Assessing Sustainability Impact

Applications of IoT and Big Data Analytics

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a powerful tool for evaluating environmental impacts. By analyzing every stage of a product's life cycle, LCA provides insights that help industries improve processes, reduce emissions, and promote sustainable practices. A critical first step in any LCA is defining its scope. Common approaches include Cradle to Gate, which examines impacts from raw material extraction to manufacturing, and cradle-to-grave, which covers the entire life cycle—from resource extraction to disposal. Equally important is defining the functional unit (FU), the reference point that ensures consistency and comparability in LCA studies. The FU focuses on the service or function provided, enabling meaningful comparisons across products and systems. Following this, the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) phase translates inventory data into measurable environmental impacts using established methods like CML-IA, ReCiPe, and TRACI. These methods categorize impacts by indicators such as climate change and resource depletion, supporting informed decision-making and highlighting areas for improvement.