Tonnes Of Carbon Dioxide Equivalents Research Articles

The carbon footprint of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America national meetings

BackgroundThe health care sector contributes substantially to carbon emissions. Estimating the carbon emissions of an event can help determine its climate impact. This study calculates the carbon footprints of the 2019 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting and the 2019 Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) Annual Meeting. MethodsData regarding attendance volume, geographic origin of attendees and vendors, hotel room nights, event space, and duration of meetings were obtained from AAOS and POSNA. Data were entered into an online calculator designed to measure the carbon footprint of large events (www.terrapass.com). ResultsThe AAOS 2019 annual meeting was attended by 29 448 people, requiring 66 000 hotel room nights and 2 308 800 ft2 of convention center space for 5 days. We estimated 7179 short, 8374 medium, and 13 421 long-haul round-trip flights. The POSNA 2019 annual meeting was attended by 1103 people, requiring 1932 hotel room nights and 52 100 ft2 of convention center space for 4 days. We estimated 501 short, 280 medium, and 280 long-haul round-trip flights. The AAOS 2019 meeting emitted 26 075 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), while the POSNA 2019 meeting emitted 544 metric tonnes. Eighty-one percent of the carbon emissions from AAOS and 80% from POSNA came from flight travel alone. Carbon neutralization of in-person AAOS and POSNA annual meetings would require carbon-offset purchases of approximately $273 700 and $5700, respectively. ConclusionsAnnual orthopaedic meetings contribute to climate change through their large carbon footprint. Leaders in the field of orthopaedics should consider strategies to mitigate the impact of such meetings, examples of which include transitioning to hybrid formats when appropriate and by purchasing carbon offsets for essential in-person participation. Key Concepts1)Calculating the carbon footprint of an event estimates its total carbon dioxide emissions to help determine how to reduce its climate impact.2)The AAOS 2019 meeting emitted 26 075 metric tonnes (MT) of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), while the POSNA 2019 meeting emitted 544MT, with ∼80% coming from air travel alone.3)Carbon neutralization of in-person AAOS and POSNA annual meetings would require carbon-offset purchases of approximately $273 700 and $5700, respectively. Level of EvidenceIV

Promoting sustainable practices: Exploring secondhand clothing consumption patterns and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in Japan

The rise of online flea markets in Japan has expanded access to secondhand products. Despite this expansion and the increasing recognition of the need for sustainable consumption, there remains a notable constraint on consumer acceptance of pre-owned items. Thus, this study emphasizes the utility of secondhand product usage in a context where consumer acceptance of pre-owned items is limited despite the recognized sustainability necessity. Additionally, it aims to investigate secondhand clothing-utilization patterns among users, estimate the environmental potential reduction, and assess their contribution to sustainable consumption. Conducted on users of the Japanese online flea market platform, Mercari (sellers: n = 13,325, buyers: n = 9985), the study quantified the potential reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by reusing secondhand clothing. Utilizing a survey, the key findings revealed distinct reuse characteristics for different items, confirming extended product lifespan even for those in poor condition. Moreover, secondhand products were used more frequently than new ones, and buyers exhibited less concern about potential damage. The displacement rate of secondhand for new clothing did not significantly decrease with worsening product condition. The study estimated a potential 9.6 thousand tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (ton-CO2eq) reduction under the assumption of 10 million secondhand clothing items replacing new ones. This study proposes the feasibility of utilizing secondhand items and their potential contribution to environmental conservation in consumption. Further, it establishes the theoretical foundation necessary to articulate the environmental significance of secondhand products. Simultaneously, it provides valuable insights into the broader implications of sustainable consumption practices.

Quantifying emissions and enhancing inclusivity: Insights from ASCO attendance data.

442 Background: In-person conference attendance contributes significantly to a professional’s annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, estimating conference emissions has often relied on assumptions about attendee numbers and travel, especially for investigations of medical conferences. This project aims to address these limitations by utilizing actual attendance data from the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) Annual Meetings. The objectives of this project are to establish a quantitative baseline of conference-associated emissions for different formats (in-person, virtual, and hybrid) and simulate changes to conference parameters with evaluation of associated emissions to provide recommendations for sustainable changes. Methods: Data was provided by ASCO including the number of attendees, zip codes of origin, and attendance method (in-person versus virtual) for their 2019-2022 Annual Meetings. Using a variety of conservative assumptions, emissions were calculated with consideration of the following factors: travel versus virtual attendance, conference space utilization, hotel stays, and electricity. The results were stratified by country, attendance method, and year, and differences in emissions were assessed with t-tests. Simulations were conducted to evaluate the impact of different conference sizes, locations, and formats on emissions. Results: The highest estimated GHG emissions were associated with the in-person 2019 conference, totaling 37,251 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. While international attendees accounted for the largest proportion of emissions (>50%) in all years, optimizing conference locations models only reduced emissions by 3%. However, simulations of hub-and-spoke models showed the potential for larger decreases of up to 86%, and various hybrid models offered similar emission savings. Furthermore, hybrid conferences in 2020 and 2021 demonstrated increased attendee diversity with a higher percentage of international attendees compared to the in-person 2019 conference (44% international attendance in 2019 versus 53% in 2020 and 54% in 2021). Conclusions: This study not only quantifies the emissions impact of alternative conference formats but also highlights the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) considerations in reducing emissions. While travel remains a significant contributor to conference emissions, conference models focusing solely on location optimization were not as effective as hybrid models in reducing emissions. Hybrid models may present an opportunity to effectively mitigate GHG emissions while maintaining networking opportunities and cultivating inclusivity for attendees from diverse backgrounds.

