Two captains on the bridge

Abstract

Dear readers, This editorial announces the extension on top of the editorship of this journal from three perspectives: that of Walter Klopffer, sole editor in chief of volumes 1–17 (1996–2012), that of the incoming editor in chief Mary Ann Curran, and that of the manager responsible for the environmental journals of Springer, Paul Roos. We are in the good position not to have to make radical changes, but to continue and further improve the already now positive development of the journal and all that in a world of growing awareness that life cycle-based assessment methods are without a real alternative in trying to achieve sustainability. Since only a few countries have used the methods on a broad scale, there are great opportunities for life cycle research and applications to be critically accompanied, improved, and published by our journal. It goes without saying that this service to society has for us never been a one-way activity (i.e., publishing manuscripts coming to our desk/in our computer). New developments are actively put forward and encouraged by the editors with special issues and the invitation of new subject editors. With LCA & Co becoming mainstream, we will have to put our main focus on quality rather than quantity. 1 Walter Klopffer: a bit of journal history