This session will look at the broader picture of sustainability and LCA’s place in it. From applying LCA to social impacts to incorporating it into goals and decision-making, this session will explore both the conceptual and concrete ways LCA fits within the context of a sustainable society, rounding out with how LCA is driving behavior today.

This session on “data” will disclose how literature based LCA data can be made or maintained accessible, inform about internet based collaborative database development, give recommendations for data quality indicators which improve interoperability and provide insights in new developments of electricity data sets in ecoinvent 3.2.

Key Discussion Points: 

1.  How can the accessibility of data based on literature publications can be improved? Is this a mainly a technical problem to be solved? 
2.  How to overcome the situation that everybody wants to access data e.g. via an internet platform, but when it comes to sharing the datasets and models generated as well – confidentiality issues restrict these attempts until now? 
3.  Will aligning data quality indicators be sufficient to ensure interoperability of databases and datasets? 
4.  Looking at the average of the updated electricity data of ecoinvent 3.2, leads the higher resolution in the datasets in average to lower or to higher environmental impacts? 
5. What are most important learnings and recommendation for the development of datasets and databases which the authors can provide?

The manufacturing industry plays a pivotal role in an industrial society due to its enormous contribution to the economy, environment and innovation. However manufacturing is also associated with large share of energy consumption. In US, industrial sector was responsible for 22% of total energy consumed in 2012. 

In order to understand the environmental impacts of manufacturing sector this session focuses on LCA methodology as applied to the current and future manufacturing technologies demonstrated through 4 case studies which range from advanced manufacturing to smart manufacturing. The issues faced during scaling up novel technologies have also been discussed in this session along with potential solutions.

This session will examine the application of LCA to evaluate the implications of using of conventional energy sources including natural gas, coal, and oil.  It demonstrates the different areas where LCA can be applied (i.e., assessment of current technologies; future implications of energy use; environmental implications of energy trade; and analysis of the methodology and interpretation of results).  It will discuss how LCA findings may impact increasing and evolving policies and regulations and the importance of a regional focus and system specificity.   These LCA studies were accomplished through the use open-source tools, industry partnerships, and extensive critical literature reviews.   

Key Discussion Points (Mix of panel and audience questions):

1. The session focuses on conventional/fossil fuels. Has LCA demonstrated that there is significant room for plausible improvements in the carbon intensity of these energy sources?  Is it feasible to reach carbon goals with technology improvements regarding these energy sources?
2. Importance of regional focus and system specificity
3. How is else LCA being practically applied in fossil energy space? And how frequently is it happening?
4. Are we missing some important potential issues by limiting our focus primarily on GHGs? Or are GHG assessments sufficient to capture trends and other related environmental concerns?
5. What are the trends you see from the increasing policy development and regulations?  What new developments are imminent and what are their possible implications?

Each poster author will have 3 minutes to present their poster. 

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Data for modeling life cycle inventories is always a critical need in LCA. In this session we will learn from the experts on development of data for air transport and chemicals and their applications. We will also hear talks on understanding the implications of data updates in a large database and on a new, innovate way of publishing LCA studies including underlying data. Following the talks, engaging discussion is expected to understand how this research is helping address evolving needs in the LCA community.

Key Discussion Points:

1. How can the air transport model presented be a model for future LCI development?
2. How well can we rapidly generate life cycle inventories for complex systems? What are the advantages and pitfalls of more automated approaches?
3. How important is it for practitioners to understand the data developments and modelling choices in their background databases? How do we help them do so and reduce the misuse/misinterpretation of the data?
4. What is the value of tools like the one presented by Dr. Kuceznski to allow clients and interested parties to better understand LCA results and the data they are based on?

LCA modeling of chemical processes and materials presents many challenges but can identify important opportunities for reducing impacts. The presentations in this session address the following topics:

•  Identifying opportunities to improve resource efficiency through productive re-use of surplus heat within chemical industry processes,
• Enhancing LCIA modeling for consumer products by adding assessment of near-field impacts associated with product use and disposal, and 
• Using a macro-level technology assessment model to evaluate emerging chemical technologies and identify those with the greatest potential for reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions.

