Life cycle assessment
From Wiki for Sustainable IT
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a standardised method for evaluating the environmental impacts of a product or service across its entire life: extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, use and end of life.
Why it matters for digital technology
LCA is what establishes that manufacturing, not use, dominates the footprint of digital equipment. Any assessment limited to electricity consumption misses most of the impact.
It is also multi-criteria: it does not reduce environmental impact to carbon alone, but covers water, materials, land use and resource depletion, which can point in different directions.
Standards
ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 define the principles and requirements. ISO 14067 applies them to the carbon footprint of a product.
