From attributional to consequential LCA
This one-day course is for the expert in attributional LCA who wants to know the arguments for adding consequential LCA to the repertoire. The course will provide all the arguments you need to convince yourself, your boss or your clients that consequential LCA is necessary for hotspot identification, labelling and decision support in general. You will learn about the simplifications and cost reductions that consequential LCA can bring compared to your current practice.
The course
Subject:
We will discuss the application areas and advantages and disadvantages of both types of modelling, and their relation to the relevant standards and guidelines, such as the ISO 14000-series of standards, the GHG Protocol, EN15804 for the building industry, and the PEF guidelines.
The course also gives a quick overview of the practical procedures in consequential inventory modelling, but you will not become an expert practitioner in one day. To complement this course, you may want to add the two-days: “Hands-on Consequential Life Cycle Inventory” course.
Course outline (lectures and exercises on):
- Examples of applications where attributional and consequential models give different results.
- The differences in purpose, calculation algorithms and empirical data between attributional and consequential models.
- Physical and economic flows and balances in the two types of models.
- Discussion of the interpretation and relevant application areas of the two model types.
- Normative assumptions in the two models and relative uncertainty of the results.
- Simplifications and cost reductions in consequential modelling compared to attributional modelling.
- Consequential modelling in the ISO standards and in the GHG Protocol, EN15804 for the building industry, and the PEF guidelines.
Learning outcomes:
- A detailed understanding of the calculation algorithms and how to interpret the results of both attributional and consequential modelling.
- A detailed understanding of the empirical data and the physical and economic flows and balances included in the two types of models.
- An understanding of the normative assumptions in the two models and relative uncertainty of the results.
- An understanding of consequential modelling in relation to compliance with the ISO standards, GHG Protocol, and EU guidelines.
- A detailed understanding of the conceptual and practical applicability of the attributional and consequential results.
Form and academic recognition:
Form: One full day, 8 hours workshops/exercises + 6 hours pre-course preparation.
Academic recognition: 1 ECTS points. This includes reading a mandatory list of literature.