Consistent standards for life cycle assessment
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB - Swedish Life Cycle Center |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 1 380 000 |
| Project duration | November 2024 - January 2026 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Impact - Regulations and policy instruments for a sustainable industry |
| Call | Impact Innovation - Regulations and policy instruments for a sustainable industry |
Important results from the project
We identified conflicts between different standards from ISO and Greenhouse Gas Protocol, for example in allocation rules and electricity modelling. We participated in the development or revision of ca 10 of these standards, aiming for clearer and harmonised documents. We developed a system for more efficient management of environmental data. Through the project, we learned more about the standards, and also about the opportunities and obstacles in the standardisation process.
Expected long term effects
The improved understanding of existing and developing standards contributes to a more effective use of them and thus to more effective transition of industry. The insights about what is required to have an impact in international standardisation give us a good basis for continued work. Among other things, we want to contribute to constructive debates within ISO by clarifying the diverging and implicit interpretations of basic concepts among experts in life cycle assessment.
Approach and implementation
We interviewed Swedish stakeholders and analysed relevant documents from ISO and Greenhouse Gas Protocol to identify conflicts between them. We illustrated the significance of these conflicts with case studies. We actively participated in international standardisation, both online and at physical meetings. We disseminated our results and insights to a wider audience and will continue to do so. The project ran smoothly over 14 months. However, harmonising the standards requires more time.