Colloquia

Summary

Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are increasingly employed to evaluate environmental impacts and support decision-making and design processes where sustainability is a concern. Their application has expanded beyond academia to influence product development, strategic planning, and public policy - especially within the European Union, where LCAs and LCA based methods such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), and Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) are central to the European Green Deal. Despite the growing role and application of LCAs, uncertainty analysis remains underutilized—even though it is considered a distinctive feature of scientific maturity and essential for informed decision-making.

 This research aims to facilitate LCA practitioners in the adoption of uncertainty and sensitivity analysis by developing a comprehensive framework. Through an extensive literature review, the study explores current methods for identifying and managing uncertainty, highlighting significant gaps in software integration and application. Unlike other works this research focuses on creating an actionable framework for practitioners in industry – in particular for those at the sustainability consultancy Impulse. Consequently, a qualitative and actionable approach is proposed to commence bridging the identified gap. In turn, this research seeks to strengthen the practical application of uncertainty and sensitivity analysis LCAs in industry, with the aim to increase the reliability and transparency of the LCAs conducted.