This special session is a two part series. 

Part 1 & Part 2: Short presentations on each topic will be given, followed by a poster breakout session.  Each topic will be introduced in an approximately 10-minute presentations to the audience.  Following the short presentations, the presenters will move to their posters, and the audience will divide into small groups to visit each poster for small group discussions with each presenter. The small group size will facilitate discussion. This poster breakout session will last 30 minutes.  Each presenter will then summarize the highlights of their small group discussions. Individual attendees will also have the chance to do the same. After the key point summaries, the presenters and interested members of the audience will hold a panel discussion, accepting questions from each other, moderators, and the audience. 

• 14:00 - 14:05 - Introduction by the Session Chair
• 14:05 - 14:45 - Presentations 
• 14:45 - 15:10 - Breakout Session #1 
• 15:10 - 15:15 - Summarize key points from the breakout 
• 15:10 - 15:30 - Panel/room discussion 

The ACLCA Industry Committee has assembled the Industry Special Session consisting of two back-to-back 90-minute sessions at ACLCA LCA XV and designed to showcase stories of industry's successful implementation of life cycle assessment (LCA) practices and to encourage interaction from the audience. The mission of the ACLCA Industry Committee is to provide a forum for industry members to continuously improve product and process sustainability by collaborating on common industry LCA issues, supporting the advancement of LCA methodology and standard practices, sharing professional knowledge, and further developing the business value of LCA. The  presentations in the Industry Special Session focus on a wide range of topics that are particularly relevant to industry, including incorporation of sustainability into business practice by using life cycle tools, steps to increase internal engagement and organizational acceptance of life cycle thinking, use of life cycle thinking in innovation and process improvement, and value chain collaborations to improve accuracy of life cycle inventory (LCI) data.  The speakers represent several sectors including flooring, infrastructure, manufacturing and chemicals.

This session has a very loose underlying theme of waste resource management. Waste management is an issue that is central to modern society. Growing populations and increasing standards of living give rise to increase resource use and waste production. Society has had to learn how to management this waste in an effective manner. The trends in carbon management and resource management have brought attention to this area as an avenue to reduce carbon impacts and to more efficiently utilize the resources available.

Finding appropriate data for life cycle assessments is imperative to conducting meaningful studies, but can be quite challenging and time consuming when data has to be created from scratch. Learn how these organizations have created industry specific data for the following sectors: the Chilean construction market (Concrete, Steel, Claybrick, Wood and Gypsum Plasterboard), synthetic rubber (Polybutadiene, styrene-butadiene rubber, emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber and styrene-butadiene styrene) and zinc (zinc concentrate and special high grade zinc). In addition, learn about the UNEP Shonan Guidance Principles and criteria for creating interoperability and management principles for databases.

This special session is a two part series. 

Part 1 & Part 2: Short presentations on each topic will be given, followed by a poster breakout session.  Each topic will be introduced in an approximately 10-minute presentations to the audience.  Following the short presentations, the presenters will move to their posters, and the audience will divide into small groups to visit each poster for small group discussions with each presenter. The small group size will facilitate discussion. This poster breakout session will last 30 minutes.  Each presenter will then summarize the highlights of their small group discussions. Individual attendees will also have the chance to do the same. After the key point summaries, the presenters and interested members of the audience will hold a panel discussion, accepting questions from each other, moderators, and the audience. 

• 16:00 - 16:35 - Presentations 
• 16:35 - 17:00 - Breakout Session #2 
• 17:00 - 17:10 - Panel/ room discussion 
• 17:25 - 17:30 - Chair to summarize and close

The ACLCA Industry Committee has assembled the Industry Special Session consisting of two back-to-back 90-minute sessions at ACLCA LCA XV and designed to showcase stories of industry's successful implementation of life cycle assessment (LCA) practices and to encourage interaction from the audience. The mission of the ACLCA Industry Committee is to provide a forum for industry members to continuously improve product and process sustainability by collaborating on common industry LCA issues, supporting the advancement of LCA methodology and standard practices, sharing professional knowledge, and further developing the business value of LCA. The  presentations in the Industry Special Session focus on a wide range of topics that are particularly relevant to industry, including incorporation of sustainability into business practice by using life cycle tools, steps to increase internal engagement and organizational acceptance of life cycle thinking, use of life cycle thinking in innovation and process improvement, and value chain collaborations to improve accuracy of life cycle inventory (LCI) data.  The speakers represent several sectors including flooring, infrastructure, manufacturing and chemicals.

