272
2.7 Market for LCA Professionals
The existence of a market for LCA professionals is a positive development in the
countries and constitutes the proof of mainstreaming. If there are already experts in a
country contributing to developing life cycle tools or generating LCA data for policymaking or assisting companies, then there is a good basis to move toward a better
understanding and managing the countries’ and companies’ value chains.
In the sample analyzed, all respondents indicate that, at best, the markets are
under development even in countries with LCA databases and progress on the use
of LCA in policies (e.g. Thailand, China, Mexico and Brazil, as introduced in
Sect. 2.7.1 ). This fi nding shows that, despite efforts made in those countries,
additional mechanisms are needed to boost the market substantially. Options include
more university education on life cycle matters, professional training, life cycle
innovation by companies and more public policies.
2.7.1 Use of LCA in Policies
Policies based on LCA were identifi ed in two Asian and two Latin American countries. The general developments started in 2010. Asia, China and Thailand evidenced
a signifi cantly higher level of development and implementation of policies using
LCA. The most encouraging policy in China, the Eco-design of Industrial Products
Guidance of 2013 (MIIT/MEP/NRDC 2013 ), is boosting mainstreaming of LCA by
promoting its use in product design. Thailand is using life cycle inventory data to
quantify the Green Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of its industrial sectors, as well
as LCA and Life Cycle Costing to assess Phase 1 (2008–2011) of the Thai Green
Public Procurement Plan (ORDER PRE/116/ 2008 2008) to decide whether and how
to implement phase 2 (2014–2017) (Thumrongrut Mungcharoen 2013 ).
More recent examples of the use of LCA in regulations and programs have been
identifi ed in Brazil and Mexico. These examples have not covered all industrial
sectors yet. In Mexico, a regulation for sustainable buildings (NMX 2013 ) on criteria and minimum environmental requirements needs the impact assessment of the
whole life cycle of buildings (including the use phase). In case of the replacement
of building materials, it is also demanded the use of third-party reviewed LCAs of
alternative materials for comparative assertion purposes (Güereca et al. 2015 ). As
for Brazil, there is no mandatory policy regarding the use of LCA, but there are
recommendations to use it, for example, in the Solid Wastes National Policy (Federal
Law No. 12.305, 2010, and Decree No. 7.404, 2010, MMA 2010 ), which calls for
shared responsibilities among relevant stakeholders along the life cycle of wastes
and the use of LCA to promote products with fewer environmental impacts.
The cases presented above suggest an emerging awareness by politicians in
emerging economies. It means that an increasing number of policy-makers is
demanding LCA and information for decision-making at the product and sectorial
levels. Evidently, this will contribute to creating favourable conditions for mainstreaming LCSM.
S. Valdivia et al.
2.7 Market for LCA Professionals
The existence of a market for LCA professionals is a positive development in the
countries and constitutes the proof of mainstreaming. If there are already experts in a
country contributing to developing life cycle tools or generating LCA data for policymaking or assisting companies, then there is a good basis to move toward a better
understanding and managing the countries’ and companies’ value chains.
In the sample analyzed, all respondents indicate that, at best, the markets are
under development even in countries with LCA databases and progress on the use
of LCA in policies (e.g. Thailand, China, Mexico and Brazil, as introduced in
Sect. 2.7.1 ). This fi nding shows that, despite efforts made in those countries,
additional mechanisms are needed to boost the market substantially. Options include
more university education on life cycle matters, professional training, life cycle
innovation by companies and more public policies.
2.7.1 Use of LCA in Policies
Policies based on LCA were identifi ed in two Asian and two Latin American countries. The general developments started in 2010. Asia, China and Thailand evidenced
a signifi cantly higher level of development and implementation of policies using
LCA. The most encouraging policy in China, the Eco-design of Industrial Products
Guidance of 2013 (MIIT/MEP/NRDC 2013 ), is boosting mainstreaming of LCA by
promoting its use in product design. Thailand is using life cycle inventory data to
quantify the Green Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of its industrial sectors, as well
as LCA and Life Cycle Costing to assess Phase 1 (2008–2011) of the Thai Green
Public Procurement Plan (ORDER PRE/116/ 2008 2008) to decide whether and how
to implement phase 2 (2014–2017) (Thumrongrut Mungcharoen 2013 ).
More recent examples of the use of LCA in regulations and programs have been
identifi ed in Brazil and Mexico. These examples have not covered all industrial
sectors yet. In Mexico, a regulation for sustainable buildings (NMX 2013 ) on criteria and minimum environmental requirements needs the impact assessment of the
whole life cycle of buildings (including the use phase). In case of the replacement
of building materials, it is also demanded the use of third-party reviewed LCAs of
alternative materials for comparative assertion purposes (Güereca et al. 2015 ). As
for Brazil, there is no mandatory policy regarding the use of LCA, but there are
recommendations to use it, for example, in the Solid Wastes National Policy (Federal
Law No. 12.305, 2010, and Decree No. 7.404, 2010, MMA 2010 ), which calls for
shared responsibilities among relevant stakeholders along the life cycle of wastes
and the use of LCA to promote products with fewer environmental impacts.
The cases presented above suggest an emerging awareness by politicians in
emerging economies. It means that an increasing number of policy-makers is
demanding LCA and information for decision-making at the product and sectorial
levels. Evidently, this will contribute to creating favourable conditions for mainstreaming LCSM.
S. Valdivia et al.