Prospective life cycle assessment as a tool for environmentally responsible innovation

Abstract

Life cycle assessment (LCA), which provides a framework for assessing the potential environmental impact of technologies across their life cycle, has been identified as a potential tool for environmentally responsible innovation (RI). Traditional LCA approaches are insufficient for RI because they tend to be retrospective and underemphasize stakeholder engagement. Recent framing studies on LCA of emerging technology, which includes prospective LCA, suggest that uncertainty, data availability, methodological challenges, applicable evaluations techniques, and type of decisions supported are related to technology and market maturity. This study evaluates this framing based on two prospective LCAs of emerging technologies conducted by the authors. Uncertainty and methodological challenges were related to technology readiness. However, data availability was a challenge regardless of technology maturity, and was best addressed by engagement with technology developers and end-users. Furthermore, questions explored and evaluation techniques used were more diverse than those reported by the framing studies and were related to both analyst and stakeholder interests and technology and market maturity. While initial framing provides important guidance towards incorporating anticipation in prospective LCA, future interactions must not overlook the importance of engaging with stakeholders to guide model development and inform environmentally responsible development and innovation.