Developing Agreed Life Cycle Assessment Methodologies

Summary

What this report is about
This report proposed a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology for application in Australian rural industries. A standardised LCA methodology would improve the consistency of LCA reporting and greatly increase the value of results by enhancing their comparability.
Background
Life Cycle Assessment is a method to analyse resource uses and emissions across the life cycle of a product. It can systematically identify key areas to improve environmental and economic performance and can be applied to agricultural systems. Aims/objectives The LCA methodology helped primary industries to conduct LCA studies and prepare for any future requirements (either Australian and/or internationally) to account for resource uses and emissions.
Methods used
The initial stage of this research involved an extensive literature review of LCA research in the area of agricultural application, LCA methodologies and standards. The findings from this were utilised to develop a draft methodology, which was presented to key stakeholders at a workshop. During the workshop the most prominent aspects of the methodology were highlighted and discussed.
Further comment on the methodology was provided in written form, from many of the stakeholders. The feedback and discussions from the workshop have been incorporated, along with further research and literature insights, to produce the proposed methodology.
Results/key findings
The methodology was consistent with the revised LCA standards ISO14040:2006 and ISO14044:2006. The methods for energy and greenhouse gas emission accounting generally followed established techniques such as those of the Australian Greenhouse Office and International Panel on Climate Change. There were no established methods for water use accounting in LCA but the methodology proposes a reporting framework based on accounting methods used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and by the National Land & Water Resources Audit.
Implications for relevant stakeholders
The success of LCA depended on good quality data and currently there is a paucity of relevant Australian agricultural LCA data. This was only improved through further research and development and data sharing across agricultural sectors. There was a particular need for effort in order to obtain the necessary data on water resources and usage rates. Final Report can be found at:https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/items/09-028