This session presents a spectrum of applications of life cycle assessment (LCA) in various industries, such as pet services, chemical manufacturing, lighting, and packaging.  In addition to learning the results of the LCA applications, the audience will take away examples to support internal and external decision making for sustainability including across the value chain, product eco-design efforts, commercial engagement, manufacturing, and customers and the general public. 

Key Discussion Points:

1.  When engaging internal and external stakeholders using Life Cycle Assessment, what do you feel are your greatest challenges?
2.  How do you incorporate broader sustainability elements into LCA in your organizations?  And conversely, how do you use LCA to support your broader sustainability goals?
3.  What are the advantages of the Three Level Model that can be applied in the specialty chemical or pharmaceutical industry or other industries? 

Net energy analysis (NEA) analyzes energy technologies by quantifying the energy cost of providing an energy service, typically expressed by an energy return ratio such as the energy return on investment (EROI). In contrast to standard LCA practice, NEA distinguishes between the (extracted) feedstock energy provided to a process and the (external) embodied energy invested in building and operating the process infrastructure. NEA's unique insight is therefore the energy intensity with which a process utilizes the feedstock energy provided to it.

Discussion of NEA has grown recently, both for application as a technology assessment tool and for methodoloy develpment. NEA has recently been applied to photovoltaic electricity generation [1,2], grid storage [3, 4, 5] and biofuels [6, 7, 8]. Recent work on NEA methodology has introduced a matrix-based approach to NEA [9, 10] and developed systematic definitions of energy return ratios [11].

The objective of the session is to share insights from recent applications of net energy analysis to specific energy technologies. The session will begin with a brief overview of net energy analysis in the context of LCA, then proceed to standard oral presentations. The talks will be followed by a 10-20 minute moderated discussion to address methodological topics such as consistent system boundaries.

Life Cycle Assessment has been used to analyze the emissions and potential environmental impacts of transportation. In this session, the focus is on LCA of motorcycles, and passenger vehicles including autonomous vehicles. The impact of particulate matters emission on carbon footprint of gasoline and electricity for vehicles will also be discussed.

Key Discussion Points:

1. LCA of disruptive road transportation technology (Autonomous Vehicles)
2. Framework for LCA of various transportation modes in the Swiss transport fleet
3. Role of LCA in choosing more climate-friendly vehicle fleet
4. Impacts of PM 2.5 contribution to global warming

This session looks at innovative approaches to assess building construction impacts that are typically overlooked in LCA.  Three of the presentations address the inclusion of use phase impacts; topics include the atmospheric NOx removal properties of titanium dioxide in concrete blocks, the inclusion of thermal performance of curtainwall systems, and the emission of VOC’s and semi VOC’s in flooring materials. A web-based platform for incorporating construction and embodied material impact data will also be presented. 

Key Discussion Points:

1. Methods used to assess the net NOx emission associated with concrete paving blocks and eco-blocks (with and without TiO2).

2. The environmental performance and thermal behavior of two different curtain wall (CW) systems.

3. Web-based data collection and its use in whole building LCA. 

4. The use-phase impact of chemicals encapsulated in flooring materials.

With an increasing number of quantitative and qualitative tools available, teaching and communicating sustainability to different target groups become even more important in paving the way towards a sustainable future and meaningful actions. In fact, teaching and communication will help in putting tools and practices, developed by scientists, into application.

Many aspects of sustainability have found their way into teaching at universities and continuous professional education, and many scientists are actively engaged in this process. This session aims to provide a platform for exchange of experiences, methods, and inspiration regarding the teaching of sustainability on the university level, continuous professional education, and broad societal communication to consumers or politicians (e.g. via labels, or the media). 

Short presentations followed by interactive session. 

