Reference

LCA and sustainability glossary

124 terms across LCA methodology, environmental impacts, carbon accounting, supply chains, standards and tools. Each definition links to the organization it draws on.

A

Abiotic Depletion Potential: The depletion of non-renewable natural resources like minerals and fossil fuels, based on their concentration reserves and extraction rates. Source
Acidification Potential: The potential for substances to form acids that can lower the pH of rainwater and cause environmental damage to soils, waters, and ecosystems. Source
Additionality: Principle that emission reductions or removals from a project would not have occurred without carbon credit financing, ensuring offsets represent genuine climate benefits. Source
Allocation: The procedure used to divide environmental impacts between multiple products from the same process, typically using mass, energy, or economic criteria. Source
Attributional LCA: An LCA modeling approach that describes the environmental impacts attributable to a product system using average data and allocation procedures. Source

B

B Corp: Certification for companies meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency as verified by B Lab. Source
Baseline: Reference scenario representing what would have happened without a carbon project, used to measure the actual emission reductions achieved. Source
BECCS: Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage - process combining biomass energy generation with carbon capture and storage, potentially achieving negative emissions. Source
Big Data Analytics: Advanced computational techniques for processing large, complex environmental datasets to extract insights and support data-driven decision-making in sustainability. Source: Academic literature on sustainability analytics
Biomimicry: Innovation inspired by nature's strategies and designs, applying biological principles to create sustainable technologies and processes. Source: Industrial ecology literature
Biotic Depletion Potential: The depletion of renewable biological resources like forests and fisheries faster than their natural regeneration rate. Source: Ecological Footprint Methodology
BREEAM: Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method - science-based sustainability assessment method for buildings providing ratings from Pass to Outstanding. Source

C

Carbon Accounting: Systematic methodology for measuring, monitoring, and quantifying greenhouse gas emissions across an organization's operations and value chain. Source
Carbon Credits: Certificates representing one tonne of CO2 equivalent emissions reduced or removed, traded in carbon markets to meet climate commitments. Source
Carbon Footprint: The total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product, expressed in CO2 equivalents. Source
Carbon Intensity: Measure of carbon emissions per unit of economic output, energy use, or production, enabling comparison of emission efficiency across activities. Source
Carbon Management Software: Digital platforms that help organizations measure, track, and manage greenhouse gas emissions across all scopes and generate compliance reports. Source
Carbon Markets: Systems where carbon credits are bought and sold, enabling cost-effective achievement of emission reduction targets through market mechanisms. Source
Carbon Neutral: Balancing carbon emissions with an equivalent amount of carbon removal or offsetting, often achieved through emission reductions and carbon credits. Source
Carbon Reporting: Process of calculating and disclosing greenhouse gas emissions data to stakeholders, regulators, or voluntary disclosure platforms like CDP. Source
CDP: Global non-profit running the world's environmental disclosure system where companies report on climate, forests, and water security risks. Source
Characterization Factor: A numerical value that converts inventory data into common units for specific impact categories (e.g., converting methane to CO₂ equivalents). Source
Circular Economy: A systems framework that eliminates waste and pollution, circulates products and materials at highest value, and regenerates nature through design. Source
Cleaner Production: A preventive environmental strategy applying continuous improvement to processes, products, and services to increase efficiency and reduce environmental risks. Source: UNEP Cleaner Production resources
Compliance Carbon Market: Regulated markets created by mandatory emission trading schemes where companies must purchase credits to meet legally binding emission limits. Source
Consequential LCA: An LCA modeling approach that estimates how environmental impacts change as a consequence of a decision, using marginal data and system expansion. Source
Co-product Allocation: The method for distributing environmental impacts when a single process produces multiple valuable products, requiring division of impacts between outputs. Source
Cradle-to-Cradle: A design philosophy treating all materials as nutrients in cycles, where products are designed for complete material recovery and reuse without waste. Source: McDonough & Braungart Framework
Cradle-to-Gate: A partial LCA approach that assesses environmental impacts from raw material extraction through the factory gate, excluding use and disposal phases. Source
Cradle-to-Grave: A comprehensive LCA approach that assesses environmental impacts from raw material extraction through production, use, and final disposal of a product. Source
CSRD: Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive - EU regulation requiring nearly 50,000 companies to report comprehensive sustainability information using double materiality. Source
Cumulative Energy Demand: The total amount of primary energy required throughout a product's life cycle, including renewable and non-renewable sources. Source: Ecoinvent Database
Cut-off Criteria: Rules that define which processes or materials can be excluded from LCA based on their low contribution to total impacts (typically 1-5% thresholds). Source

