Life cycle assessment: A comparison of three methods for impact analysis and evaluation

Journal article, 1994

For the evaluation of data resulting from the inventory stage of a life cycle assessment, two sets of environmental indices based on Swedish data have been calculated according to the ‘ecological scarcity method’ and the ‘environmental theme method’. These are compared with indices from the method for ‘environmental priority strategies in product design’. The relative importance of CO2, SO2 and NOx in the three evaluation methods, expressed as index ratios CO2:SO2:NOx′ was calculated to be 1:200:250, 1:220:350 and 1:150:6100, respectively. Additional index comparisons are presented. Differences in the results from the three methods depend on effects considered, how the algorithms are constructed, and background data. The discussion focuses on similarities and differences in mathematical expressions and on the evaluation of certain substances.