Lunch sponsored by thinkstep

This session will present latest research on life cycle GHG emissions and other life cycle metrics of natural gas for different uses including power generation, liquefied natural gas and methanol liquid transportation fuel.

This session will cover electricity as it relates to: (1) manufacturing sector requirements and monetizing the life cycle benefits for increased grid integration, (2) options for Turkey to manage tradeoffs between life cycle environmental, social, and economic sustainability of their electricity mix, and (3) life cycle environmental benefits of batteries and power-to-gas as storage options. Discussion will focus on understanding the important inputs of these LCAs and how the results can be applied. 

Key Discussion Points:

1. What are the most important assumptions/inputs in your LCA?
2. What are the biggest barriers to achieving optimal results of your LCA?
3. What kind of support from government/industry would be ideal to achieve the optimal results of your LCA?
4. How will your results be impacted by a changing grid mix (e.g., increased reliance on natural gas and renewables)?

Despite specifications in LCA like ISO 14048 and internationally-recognized exchange formats like Ecospold and ILCD, LCA practitioners continue to struggle with basic problems of LCA data interchange. Data are simply not easily merged from different LCI and LCIA sources and are not available in forms that enable users to easily bring them into their tools of choice. This can result in lack of availability of data and even more alarming inconsistences in implementation in LCA software that can result in differences in LCA results from the same datasets. New tools have recently emerged that attempt to tackle these issues. To what extent can new tools and data formats help us solve this problem, or do we need to totally rethink how we structure and create LCI and LCIA data? Among the new solutions are new approaches to LCA data development and metadata, new open-source tools providing translation capabilities, and new data formats and technologies that could possibly make smart, machine readable use of LCA data. The purpose of this session is to summarize the outstanding issues and present recently developed solutions, to discuss pros and cons of each, and to suggest a path forward in the community in which one or more of these tools and technologies can become mainstreamed to make use of data more possible and powerful for the average LCA practitioner. Outcomes of this discussion will hopefully inform existing initiatives, such as the recently formed Global Network for LCA Databases, on how best to address data interoperability challenges.

The papers presented in this session consider several different aspects of LCA – from reducing the geographical uncertainty of data from Ecoinvent; through tools for improved dissemination of LCA studies, product comparison with additional consideration of usefulness and user appreciation, and life cycle sustainability assessment for supply-chain decision making; to the development of a method of assessing impacts in terms of the finite capacity of the planet. These papers will improve the comparability of results from studies based on LCA methodology, with the last calling into question the value of comparing such results solely with the impacts of other human activities.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Is enough detailed geographical information available for most LCA studies to enable geographically disaggregated data to be used?
2. Input-output is a top-down approach. Process-based is a bottom-up approach. What are the limitations of combining two datasets from these two different approaches?
3. How can a tool allowing evaluation of results sufficiently disguise confidential information from back calculation?
4. How does the multi-attributional analysis presented by Kuei-Yuan compare to existing life cycle sustainability assessment methodologies?
5. Should more studies be applying LCSA methodologies rather than LCA?
6. If a Planetary Boundaries approach allows for impacts to be considered in absolute terms, how can we assess the significance of these impacts without reference to other human activities? And if we’re going back to comparison with other human activities, why is this approach an improvement on existing ones?

Biofuels and bioenergy industry has evolved significantly in recent years. Commercial scale operating data are increasingly available, and technology development is becoming more holistic and data driven. This creates great opportunities to integrate LCA in process designs and planning scenarios to inform business decisions and policies to drive better outcome (the “triple bottom line”).

In this session, you will hear various case studies where LCA is used to enhance decision quality through (1) assessing environmental impact holistically across various categories for new technologies, (2) re-evaluating decision framework (system boundary and base case scenarios) to better understand trade-offs between alternatives and identify risk early, and (3) demonstrating benefits of including end-of-life issues in early decision making through quantitative analysis.   