D

Damage Assessment: The evaluation of environmental impacts at the endpoint level, measuring final damage to areas of protection like human health and ecosystems. Source: UNEP/SETAC Guidelines
Decoupling: Breaking the link between economic growth and environmental impact by reducing resource consumption and emissions per unit of economic activity. Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Dematerialization: The reduction of material inputs and waste outputs per unit of economic output, achieved through improved efficiency and design optimization. Source: Industrial ecology literature
Design for Disassembly: Engineering products to be easily taken apart at end-of-life, facilitating material recovery, reuse, and recycling while reducing waste disposal costs. Source
Design for Environment (DfE): A design methodology that considers environmental impacts throughout a product's lifecycle, from material selection through end-of-life disposal or recycling. Source
Direct Air Capture (DAC): Technology that uses chemical processes to extract CO2 directly from ambient air for permanent storage or utilization, offering scalable carbon removal. Source

E

Eco-efficiency: Achieving maximum economic value while minimizing environmental impact through resource optimization and waste reduction strategies. Source: Academic literature on sustainable manufacturing
Ecoinvent: The world's leading life cycle inventory database containing over 18,000 datasets covering energy, agriculture, transport, chemicals, and construction materials. Source
Ecotoxicity: The potential for toxic substances to harm ecosystems and biodiversity in freshwater, marine, or terrestrial environments. Source
Economic Allocation: An allocation method that divides environmental impacts between co-products based on their relative economic value or market price. Source
Embodied Carbon: The total greenhouse gas emissions associated with a product's upstream production stages, including material extraction, transportation, and manufacturing. Source
Endpoint Indicators: Environmental impact measures at the final damage level, showing effects on human health, ecosystem quality, and resource availability. Source: UNEP/SETAC Guidelines
EPD: Environmental Product Declaration - ISO Type III environmental declaration providing third-party verified data about a product's environmental performance from lifecycle perspective. Source
EU Taxonomy: European Union's classification system establishing science-based criteria to determine which economic activities are environmentally sustainable. Source
Eutrophication: The process where water bodies accumulate excessive nutrients, primarily phosphates and nitrates, leading to algae overgrowth and oxygen depletion. Source
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): A policy approach that makes manufacturers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, especially end-of-life management and environmental costs. Source

F

Fossil Fuel Depletion: The depletion of non-renewable fossil fuel resources (oil, gas, coal) based on remaining reserves and current extraction rates. Source: CML-IA Methodology
Fossil Resource Scarcity: The increasing difficulty and cost of extracting remaining fossil fuel resources as easily accessible reserves are depleted. Source: ReCiPe 2016 Methodology
Freshwater Consumption: The volume of freshwater consumed and not returned to its original source, affecting local water availability. Source
Functional Unit: A quantified description of the performance requirements that the product system fulfills, providing a reference basis for comparing different products. Source

G

GaBi: Enterprise LCA software platform combining robust modeling capabilities with extensive databases to support carbon footprinting and sustainability assessments. Source
GHG Protocol: The world's most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standards, providing frameworks for measuring emissions across Scope 1, 2, and 3 categories. Source
Global Warming Potential (GWP): A measure of how much energy the emission of one ton of a gas absorbs over a given period relative to one ton of CO2. Source
Goal & Scope Definition: The first phase of LCA that defines the purpose, intended audience, and boundaries of the assessment, establishing what will be studied and why. Source
Green Supply Chain: Supply chain management practices that integrate environmental considerations into procurement, production, and distribution decisions to reduce ecological footprint. Source: Academic research on green logistics
GRI: Global Reporting Initiative - provides the world's most widely used sustainability reporting standards, used by over 10,000 reporters across 100+ countries. Source

H

Human Toxicity: The potential for chemical substances to cause cancer and non-cancer health effects in humans through environmental exposure pathways. Source: USEtox Model Documentation
Hybrid LCA: A methodology combining process-based LCA data with input-output economic analysis to address truncation errors while achieving more complete impact coverage. Source: Academic literature on hybrid LCA

