Data & LCIA Methods

ecoinvent v3.12 background data, CML/ReCiPe/EF v3.1 method selection, data quality (DQR, pedigree matrix) and uncertainty analysis — the layer that decides where your numbers come from and how much they can be trusted.

16 articles

2026-06-1011 min read

Beyond GWP: why the other impact categories matter

Focusing on carbon can reverse some decisions. The real role of acidification, eutrophication, ozone, toxicity and resource depletion.

2026-06-099 min read

Digital EPDs: machine-readable formats and why PDF is not enough

EPDs are no longer read but processed. The ILCD+EPD data format, the digital product passport and direct import into building LCA tools.

2026-06-0811 min read

LCI databases: choosing between ecoinvent, EF and sector datasets

Choosing a background database is not a technical detail but a methodological decision that changes the result. Coverage, system models and why you must not mix.

2026-06-0710 min read

Primary and secondary data: which to collect for which line

Modelling everything with primary data is neither possible nor necessary. The foreground-background split and allocating a data collection budget well.

2026-06-0610 min read

ISO 14046 water footprint: withdrawn water is not consumed water

Counting litres is not a water footprint. Scarcity weighting, the consumption-versus-degradation split, and regional sensitivity.

2026-06-0310 min read

Scenario analysis: how end-of-life assumptions decide the result

Nobody knows what recycling infrastructure will look like in fifty years. How to work with that uncertainty and report scenarios honestly.

2026-06-0210 min read

Sensitivity analysis: which assumption is actually carrying the result?

An LCA result is only as solid as its weakest assumption. One-at-a-time scans, hotspot analysis and how this differs from uncertainty.

2026-05-158 min read

Foreground vs background data: getting the distinction right

The split between foreground (manufacturer-specific) and background (generic) data is the foundation of an LCA's scientific credibility. Practical rules and edge cases.

2026-05-1410 min read

DQR Pedigree Matrix: scoring inventory data quality on 5 dimensions

How does EN 15804+A2's mandatory DQR system work? The 1-5 scale on each of five dimensions, the aggregate score, and triggering sensitivity scenarios.

2026-05-1410 min read

ecoinvent activity selection: choosing the best fit on 3 criteria

Picking the right activity from ecoinvent's 21,000+ entries is a methodological decision. Geographic, technological and temporal representativeness.

2026-05-149 min read

Midpoint vs endpoint LCIA: which level for which decision?

Midpoint analysis offers 18+ categories; endpoint collapses to 3 main areas. The practical impact of characterisation, normalisation and weighting steps.

2026-05-1311 min read

CML vs ReCiPe vs IMPACT World+: which LCIA method when?

Differences between the three leading LCIA methods: midpoint vs endpoint, geographic resolution, EN 15804 and PEFCR alignment, academic use.

2026-05-1310 min read

EF v3.1 (Environmental Footprint): understanding the PEFCR-mandatory method

The EU Commission's EF method is mandatory under PEFCR. 16 categories, the normalisation and weighting reference set, and overlap with EN 15804.

2026-05-139 min read

GWP-100 vs GWP-20: how the time horizon shapes your LCA result

IPCC's 100-year and 20-year global warming potential factors yield different results. Methane can shift by 4×. Why and when does that matter?

2026-05-0911 min read

LCA for academia: a free template for your MSc thesis

Thesis structure for MSc students: goal-scope, inventory, impact assessment, interpretation. clca academic license at 50% off with real-time supervisor feedback.

2026-05-0911 min read

ecoinvent v3.12: what's new, and how clca exposes the cut-off / consequential / APOS variants

ecoinvent v3.12 was released in September 2025. New datasets, updated Turkish grid mix, the three system-model variants and automatic electricity calculation in clca.

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