Key Discussion Points:

1. Alternative fuels and energy derived from biomass serve as a critical solution to climate change and greenhouse gas emission reduction, primarily due to its large volume potential, capability to utilize existing infrastructure, and flexibility in technologies that can convert waste materials into reusable forms of energy. Could you share your perspective on this through your experience with biofuels and bioenergy industry?
2. What are some of the advantages and limitations of using LCA to evaluate products from biofuels and bioenergy systems and for informing decisions?
3. What are some of the lessons learned?
4. What are your recommendations/plans to further improve LCA applications in this industry? 

As life cycle professionals we recognize the value of LCA, but often struggle to achieve maximum value as LCA is not well integrated with our organizations’ business practices.  In this session, hear from four speakers who have successfully overcome these challenges to realize environmental and business value.  Through this session, you will learn why integration is critical; how various organizations have achieved this; what their success factors were; what they’ve learned along the way; and ultimately how to translate those lessons into action at your own organization.  Sustainability challenges require dramatic changes to our collective performance that can only be achieved if life cycle thinking becomes integrated within key organizational functions.  We hope you can join us for an interactive and engaging session on this critical topic.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Why is it important to link life cycle activities to the organization and what are the success factors in doing that well? 
2. What have been the lessons learned in pursuing this integration? 
3. What are, or should be, the limits of this integration? 
4. What advice would the panelists provide in terms of where to start?
5. How do you balance LC thinking vs LCA practice?

The success of Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) programs depends on several factors and stakeholders. This special session draws on the experience of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) in developing an EPD program for asphalt mixtures following program development guidelines per ISO 14025:2006. In a variation from other related EPD programs, in this case, the program operator is an industry association with significant expertise in asphalt materials, rather than a central governmental agency. Organizationally, this is akin to a bottom-up consensus driven effort that directly engages stakeholders with voluntary adoption, driven by market forces; rather than a top-down mandatory regulatory process. This session is motivated by the need to understand the factors driving the consensus in order to manage the program and ensure its success. Hence, the objective of this special session is to discuss the factors that have influenced the development of an EPD program for the asphalt materials industry and others through an interactive discussion. The presenters will provide an industry perspective on the factors that have motivated this important step towards the adoption of life cycle assessment (LCA) in the industry, the lessons learned in the program development process, and the future strategies in negotiating challenges to industry wide adoption. The session will be organized into four parts featuring five speakers and a roundtable discussion. 

Each poster author will have 3 minutes to present their poster.

Typical product life cycle assessment provides an environmental performance on a static condition which can be problematic. This special session will focus on discussing new forest product LCA concepts that are currently being incorporated regarding forest product utilization. Specifically, sustainable utilization of forest products have begun to consider spatial and temporal emissions to fully capture the full environmental and human-health impacts for bioenergy and bio-based products made from wood.

Technologies based upon biogenic storage of carbon, bio-energy or bio-products have been proposed as mitigators of climate change. Life Cycle Assessment may facilitate the quantification of the environmental impacts and potential climate benefits of these technologies and products. However, significant methodological challenges remain.  We discuss these in this session.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Determining the climate benefits of biogenic storage of carbon
2. Optimizing the contribution of biomass in energy systems
3. Understanding the LCAs of energy systems in remote areas
4. Using LCA to assist research and development of new products
5. Challenges of conducting LCA

The growing application of Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) for emerging technologies is a promising strategy to help guide innovation towards a more sustainable future. However, anticipating the future is inherently uncertain and emerging technologies can cover a wide range of opportunities. Increasingly, R&D researchers are asked to estimate future benefits from emerging technologies in addition to performing technology R&D. In the absence of a uniform method and guidelines, prospective LCA may yield inconsistent estimates, making it difficult to verify or compare results between similar technologies or across a wide range of technology categories. Prospective LCA of emerging technologies will benefit from uniform, consistent, and robust frameworks for estimating future impacts.

In this special session, we will start with a high level discussion on the need for uniformity, consistency, and robustness when assessing emerging and advanced technology adoption potential. We will briefly discuss our efforts to develop transparent and verifiable LCA methods, and its use in evaluating technologies. Several individual presentations, by either the session organizers or invited industry LCA practitioners, will look at prospective LCAs of emerging technologies such additive manufacturing, wide bandgap semiconductors, vehicle light-weighting, and waste-heat recovery technologies. This will lead into a round-table discussion.

