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FAQ | Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Life cycle assessment - FAQ - Baisma

By Baisma - september 2026

Is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) currently mandatory?

There is no general requirement for all products or companies to conduct an LCA. However, its use is increasingly integrated into regulations, environmental declaration schemes, sector-specific requirements and customer requests. The need to conduct an LCA therefore depends on the product, the sector and, above all, how the results are intended to be used.

It may be required to develop an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), calculate certain environmental footprints, meet customer requirements, compare design or material alternatives, participate in certain procurement processes, or substantiate environmental improvements.

It can also help identify a product’s hotspots and prioritise ecodesign measures where they can genuinely reduce environmental impacts.

Life Cycle Assessment collects and evaluates the inputs, outputs and potential environmental impacts of a product system, process or service throughout its life cycle, considering the different stages in accordance with the defined scope (raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, use and end-of-life).

Unlike the carbon footprint, which focuses on GHG emissions and climate change, LCA makes it possible to assess different impact categories, helping to identify and avoid the shifting of environmental burdens from one environmental aspect to another.

It depends on the objective. A product carbon footprint, in accordance with ISO 14067, focuses exclusively on climate change and expresses the results in CO₂ equivalent.

A multi-criteria LCA also makes it possible to assess other environmental impacts. It is particularly recommended when a decision may improve one indicator while worsening another, for example, reducing emissions while increasing resource or water consumption.

These are not equivalent methodologies.

ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 establish the framework and general requirements for LCA. ISO 14067 applies specifically to product carbon footprints. PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) is the methodology developed by the European Commission to harmonise the calculation of the environmental footprint of products.

In addition, certain sectors or declarations may be subject to specific rules, such as PCRs or PEFCRs, which should be taken into account from the outset.

The impact categories to be assessed will depend on the goal and scope of the study and the methodology used. An LCA can assess aspects such as climate change, resource use, water consumption, acidification, eutrophication, ozone formation and toxicity, among others.

When the study is conducted in accordance with a specific methodology or set of rules, such as PEF, a PCR or a PEFCR, the impact categories and assessment methods established by them should be considered.

Not necessarily. Normalisation allows results to be expressed in relation to a reference, while weighting assigns relative importance to the different impact categories to facilitate their interpretation or aggregation.

Their application will depend on the objective of the study and the methodology used. In addition, weighting involves value choices, so it should be applied and communicated transparently, particularly when the results are used for comparisons.

Yes. Climate change is one of the impact categories that can be assessed within an LCA, meaning that its results can be used to determine the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the life cycle assessed, expressed in CO₂ equivalent.

However, if the result is to be used as a product carbon footprint, the study should align with the requirements of the applicable methodology or standard, including aspects such as the scope, system boundaries, data and calculation rules, for example in accordance with ISO 14067.

Not necessarily. The scope should be defined according to the objective of the study.

For example, a cradle-to-gate LCA covers the stages from raw material extraction to the point when the product leaves the factory, while a cradle-to-grave LCA also includes distribution, use and end-of-life. The key is to ensure that the system boundaries are appropriate for the decision to be made and are clearly documented.

Yes. An LCA can combine primary data from the company and its suppliers with secondary data from recognised databases.

Not having specific information for 100% of the supply chain does not prevent the study from being conducted, but it does require appropriate selection of proxy data, justification of assumptions, and assessment of how these affect the quality and representativeness of the results.

It will depend on the product, but the following information is generally particularly relevant:

  • Weight and composition of materials and components.
  • Country and manufacturing processes.
  • Relevant energy consumption.
  • Recycled content.
  • Transport.
  • Packaging.
  • Information on waste and end-of-life, where applicable.

Not all data are equally relevant. Identifying the main hotspots first makes it possible to focus data collection efforts on the components and processes that are most relevant.

Yes, but the comparison must be conducted on an equivalent basis. Both products must perform the same function and be assessed using compatible functional units, system boundaries, assumptions, data quality and assessment methods.

For this reason, simply comparing “1 kg of product A” with “1 kg of product B” may be inappropriate if their service life, performance or function differ. Public comparative claims also require particular methodological rigour and review.

Not on its own. An LCA provides environmental evidence, but any claim made must accurately reflect what the study demonstrates and the scope assessed.

For example, demonstrating a lower carbon footprint than an alternative does not automatically mean that a product has a lower overall environmental impact. This distinction is becoming increasingly important as European rules on environmental claims and protection against greenwashing become more stringent.

LCA serves as a methodological basis for various product environmental information instruments.

An EPD uses LCA results in accordance with specific product category rules. The ESPR, in turn, may require certain environmental performance indicators for specific product categories, while the Digital Product Passport (DPP) may be used to structure and communicate some of this information.

This does not mean that every product with a DPP will automatically require a full LCA: this will depend on the requirements established for each product category.

It depends on its intended purpose. An LCA used internally to identify hotspots or support decision-making is not subject to the same requirements as a study whose results will be used externally.

The need for verification or external review will depend on the framework in which the LCA is used. For example, an EPD, a public comparison between products, or certain certification schemes may require specific review or verification processes.

There is no single update frequency that applies to all LCAs. The need for an update will depend on whether the study remains representative of the product and the conditions assessed.

It should be reviewed when significant changes occur in the product, materials, suppliers, processes, energy consumption, use scenarios or end-of-life, as well as when the databases or methodology used are updated.

Not automatically. An Organisational LCA can provide useful information for calculating emissions, but the footprint to be registered in MITECO’s Carbon Footprint Registry must align with the requirements, scopes, categories and criteria established by the Registry itself.

It is therefore necessary to ensure that the organisational boundaries, data, emission factors, classification of emissions and supporting documentation comply with the requirements applicable to the registration process.

Yes. LCA can complement an Environmental Management System (EMS) by providing a life cycle perspective that helps identify relevant environmental impacts beyond the organisation’s direct operations.

Its results can be used to identify opportunities for improvement, set environmental objectives, support ecodesign or procurement decisions, and assess alternative materials, processes or suppliers.

Applying LCA makes it possible to identify the main environmental impacts associated with products, processes or services and provide an objective basis for guiding improvement decisions.

At Baisma, we help organisations conduct Life Cycle Assessment studies, interpret their results and apply them in areas such as ecodesign, product carbon footprints, EPDs and environmental management systems.

If your organisation wants to conduct an LCA, improve the quality of its data or use the results to support environmental decision-making, we would be happy to help.

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