Make a difference and join in our global tree planting project – inclusive to everyone

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Carbon Footprinting are two closely related approaches that can be used to measure the environmental impact of products, services, or activities.

Both LCA and Carbon Footprinting provide a way to quantify the environmental impact of an entity in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but they differ in scope and level of detail.

LCA is a systematic approach to evaluate the environmental impact of a product or service throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal.

It takes into account all the inputs and outputs of a product or service and assesses the environmental impact associated with each stage of its life cycle. This approach can provide a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact of a product or service, including its carbon footprint, but it requires a significant amount of data and expertise to carry out.

Carbon Footprinting, on the other hand, focuses specifically on the GHG emissions associated with a product or service. It calculates the amount of GHG emissions associated with a product or service, typically expressed in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). This approach is more straightforward than LCA and is often used as a first step towards reducing GHG emissions. Carbon Footprinting can be used by organizations to identify hotspots and prioritize actions for reducing their carbon footprint.

Both LCA and Carbon Footprinting are important tools to understand impacts of our products and services onto the environment

Organizations can identify opportunities to reduce their emissions and move towards more sustainable practices.