-scale production or a global presence requires reliable data. LCAs ensure your technology remains sustainable and environmentally responsible at scale, supporting your growth while maintaining sustainability.

6. Provide Credibility and Piece of Mind 

In a time where corporate credibility is paramount, LCAs validate the sustainability credentials of your products and processes. They can also validate marketing claims and provide transparency, as well as reassurance to customers, investors, and regulators, enhancing your brand’s credibility.

7. Comprehensive Product Environmental Footprint Reporting 

The flexibility of LCAs, from cradle-to-grave analyses to specific focus areas like carbon footprints or water usage, can aid in preparing Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). These calculations are essential for compliance in regulated or voluntary carbon markets (VCM) and competitive market positioning.

8. Identify Cost-Saving Opportunities

By identifying emission hotspots within the supply chain or production process, LCAs can uncover opportunities for process efficiencies and cost reductions. By enabling companies to optimize their resource usage and minimize waste, LCAs contribute to cost savings while helping companies achieve their environmental goals.

9. Training and Thought Leadership for Internal Teams

LCAs can empower your internal teams with the knowledge and skills needed to engage in meaningful sustainability efforts and avoid greenwashing. Many firms and organizations, including Eco through its educational platform, EcoUniversity, offer webinars and thought leadership materials, including blogs and whitepapers. These resources can foster and inform data-driven decisions.

10. Boost Innovation and Competitive Advantage

LCAs can help drive innovation within a company by identifying opportunities for eco-friendly product design and sustainable practices. This not only helps in reducing environmental impact but can also position a company as a leader in sustainability, giving you a competitive edge in the market.

Ready to get started? At EcoEngineers (Eco), we offer a range of LCA services, from preliminary LCAs as projects are being initiated to panel-reviewed, International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compliant LCAs meeting industry standards to help organizations gain an accurate measurement of their carbon footprint across Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. With a team of renowned scientists who have performed more than 1,000 LCAs since 2015 and accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Accreditation Board (ANAB), in accordance with the ISO, we can help you determine the best solution that fits your specific needs. 

Contact us today to learn more about our LCA services and how we can support your path to a sustainable future.

About EcoEngineers

EcoEngineers is a consulting, auditing, and advisory firm with an exclusive focus on the energy transition. From innovation to impact, we help you navigate the disruption caused by carbon emissions and climate change. We help you stay informed, measure emissions, make investment decisions, maintain compliance, and manage data through the lens of carbon accounting. Our 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, our global team is shaping the response to climate change by advising businesses across the energy transition. Together, we can create a world where clean energy fuels a healthy planet. 

About the Author

Lauren Tarde is a carbon consultant and account manager specializing in VCMs and product LCAs. A skilled SimaPro modeler, Ms. Tarde assesses environmental impacts and fosters transformative change across diverse industries, including fashion, golf, agriculture, biochar, and e-waste. She has authored methodologies and built sustainability programs. Her commitment to sustainability and strong communication make her a key asset in driving positive industry change.

For more information about our LCA services and capabilities, contact:

Lauren Tarde, Account Manager and Carbon Consultant, VCM | ltarde@ecoengineers.us