As life cycle professionals, we often are busy with our daily job duties and can have little time to keep abreast of the LCA studies published and new methodologies and innovative solutions to overcome the limitations of LCA. In this session, hear from four speakers presenting papers that tackle various important LCA topics; 1) a methodology on partial disclosure of LCA data; 2) critical review and a simplified approach of temporal LCAs; 3) estimating environmental load/contribution structure in packaged food industry through LCA of retort pouch curry; and 4) LCA of chemical and organic fertilization in cactus production. These topics will improve our understanding of hot LCA topics and methodologies. We hope you can join us for an interactive and engaging session on these exciting topics.

Key Discussion Points:

1. How easy it is for LCA practitioners to learn and utilize the obfuscation methodologies and produce parametric inventory models in order to achieve a partial disclosure?
2. Is there a tool to allow the evaluation of results and sufficiently disguise confidential information from back or reverse calculations?
3. How robust are the temporal (dynamic) LCA results? And how can a simplified approach make them consistent, understandable and meaningful?
4. Should more temporal (dynamic) LCAs be conducted by organizations?
5. What are the key learnings and limitation of the cactus cladode production LCA? Can the results be generalized fir organic and chemical fertilizers?
6. What is the importance of environmental load estimation? And how can the learnings from the retort pouch curry study be used in life cycle thinking strategies? And how will the PWMI use these learnings in order to express contributions while maintaining the quality or freshness of the food content?

Biomass resources represent a renewable carbon and energy source that can be utilized in many ways such as conversion to liquid fuel for transportation, or as a solid, liquid or gaseous fuel for residential heating and cooking. The talks in this session will illustrate the role of LCA as a valuable decision support tool that can help to identify the preferred routes for biomass utilization in a particular geographical region.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Impact of biofuel conversion efficiency on their LCA outlook
2. The impact of co-product allocation on the life cycle impact of biofuels
3. Non-GHG impacts of biomass utilization
4. Geographic variability in bioenergy LCA outcomes
5. Social implications of fuel choices that are not considered in LCA

For the 4th consecutive year, the Department of Energy Labs is hosting a special session on the contribution of the Labs to LCA. 

Increasingly complex energy supply chains, such as those for biomass energy feedstocks and unconventional fossil fuels, require increased attention from scientists, analysts and policy makers to quantify the environmental impacts and identify technology and policy strategies for mitigating those impacts. Throughout the Department of Energy and especially at the National Laboratories, life cycle analysis plays a critical role in informing these complex questions. Further, as taxpayer-funded entities, they exist to serve the public and the research community. In this 4th annual version of this session, representatives from several Department of Energy national laboratories, such as the National Energy Technology Lab, National Renewable Energy Lab, Argonne National Lab, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Brookhaven National Lab and Pacific Northwest National Lab, will highlight some of the recent contributions of their programs, such as meeting DOE and Laboratory goals, addressing challenges or delivering high quality life cycle products. This session will provide a chance for the community to see in a single place and at an overview level, the myriad of LCA efforts happening in the Department of Energy. A panel of these representatives will then take questions and feedback regarding research and data needs from the LCA community.

Product stewardship pressures are increasing, requiring more holistic response to optimize commercial, compliance, and communal benefit.  Companies want to produce products that do not pose risks to their consumers or society while eliminating substitution remorse.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Alternatives Assessment are well-aligned in their lifecycle approach, but in order to meet the demands of chemical substitution rules, alternatives assessment can learn from LCA’s systematic approach. Drawing from established guidelines and collaborative systems, alternative assessment can leverage LCA to improve product portfolio risk management and determine “what matters” for not only hazards and exposures, but social and economic implications as well.

This workshop intends to facilitate interactive discussion and best practice sharing amongst LCA practitioners, alternatives assessment experts, and industry leaders.  Alternatives assessment experts and industry leaders will present brief presentations on their experiences with alternatives assessment to facilitate discussions on how the LCA community can support alternatives assessment and improve the use of LCA in alternatives assessment.

The results of the discussions will be used to develop a paper to be presented at the next year’s conference.