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5.3.1 Goal
At the start of most design projects, it is critical to identify the purpose and intended
group who will benefit from the completed project, product, or service. Without
this, the design remains in the purely formal or speculative realm disconnected from
the public or a particular consumer or beneficiary. Similarly, LCA practitioners
must answer two practical questions related to the study's overall goals and intended
audience to properly structure their work.
The first is question the practitioner must answer is, “What is the purpose of the
study?” Life cycle assessments can serve many purposes, and the facts gathered and
formatted are directed to a particular end. The study could benefit new product
development or the improvement of an existing one through revealing environmental “hot spots” and evaluating alternatives in the production process or any other life
cycle phase. Designers can use LCA to test and evaluate assumptions about individual “sustainable design” elements. It can inform strategic planning within a private or public organization. Broad environmental public policy decisions can use
LCA conclusions as supporting evidence. Companies may use LCAs to support
environmental performance claims through third-party-verified environmental
product declarations (EPDs). These are discussed in detail below. Before starting
any LCA activities, as with any other activities that will demand time and effort, it
is important to be clear on its ultimate purpose or goal.
The second question clarifying main goals of the study is “For whom is it
intended?” In initial discussions, the focus of the study may shift to target particular
issues important to the sponsoring key stakeholders or those who eventually will be
affected by the conclusions of the LCA. The public’s interests, for example, are not
the same as those of a management team charged with bringing a product to market.
A study that will be used as the foundation for a third-party-verified EPD, for example, will likely be more thorough and more complex than one carried out to provide
insight into internal manufacturing or material extraction operations. The results of
the latter type are not usually intended for sharing with anyone outside of a small
group technical team experts. A study used by designers to validate design decisions
to a client has both different purposes and data quality requirements than one
intended to be shared with the general public.
Final communication structure and form and the level of detail included depend
on both the study’s purpose and audience. Clearly identifying both at the start of any
LCA activity guides the work and report of findings. Once the overall goal is established, the next step is defining the study’s scope.
5 Life Cycle Assessment
5.3.1 Goal
At the start of most design projects, it is critical to identify the purpose and intended
group who will benefit from the completed project, product, or service. Without
this, the design remains in the purely formal or speculative realm disconnected from
the public or a particular consumer or beneficiary. Similarly, LCA practitioners
must answer two practical questions related to the study's overall goals and intended
audience to properly structure their work.
The first is question the practitioner must answer is, “What is the purpose of the
study?” Life cycle assessments can serve many purposes, and the facts gathered and
formatted are directed to a particular end. The study could benefit new product
development or the improvement of an existing one through revealing environmental “hot spots” and evaluating alternatives in the production process or any other life
cycle phase. Designers can use LCA to test and evaluate assumptions about individual “sustainable design” elements. It can inform strategic planning within a private or public organization. Broad environmental public policy decisions can use
LCA conclusions as supporting evidence. Companies may use LCAs to support
environmental performance claims through third-party-verified environmental
product declarations (EPDs). These are discussed in detail below. Before starting
any LCA activities, as with any other activities that will demand time and effort, it
is important to be clear on its ultimate purpose or goal.
The second question clarifying main goals of the study is “For whom is it
intended?” In initial discussions, the focus of the study may shift to target particular
issues important to the sponsoring key stakeholders or those who eventually will be
affected by the conclusions of the LCA. The public’s interests, for example, are not
the same as those of a management team charged with bringing a product to market.
A study that will be used as the foundation for a third-party-verified EPD, for example, will likely be more thorough and more complex than one carried out to provide
insight into internal manufacturing or material extraction operations. The results of
the latter type are not usually intended for sharing with anyone outside of a small
group technical team experts. A study used by designers to validate design decisions
to a client has both different purposes and data quality requirements than one
intended to be shared with the general public.
Final communication structure and form and the level of detail included depend
on both the study’s purpose and audience. Clearly identifying both at the start of any
LCA activity guides the work and report of findings. Once the overall goal is established, the next step is defining the study’s scope.
5 Life Cycle Assessment