Inventory Methods in LCA

This book clarifies a number of methodological issues in Life Cycle Inventory modelling, as part of LCA. Some of these issues have been on the agenda for a long time, without coming togenerally accepted solutions, and often not even to agreement on alternative approaches. Several of these subjects relate to the specific nature of LCA as a relatively simple method for decision support, focusing on technology relations in the life cycle. By this focus, it is simple enough to be operable by `small` users, but at the cost of leaving out many mechanism which are operant in reality. The report before you has three main chapters: Chapter 1 gives a survey of issues in LCA which need further elaboration, and indicates priorities. Chapter 2 is about current LCA and how it may advance in terms of a number of methods issues: Multifunctionality; prospective and descriptive analysis in LCA; and data quality,uncertainty and validation. Chapter 3 is about how sustainabilityanalysis might advance, not within the current limitations of ISOLCA. This chapter may function as a framework for improving sustainability analysis: as broadened and deepened LCA, as `New LCA` or `beyond LCA`.