Complete Life Cycle Assessments in Support of Sustainable Business Practice
Overview
This standard is about completing life cycle assessments in support of sustainable business practice. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method of assessing the environmental impact of a product or service across its entire life or life cycle, taking account of such things as raw material utilisation, energy usage and waste production. LCA involves the collection and evaluation of quantitative data on the inputs and outputs of material, the energy and the waste flows associated with a product so that an environmental impact can be determined.
The role described by this standard requires the ability to complete life cycle assessments for a product and service. It involves establishing the scope of the assessment, obtaining the resources required to complete the assessment and then implementing the assessment itself.
The ability to communicate the results of the assessment to others is an important part of the standard.
This standard would be appropriate for:
Those responsible for supporting the development of sustainable business practice. It is likely to apply to technical staff and managers within organisations, those with responsibility for implementing environmental programmes and owner/managers within SMEs.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
P1 identify the drivers that direct and influence product life cycle assessment
P2 determine the scope and boundaries of the life cycle assessment in accordance with organisational sustainability objectives
P3 identify and obtain the resources required to support the assessment activities
P4 implement the life cycle assessments in accordance with organisational requirements
P5 manage data recording and analysis in support of life cycle assessment
P6 establish the validity of the processes used for data collection and analysis
P7 communicate effectively with all those involved in life cycle assessment
P8 interpret and accurately report life cycle assessment data
P9 recommend improvements to sustainable business practice based on life cycle findings
P10 report life cycle assessment outcomes to stakeholders
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
K1 the guiding principles of life cycle assessment
K2 the legislation, industry standards, circular economy international standards and voluntary codes that support the development of life cycle thinking
K3 how the implementation of life cycle thinking supports the economic, social and environmental principles of sustainability and sustainable business practice
K4 how organisational activities, products and services impact on the environment
K5 the sustainability objectives of the organisation
K6 how drivers can influence the life cycle assessment
K7 the predicted effects of climate change
K8 how product or service life cycles are used as indicators of environmental performance
K9 how to specify the scope and guiding principles of a life cycle assessment
K10 how the activities of the organisation can contribute to a product or service life cycle
K11 how to complete a life cycle assessment including how to collect, record and store life cycle data
K12 the data that is needed to monitor all the different stages of the life cycle
K13 how to ensure the validity of the processes used for data collection and analysis
K14 the concepts of cradle to grave’ in life cycle
assessment
K15 the terms and definitions used commonly within the life cycle assessment
K16 how the principles of relevance, completeness, consistency, accuracy and transparency underpin life cycle assessment
K17 how life cycle assessment can be used to help to reduce the environmental impact of an organisation
K18 how to report a life cycle assessment
K19 how to communicate life cycle assessment outcomes
K20 how to engage with different stakeholders
Scope/range
Drivers include:
1 economic
2 social and ethical
3 environmental
4 customer and stakeholder perception
5 legislation
6 circular economy
7 compliance
8 government policy
9 organisational governance
Resources include:
1 people
2 finance
3 technology
4 knowledge
Assessments of:
1 inputs
2 outputs
3 energy
4 waste flows
Sustainability objectives include:
1 economic
2 social and ethical
3 environmental
Stakeholders include:
1 decision makers
2 organisational colleagues
3 customers
4 suppliers