Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) underpins world’s best practice methods for the design of carbon management systems that improve environmental performance. One of the biggest challenges in environmental performance management is in identifying practices, processes and materials that will enable continuous reductions in emissions and energy use per unit of output without comprising economic performance or social outcomes. LCA is the first step towards that outcome. It comprises sequential steps: clear goals and scope (including supply chain mapping, sequestration centres); inventory analysis; impact assessment; and interpretation of the analysis. The Carbon Management System is derived from the LCA and needs, among other things, to be robust and capable of dealing with today’s rapidly changing regulatory, climatic, technological and economic environment. It also needs to recognize the adjustment capacity of the enterprise and whether or not the incentive system is working in a way that does not compromise either carbon management or economic performance. Productivity improvement is just one of the KPIs that usually enable improvement of both economic and carbon performance.
Our approach to carbon footprint measurement and life cycle assessment
● Map your supply chain to understand carbon and energy flows and scope.
● Conduct LCA from your data, leaving model with you for future changes or with us for further reviews and changes.
● Identification of KPIs and binding constraints to improved environmental performance.
● Integration of environmental with economic performance measurement, the Carbon Management System.
● National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting.
Carbon footprint management and life cycle assessment examples
● Prepared LCAs for agricultural poultry production, food processing, packaging, storage, distribution and retailing
● Prepared LCAs for floriculture production, processing and distribution to local and international markets
● Presentation of research papers to Australasian LCA conferences
Interesting Links
http://www.climatechange.gov.au/climate-change/greenhouse-gas-measurement/national-greenhouse-and-energy-reporting
http://lct.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pdf-directory/Carbon-footprint.pdf
http://www.pre-sustainability.com/
http://www.gabi-software.com/australia/index/
http://www.ecoinvent.ch/