9 min read
What is an EIA, and how does it differ from LCA?
The two most commonly confused concepts. One is a permitting process, the other a measurement method — and neither substitutes for the other.
Read morefundamentals
Every clca article tagged “fundamentals” — 20 technical pieces covering the topic from methodology, standards interpretation and practical application angles.
20 articles
10 min read
What is the European Green Deal? What it means for a producer in Turkey
The Green Deal is not a target but an interlocking package of regulations. The six strands that hit exporters directly, and the timeline.
Read more10 min read
What is sustainability reporting? The frameworks, and who must comply
GRI, CSRD/ESRS, ISSB, CDP — which are voluntary, which mandatory, and what each asks for. Plus how product data feeds them.
Read more10 min read
What is the circular economy? And how is it measured with LCA?
Circularity is not an environmental benefit in itself — it has to be measured. When recycling wins, and when it does not.
Read more9 min read
What is a greenhouse gas? Which gases count, and where they come from
Carbon dioxide is not alone. Where methane, N₂O and fluorinated gases come from in industry, and why small masses create large shares.
Read more10 min read
What is a carbon footprint? Product, organisation and personal
One term covers three different things, and confusing them breaks the arithmetic. The boundaries and units of product, corporate and personal footprints.
Read more10 min read
What is an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)?
An EPD presents a product’s environmental performance in a standard format, independently verified. What it says, what it does not, and why buyers ask for one.
Read more9 min read
What is global warming potential (GWP)? How CO₂ equivalent is calculated
The coefficient that lets different greenhouse gases be summed into one number. Why the time horizon matters, and the fossil-biogenic split.
Read more10 min read
What is life cycle impact assessment (LCIA)?
Hundreds of inventory flows mean nothing on their own. LCIA translates them into intelligible indicators such as climate change or acidification.
Read more10 min read
What is a life cycle inventory (LCI)?
LCI is the phase where every flow in and out of the system is counted. An LCA’s quality is decided here — and so is most of its effort.
Read more12 min read
What is life cycle assessment (LCA)?
LCA is the standardised method for measuring a product’s environmental impact from raw material to waste. Its four phases, what it does and does not do, and where to start.
Read more11 min read
How is a carbon footprint calculated? Step by step
The calculation itself is a multiplication. The hard part is deciding what to multiply, and making the number defensible.
Read more9 min read
What is an emission factor? Where to find one and how to choose
The multiplier in every carbon calculation. The source you pick moves the result noticeably, and the wrong factor is the most common calculation error.
Read more8 min read
What is an ecological footprint? How it differs from a carbon footprint
One measures hectares, the other tonnes. The two are constantly confused and end up in the wrong place in company reports.
Read more9 min read
What is greenwashing? Seven common forms
Most greenwashing is not deliberate falsehood but unsubstantiated good intent. Which claims carry risk, and how to make them defensible.
Read more10 min read
What is a carbon credit? Voluntary and compliance markets
A certificate representing one tonne of CO₂e. Two different markets, four quality tests, and when a credit is a real reduction.
Read more9 min read
What is Zero Waste? The regulation, the certificate and the link to LCA
In Turkey, Zero Waste is not a campaign but a system mandated by regulation. Who it covers, how the certificate works, and how the waste data feeds an LCA.
Read more9 min read
What is sustainability? What it actually means for a company
The definition has not changed since 1987, but what it means for a company has: from a statement of intent to a measured, audited and priced dataset.
Read more10 min read
What is ESG? Environmental, social and governance criteria
ESG is not a label but an assessment framework. What the three letters measure, who asks, and where the data behind the E actually comes from.
Read more10 min read
What is ISO 14001? And why it does not replace LCA
ISO 14001 is a management system standard, not a measurement method. Why your customer still asks for an EPD even when you hold the certificate.
Read moreRelated topics
- data quality15
- EN 1580412
- CBAM11
- building LCA10
- EPD10
- embodied carbon9
- sector LCA9
- ecoinvent8
- Scope 38
- construction product EPD7
- life cycle assessment7
- recycled content7
- corporate carbon footprint6
- biogenic carbon5
- embedded emissions5
- functional unit5
- ISO 140405
- carbon footprint5
- verification5
- carbon pricing4
- circular economy4
- CSRD4
- EN 159784
- end-of-life scenario4
- environmental claim4
- EPD program operator4
- green building4
- impact categories4
- Module D4
- CO2 equivalent3
- data collection3
- Digital Product Passport3
- electricity emission factor3
- emission factor3
- energy efficiency3
- environmental regulation3
- export compliance3
- green building certification3
- uncertainty analysis3
- PCR3
Last updated