60
to achieve sustainable production while stimulating innovation (by identifying
weaknesses and enabling further improvements over the product life cycle); help to
raise credibility by communicating useful quantitative and qualitative information
about their products and process performances (which can also be used to inform
labelling initiatives); and show how to become more responsible by taking into
account the full spectrum of impacts associated with their products and services.
LCSA can support decision-makers in prioritising resources and investments, and in
choosing sustainable technologies and products. Finally, LCSA could support consumers in determining which products are cost-effi cient; have a low environmental
impact and are socially responsible; and, in general, promote awareness in value
chain actors on sustainability issues.” Note that it is not the aim of assessing in all
details the life cycle, but to focus on the so-called “hotspots”, i.e. the important
impacts. It can be compared with the “materiality” exercise in ISO 26000 in which
relevance, signifi cance and priority is looked at in a systematic and coherent
manner.
Finally, it is interesting to note that (methodological) developments around “life
cycle thinking” were not limited to present tools for analysis or assessment. In fact,
LCSA can be regarded as part of the PDCA-cycle
11 – where the “assessment” correspond clearly with the “check” and should be followed by action (before a renewed
planning is set up). This is all about management, i.e. “life cycle management”
which is another important area of work over the last 20 years (see e.g. Remmen
et al. 2007 ).
2.5 Implementation and Follow Up of Due Diligence
Through LCM?
As life cycle management (LCM) is still a domain in development, it is relevant to
begin by providing some defi nitions based on the recent scientifi c literature.
The SETAC Europe Working Group on LCM defi ned it as “an integrated framework of concepts, techniques and procedures to address environmental, economic,
technological and social aspects of products and organizations to achieve continuous environmental improvement from a life cycle perspective” (Hunkeler et al.
2004 ). UNEP brings the collaboration and stakeholder perspective, they see LCM
“as a product management system aiming to minimize environmental and
socioeconomic burdens… during the entire life-cycle…relying on collaboration
and communication with all the stakeholders in the value-chain” (Balkau and
Sonnemann 2010 ).
11 PDCA stands for ‘Plan, Do, Check, Act’ in which ‘Check’ is sometimes replaced by ‘Study’ and
‘Act’ by ‘Adjust’ (see this volume, Chap. 3 ).
B. Mazijn and J.-P. Revéret
to achieve sustainable production while stimulating innovation (by identifying
weaknesses and enabling further improvements over the product life cycle); help to
raise credibility by communicating useful quantitative and qualitative information
about their products and process performances (which can also be used to inform
labelling initiatives); and show how to become more responsible by taking into
account the full spectrum of impacts associated with their products and services.
LCSA can support decision-makers in prioritising resources and investments, and in
choosing sustainable technologies and products. Finally, LCSA could support consumers in determining which products are cost-effi cient; have a low environmental
impact and are socially responsible; and, in general, promote awareness in value
chain actors on sustainability issues.” Note that it is not the aim of assessing in all
details the life cycle, but to focus on the so-called “hotspots”, i.e. the important
impacts. It can be compared with the “materiality” exercise in ISO 26000 in which
relevance, signifi cance and priority is looked at in a systematic and coherent
manner.
Finally, it is interesting to note that (methodological) developments around “life
cycle thinking” were not limited to present tools for analysis or assessment. In fact,
LCSA can be regarded as part of the PDCA-cycle
11 – where the “assessment” correspond clearly with the “check” and should be followed by action (before a renewed
planning is set up). This is all about management, i.e. “life cycle management”
which is another important area of work over the last 20 years (see e.g. Remmen
et al. 2007 ).
2.5 Implementation and Follow Up of Due Diligence
Through LCM?
As life cycle management (LCM) is still a domain in development, it is relevant to
begin by providing some defi nitions based on the recent scientifi c literature.
The SETAC Europe Working Group on LCM defi ned it as “an integrated framework of concepts, techniques and procedures to address environmental, economic,
technological and social aspects of products and organizations to achieve continuous environmental improvement from a life cycle perspective” (Hunkeler et al.
2004 ). UNEP brings the collaboration and stakeholder perspective, they see LCM
“as a product management system aiming to minimize environmental and
socioeconomic burdens… during the entire life-cycle…relying on collaboration
and communication with all the stakeholders in the value-chain” (Balkau and
Sonnemann 2010 ).
11 PDCA stands for ‘Plan, Do, Check, Act’ in which ‘Check’ is sometimes replaced by ‘Study’ and
‘Act’ by ‘Adjust’ (see this volume, Chap. 3 ).
B. Mazijn and J.-P. Revéret