Life Cycle Assessment Principles, Practice and Prospects

About this book

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has developed in Australia over the past 16 years in a fragmented way with many different people and organisations contributing to the area at different times, and largely through informal and unpublished work. "Implementing Life Cycle Assessment" will legitimise and document LCA research and methodology development to act as a record of what has happened and a basis for future development and application of the tool.The Centre for Design at RMIT University has been a leading research centre in Australia for its work on data collection, methodology development and contribution to knowledge through undertaking LCA studies for leading companies and government departments ranging from products, packaging, buildings, water management and waste management. This work in addition to key work undertaken by other researchers will be presented.

Contents

1. Life Cycle Assessment: Origins, principles and context; 2. The development of life cycle assessment methods and applications; 3. Life cycle assessment in practice; 4. Life cycle assessment as decision support - A systemic critique; 5. The Australian environment - Impact assessment in a sunburnt country; 6. Life cycle assessment and waste management; 7. Life cycle assessment: Applications in the built environment; 8. Will the well run dry? Developments in water resource planning and impact assessment; 9. LCA and agriculture: challenges and prospects; 10. Climate change responses: Carbon offsets, biofuels and the LCA contribution; 11. Accelerating LCA uptake: Life Cycle Management and 'quick' LCA tools; 12. Prospects for LCA development and practice in the quest for sustainable consumption.

Customer Reviews

Biography

Ralph Horne has over 15 years' experience in research and consulting on environmental assessment in the UK and Australia. His research interest in the role of Life Cycle Assessment in driving sustainable responses to climate change extends to housing and households. Product and packaging eco-design, waste and product life cycle assessment are also a continuing theme. He also supervises doctoral research and undertakes applied projects in sustainable built environments, design and social context.