Life Cycle Assessment and Forest Products:
In most industries worldwide, including the forest products sector, there is an increasing focus on the environmental, social, and economic sustainability credentials of companies and products.
This has led to an increase in the application of life cycle thinking, which includes economic, environmental, and social consequences of a product or process over its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to manufacturing, packaging, distribution, use, and end-of-life. Life cycle thinking has been developed into systematic approaches. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has defined Life Cycle Management (LCM) as “an integrated concept for managing the total life cycle of products and services towards more sustainable consumption and production patterns.” Under this approach, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one of the specific analysis tools that can be used for products or services.
LCA is increasingly being used as an important and effective tool to support multiple types of sustainability goals. Its use has grown with the development and application of an internationally recognized standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the ISO 14040 series. Numerous life cycle assessments have been completed on wood, pulp and paper for a variety of purposes and several practical design tools and procurement tools have also been successfully developed based on LCAs.
LCA’s advantages are derived from the comprehensiveness of the approach. It is a sophisticated analysis tool that requires a strong understanding before being used effectively or interpreting results. In its definition of LCA, the International Organization for Standardization states that it is the “compilation and evaluation of the inputs and outputs and the potential impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle.” For each life cycle stage (e.g. raw material extraction), all the processes are identified (e.g. transporting harvested fibre to the mill), and for each process, all the inputs (e.g. fossil fuel) and outputs (e.g. CO2) are identified. Each of the inputs and outputs are then compiled and categorized into potential impacts on the environment (e.g. climate change). Once the impacts are calculated, the sum of the air, water, and soil impacts are interpreted and considered together against the original goals of the LCA. LCAs are most useful when the goals of the assessment have been clearly defined in advance.
The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) developed this white paper to provide information about LCA and to be a reference for those interested in learning how LCA can be applied in the forest products industry. This White Paper is intended for those new to LCA as well as those who are already familiar with the concept.
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