Manufacturers improving products or production routes
Identify lifecycle hotspots and prioritise changes that materially affect the product system.
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
See the impacts that move beyond the factory gate.
A change that lowers one impact at the plant can shift burdens to raw materials, logistics, product use, or disposal. LCA makes those trade-offs visible within a defined product system.
Who this service is for
Design and R&D teams comparing materials or scenarios
Compare alternatives using the same functional unit, boundary, data-quality rules, and impact methods.
Procurement teams evaluating upstream trade-offs
Understand where upstream material or supplier choices influence several environmental indicators.
Businesses preparing evidence for environmental declarations
Prepare an ISO-aligned study that can feed a separate EPD or critical-review process where required.
01
The four phases of an LCA
An ISO-aligned LCA moves through goal and scope definition, lifecycle inventory analysis, lifecycle impact assessment, and interpretation. These phases are iterative: early results often reveal data gaps or modelling choices that need to be revisited.
The functional unit is central because it defines the service being compared. Comparing one kilogram of material can be misleading when two materials deliver different lifetimes, strength, yield, or performance.
02
Carbon footprint versus full LCA
A product carbon footprint applies lifecycle thinking to one impact category: climate change. An LCA can examine several relevant environmental impact categories, allowing the study to identify burden-shifting that a carbon-only result may miss.
The correct choice depends on the question. A customer asking for kg CO2e per product may need a product footprint; an engineering team comparing materials across carbon, water, and other impacts may need a broader LCA.
03
Comparisons require extra care
Public comparative claims need equivalent functions, consistent modelling choices, suitable data, and the review conditions required by the applicable standard or programme. Prakrti prepares the study and its evidence; independent critical review or programme verification remains a separate function when required.
What you receive
Clear outputs your team can use
- 01Goal and scope definition
- 02Functional unit and system-boundary model
- 03Lifecycle inventory and data-quality register
- 04Impact assessment across agreed categories
- 05Hotspot, sensitivity, and scenario analysis
- 06Interpretation report with limitations and recommendations
How the engagement works
A practical, evidence-led process
- 01
Define goal and scope
Set the decision, audience, functional unit, boundary, impact categories, allocation approach, and review requirements.
- 02
Build the inventory
Collect and model inputs, outputs, energy, materials, transport, emissions, use, waste, and supporting lifecycle datasets.
- 03
Assess impacts
Translate inventory flows into the agreed environmental impact categories and test material assumptions and scenarios.
- 04
Interpret results
Explain hotspots, trade-offs, sensitivity, uncertainty, limitations, and practical implications for the stated decision.
Prepare for what is next
Single-metric decisions can hide environmental trade-offs
Carbon is important, but product decisions can also affect water use, resource depletion, acidification, eutrophication, toxicity, or waste. LCA provides a structured way to examine the categories relevant to the study rather than assuming one improvement helps everywhere.
Standards and frameworks
Work grounded in recognised guidance
- ISO 14040:2006
- ISO 14044:2006
- ISO 14025 where an Environmental Product Declaration is intended
- Applicable product category rules and programme instructions
Questions businesses ask
Frequently asked questions
What does a life cycle assessment measure?
An LCA evaluates potential environmental impacts associated with inputs, outputs, and emissions across a defined product system. The selected impact categories can include climate change and other relevant indicators, depending on the goal and scope.
What are the stages of a life cycle assessment?
ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 structure LCA around four connected phases: goal and scope definition, lifecycle inventory analysis, lifecycle impact assessment, and interpretation.
How is LCA different from a product carbon footprint?
A product carbon footprint focuses on the climate-change impact category and reports greenhouse gases in CO2 equivalent. An LCA can examine multiple environmental impact categories and the trade-offs between them.
What is a functional unit in LCA?
The functional unit quantifies the function delivered by the product system and provides the reference to which inputs, outputs, and impacts are related. It is essential for meaningful scenario or product comparisons.
Does every LCA require independent review?
Review requirements depend on the intended use, programme, and whether comparative assertions will be disclosed publicly. Prakrti documents the study for review but does not present its advisory work as independent critical review or certification.
Next step
Use lifecycle evidence for the next product decision
Tell us what you need to compare, who will use the result, and which lifecycle stages matter. We will define the right study boundary.
Discuss an LCA