Non-Comparable LCA Data

In Phase 1 of the SPPC's requirements, the membership is willing to accept product LCA in any format so long as it meets the listed criteria given below, which are given to ensure quality and some level of comparability. By providing an LCA (that will not be published by the SPPC) accompanied by an Express Warranty, your company's name and contact information, including a link to the place on your website where you make LCA data available, will be given in our online list of manufacturers that have met our criteria for providing data. Manufacturer contact information will thus be available to members.

Disclaimer: The results listed by the manufacturer in Phase I are not to be used for comparative purposes. Various assumptions, methodologies and databases are used make accurate comparisons of LCA results from different software types impossible. Manufacturers not providing data in specific impact categories do not imply that there are not impacts within that category. Manufactures providing data in more categories should receive preferable purchasing treatment. Phase 2 will define LCA requirements that will make LCA results from different software comparable.

The criteria below are based on communications with LCA tool providers and consistent with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)'s General Principles. These requirements define software and data qualities necessary for LCA software to qualify for product manufacturers to participate on the SPPC site. The goal is to ensure confidence that the LCA results accurately reflect the products life cycle impacts and are useable for comparison with other LCA tools.

- At a minimum, all LCA tools are required to meet the ISO 14040 standards for life cycle assessments, including 14040, 14041, 14042, and 14043. For more information about ISO, visit their website at www.iso.ch

- Preference would be given to tools which are commercially available and whose methodology has been publicly reviewed. This would not exclude results from tools that have not undergone public review of methodology.

- Social Equity indicators are used cautiously, using GRI indicators. The scores from individual companies will not be published on the web but made available by written request.

- Preferred Categories for Phase I are:

1. Global Warming
2. Acid rain
3. Smog
4. Stratospheric ozone depletion
5. Water eutrophication
6. Indoor air quality
7. Human toxicity
8. Ecological toxicity
9. Habitat alteration
10. Resource depletion (fossil fuel)

All Phase 1 LCAs listed have met the criteria listed above. Please be aware that as Phase I LCAs may use different impact criteria and boundary conditions from each other, making comparisons is extremely difficult.

To find a glossary of LCA terminology, visit www.lcacenter.org, or download SPPC's LCA definitions (PDF, 40 KB).