Almost any business activity is closely related to environmental issues: production processes, energy and water consumption or business travel consume resources and generate emissions, waste or waste water. But how can one quantify the environmental impact - e.g. on global warming or the consumption of primary energy - caused by a certain activity? How can electricity consumption or a short flight be converted into CO2 emission equivalents? The conversion factors used have a significant effect on the results, but not only for that reason they need to be compliant with international standards and the requirements of auditors or sustainability rating agencies.

To be on the safe side, companies are better to rely on conversion factors that have a sound scientific basis, in order to be credible and widely accepted. The ‘state of the art’ method to calculate this type of factors in a reliable and transparent way is the method of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). In the past few months, the “European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment” of the European Commission has been established. The platform provides the "European Reference Life Cycle Data System (ELCD)", with inventory data and impact assessment factors. It is now publicly available online at lca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/lcainfohub/datasetArea.vm. The data system has been set up to “improve credibility, acceptance and practice of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in business and public authorities, by providing reference data and recommended methods”.

PE as ELCD-project co-ordinator provides a basic set of the most important conversion factors in a ready-to-use format for SoFi customers; more specialised factors can be purchased upon request.

Contact: t.motzer(at)pe-international.com

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