Implications of an interpretive understanding of LCA practice
Journal article, 2008

Despite the desirability of a life cycle perspective and many attempts to facilitate life cycle assessment (LCA), industry has been relatively slow to adopt LCA. In this research, we thus set out to investigate the underpinnings of LCA practice in industry. A literature review shows that the present understanding is that structuralconditions such as location and sector determine the use of LCA in industry. However, a field study of two companies in the Swedish forest product industry (thus in the same sector and country) indicates that LCA practice is shaped more by individual preferences and chance events. Our results imply a more interpretive understanding of LCA practice than has been put forward by previous research. The two types of understanding are discussed and their implications for practitioners in industry, organizations promoting the use of LCA and further research are presented.

organization theory

forest product industry

interpretive explanations

field study

Sweden

LCA practice

Author

Henrikke Baumann

Chalmers, Energy and Environment, Environmental Systems Analysis

Emma Rex

Chalmers, Energy and Environment, Environmental Systems Analysis

Business Strategy and the Environment

0964-4733 (ISSN) 1099-0836 (eISSN)

Vol. 17 7 420-430

Subject Categories

Other Environmental Engineering

DOI

10.1002/bse.633

More information

Created

10/7/2017