I

Impact Category: A class of environmental effects (like climate change or acidification) to which life cycle inventory results are assigned based on their potential impacts. Source
Industrial Ecology: The study of material and energy flows in industrial systems aimed at creating closed-loop industrial processes that mimic natural ecosystems. Source: Industrial ecology literature
Industrial Symbiosis: A collaborative network where different industries exchange resources, materials, and energy to create closed-loop relationships that reduce waste and improve efficiency. Source: Kalundborg Symbiosis case studies
Input-Output Analysis: An economic modeling technique used in LCA that employs sector-level monetary data to trace environmental impacts through entire economic supply chains. Source: Academic literature on IO-LCA
Ionizing Radiation: The emission of radioactive substances that can damage living tissue and DNA, measured in human health impacts. Source: ReCiPe 2016 Methodology
ISO 14040/14044: International standards for Life Cycle Assessment - ISO 14040 provides framework and principles, while ISO 14044 provides detailed requirements and guidelines. Source

L

Land Transformation: The conversion of natural land to human-dominated land uses, causing habitat loss and biodiversity impacts. Source: LC-IMPACT Methodology
Land Use: The area of land occupied and time duration for production processes, measured in square meters per year, indicating biodiversity and habitat impacts. Source
Leakage: Phenomenon where emission reduction activities in one location cause emissions to increase elsewhere, reducing the net climate benefit of the project. Source
LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - the world's most widely used green building rating system with over 195,000 certified buildings. Source
Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA): The LCA phase that evaluates potential environmental impacts by converting inventory data into impact category indicators using characterization factors. Source
Life Cycle Interpretation: The final LCA phase where results are analyzed, conclusions drawn, and recommendations made based on inventory and impact assessment findings. Source
Life Cycle Inventory (LCI): The data collection and modeling phase that quantifies all inputs (energy, materials) and outputs (emissions, waste) for the product system. Source
Life Cycle Inventory Database: A comprehensive collection of quantified environmental data documenting inputs and outputs for thousands of industrial processes used in LCA. Source

M

Machine Learning in LCA: Application of AI algorithms to automate data collection, predict environmental impacts, and discover patterns in sustainability data to improve LCA efficiency. Source: Academic literature on ML-LCA
Marine Eutrophication: Nutrient enrichment in marine coastal environments leading to algal blooms, dead zones, and marine ecosystem degradation. Source
Mass Allocation: An allocation method that divides environmental impacts between co-products based on their relative mass or physical quantities. Source
Material Flow Analysis (MFA): A quantitative method to track flows and stocks of materials within a defined system, helping identify opportunities for waste reduction. Source: Academic literature on MFA
Midpoint Indicators: Environmental impact measures at intermediate points in the cause-effect chain, focusing on specific problems like global warming potential or ozone depletion. Source: UNEP/SETAC Guidelines
Mineral Depletion: The depletion of mineral resources from the Earth's crust, measured against global reserves and extraction rates. Source: CML-IA Methodology

N

Nature-Based Solutions: Actions that protect, restore, or sustainably manage ecosystems to address climate change while delivering benefits for biodiversity and human well-being. Source
Net Zero: Achieving balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and removed from atmosphere, typically requiring 90-95% emission reductions with remaining emissions offset. Source
Normalization: An optional step that relates impact assessment results to reference values to help interpret the relative magnitude of impacts. Source

O

OpenLCA: Free, open-source life cycle assessment software providing professional LCA modeling capabilities with access to multiple databases including ecoinvent. Source
Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP): The relative ability of a substance to destroy stratospheric ozone compared to CFC-11, which has an ODP of 1.0. Source

P

Particulate Matter Formation: The creation of fine particles in the atmosphere that can cause respiratory health problems and visibility reduction. Source
PCF: Product Carbon Footprint - calculation of all greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout a product's entire life cycle, measured in CO2 equivalents. Source
Permanence: Requirement that carbon storage or emission reductions are maintained over the long term, preventing reversals that would undermine climate benefits. Source
Photochemical Oxidation (POCP): The formation of ground-level ozone and smog through reactions of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides in sunlight. Source
Process-Based LCA: The traditional bottom-up LCA approach that models environmental impacts by connecting specific unit processes representing individual activities in a product's life cycle. Source
Product Stewardship: A shared responsibility approach where all stakeholders in a product's lifecycle work together to reduce environmental impacts. Source
Product System: The collection of unit processes connected by flows of intermediate products that performs one or more defined functions within the LCA boundary. Source
PUE: Power Usage Effectiveness - data center efficiency metric calculated by dividing total facility energy by IT equipment energy, with values closer to 1.0 indicating higher efficiency. Source: Data center industry standards

R

REDD+: Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation - UN mechanism providing financial incentives for developing countries to reduce forest emissions. Source
Reference Flow: The amount of product needed to fulfill the functional unit, expressed in physical quantities that flows through the system. Source
Resource Depletion: The consumption of natural resources faster than they can be replenished, threatening long-term availability for future generations. Source: UNEP Resource Panel Reports
Reverse Logistics: Supply chain processes dedicated to the backward flow of products and materials for maintenance, repair, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, recycling, or disposal. Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation

S

SASB: Sustainability Accounting Standards Board - provides industry-specific standards for companies to disclose financially material sustainability information to investors. Source
SBTi: Science Based Targets initiative - enables companies to set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets aligned with climate science and Paris Agreement goals. Source
Science-Based Targets: Emission reduction targets that align with what climate science deems necessary to meet Paris Agreement goals of limiting warming to 1.5°C. Source
Scope 1 Emissions: Direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources owned or controlled by an organization (e.g., fuel combustion in boilers, company vehicles). Source
Scope 2 Emissions: Indirect emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heat, or cooling consumed by the organization but generated off-site. Source
Scope 3 Emissions: All other indirect emissions in the organization's value chain, including upstream and downstream activities like purchased goods and business travel. Source
Sensitivity Analysis: The systematic evaluation of how changes in key assumptions, data, or methods affect LCA results to test the robustness of conclusions. Source
SimaPro: Professional life cycle assessment software that enables sustainability experts to model environmental impacts and create ISO-compliant LCA studies. Source
Software Carbon Intensity (SCI): An international standard (ISO/IEC 21031:2024) measuring the rate of carbon emissions from software applications per functional unit. Source
Spatial Boundary: The geographical scope of the LCA, determining which locations and regional characteristics are included in the assessment. Source
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion: The destruction of the protective ozone layer in the upper atmosphere, increasing harmful UV radiation reaching Earth's surface. Source: Montreal Protocol Assessment Reports
Supply Chain Emissions: Greenhouse gas emissions generated across a company's value chain by suppliers and customers, typically representing the largest portion of Scope 3 emissions. Source
Sustainability Reporting Software: Integrated software solutions enabling organizations to collect ESG data, calculate environmental impacts, and generate stakeholder reports aligned with frameworks. Source
Sustainable Manufacturing: Production processes that minimize negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources, ensuring economic viability and worker safety. Source
System Boundary: The definition of which processes, inputs, and outputs are included or excluded from the LCA, determining the limits of the system being investigated. Source
System Expansion: An allocation avoidance method that expands the product system to include additional functions, eliminating the need for impact allocation. Source

T

TCFD: Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures - framework for climate-related financial risk disclosure covering governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics. Source
Technological Boundary: The definition of which technologies, processes, and infrastructure are included within the LCA system boundary. Source
Temporal Boundary: The time-related scope of the LCA, defining the time period over which impacts are assessed and when they occur. Source
Terrestrial Eutrophication: Nitrogen deposition on land causing changes in plant species composition and reducing biodiversity in natural terrestrial ecosystems. Source: ReCiPe 2016 Methodology

U

Uncertainty Analysis: The assessment of how data quality, variability, and methodological choices influence the reliability and confidence of LCA results. Source

V

Voluntary Carbon Market: Market where companies, organizations, and individuals purchase carbon credits voluntarily to offset emissions beyond regulatory requirements. Source

W

Waste-to-Energy: Recovery processes that convert non-recyclable waste materials into electricity, heat, or fuel through thermal treatments, providing renewable energy while reducing landfill waste. Source
Water Footprint: The total volume of freshwater used to produce goods and services consumed by an individual, community, or business throughout the entire production process. Source
Water Scarcity: The consumption of water in regions where water resources are limited, affecting local communities and ecosystems. Source: AWARE Method, UNEP-SETAC
Weighting: An optional step that assigns relative importance values to different impact categories to create a single aggregated environmental score. Source