Emission pathways and mitigation options for achieving consumption-based climate targets in Sweden

National emission reduction targets under the Paris Agreement have a territorial focus, incentivizing mitigation actions domestically. Here we examine the theoretical basis for adopting complementary consumption-based net-zero emission targets and assess the consequences of adopting such proposed targets for Sweden. We apply scenario analyses based on a prospective lifecycle assessment framework. The framework is a hybrid of bottom-up simulations for passenger travel, construction and housing, and food, and top-down analyses for remaining consumption. In this work, we show how consumption-based climate targets may accentuate the need for new demand-side climate policies that contribute to reducing emissions along supply chains of products and services. Our scenario analysis suggests that combining advanced mitigation technologies with behavioral changes could reduce emissions from 9.8 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per capita in 2019 to between 2.7 and 4.8 tons by 2045 for Swedish residents, depending on global decarbonization pathways.

Recommendations Emerging from Carbon Emissions Estimations of the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting.

The annual Society for Neuroscience (SfN) meeting yields significant, measurable impacts that conflict with the environmental commitment of the Society and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommendations to address the climate emergency (IPCC, 2018). We used 12,761 presenters' origins, two online carbon calculators, and benchmark values to estimate 2018 meeting-related travel, event venue operations, and hotel accommodation emissions. Presenters' conference travel resulted in between 17,298 and 8690 tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide (t CO2), with or without radiative forcing index factors. Over 92% of authors traveled by air and were responsible for >99% of total travel-related emissions. Extrapolations based on 28,691 registrants yielded between 69,592.60 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (t CO2e) and 38,010.85 t CO2 from travel. Comparatively, authors' and registrants' hotel accommodation emissions equaled 429 and 965 t CO2e, whereas operation of the San Diego Convention Center equaled ∼107 t CO2e. We relate SfN meeting-related emissions to potential September Arctic Sea ice loss, labor productivity loss in lower-income equatorial countries, and future temperature-related deaths. We estimate emissions reductions of between 23% and 78% by incentivizing between 10% and 50% of the most distant registrants to attend virtually or connecting between two and seven in-person hubs virtually. Completely virtual meetings may yield a reduction of >99% relative to centralized in-person meetings and increase participation of women, queer and transgender scientists, and scientists from low- and middle-income countries. We strongly recommend adopting alternative meeting modes such as four or more in-person global hubs connected virtually by 2030 and fully virtual by 2050.

Evaluation of agriculture wells electrification policy and development of a long-term sustainable energy strategy

The electrification of agriculture wells in the developing countries is considered as one of the major solutions for increasing energy efficiency and utilization of renewables to achieve sustainable and smart agriculture sector. This study aims to re-evaluate the plan for the electrification of agricultural wells in Iran as a case study in the framework of an environmental energy analysis model and under possible scenarios to achieve sustainable policy-making until 2041. To evaluate the cost-benefits of electrification of agricultural wells, an economic bottom-up end-use analysis model was developed using LEAP. In this study, a methodology was developed to analyze different solutions for energy demand of groundwater well subsector of agriculture sector. The superior scenario, called energy efficiency package, was introduced. To amend the government's policy on the electrification of agricultural wells, and by integrating the strategies of electrification and intelligent measurements and monitoring of wells, this research, suggested a sustainable solution on the use of solar and wind energy in the form of energy efficiency package. This solution could save 8.19 million barrels of crude oil equivalent and reduce 5.24 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2041 at a cost of −369.3 dollars per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Developing a quality improvement project to tackle the desflurane problem

Anaesthesia is associated with the routine use of volatile anaesthetic agents, all of which are potent greenhouse gases in varying degrees. Desflurane, in particular, has a high global warming potential...

CaRPE: the Carbon Reduction Potential Evaluation tool for building climate mitigation scenarios on US agricultural lands

The Carbon Reduction Potential Evaluation (CaRPE) tool is a web-based interactive tool that integrates two databases for the USA collected at county/multi-county scales to visualize and estimate the climate benefits of implementing a variety of conservation practices on croplands and grazing lands. The COMET-Planner tool provides county/multi-county carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emission reduction coefficients associated with the adoption of climate-smart agricultural management practices. The CaRPE tool couples these coefficients, reported in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) per acre per year, with county-level cropland and grazing land acres extracted from the US Agricultural Census. The CaRPE graphical user interface allows users to quickly and easily build and export scenarios of new conservation practice adoption on desired acreages and locations at state, regional or national scales. Results are in tonnes CO2e per year, and each scenario can be exported in tabular and map formats at the selected scales. Existing county-level cropland acreage data provide the upper boundaries for acres of adoption and can be modified based on specific goals established by the user.The output may be used to develop potential targets of adoption and help inform decisions related to resource prioritization and planning efforts. In collaboration with local experts and farmer-led organizations, the results can provide a key starting block to prioritize practices and areas that contribute to climate benefits. As the underlying databases and models are updated and improved, CaRPE can be revised accordingly to increase accuracy and enhance applicability. The CaRPE tool and the user guide are available at: Database URL: https://carpe.shinyapps.io/CarpeTool/.

Evaluating a hospital’s carbon footprint – A method using energy, materials and financial data

Background: Healthcare systems have to prepare for climate change’s health impact, while reducing healthcare’s contribution to global warming. Most evaluations of healthcare’s greenhouse gas emissions involve national level methodologies.Objective: As sustainability metrics become a key factor in hospital management, the paper describes a method for quantifying emissions at a large tertiary care hospital in Singapore.Methods: Hospital operational and financial data was used to determine the greenhouse gas effect of the hospital. Emission factors from government and academic sources were used for on-site and purchased energy emissions. Spend based emission factors from the environmentally-extended multiregional input-output (EE-MRIO) Eora database were used for other indirect emissions. This provided the total carbon footprint across the various scopes.Results:The hospital had an annual carbon footprint of 245,962 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e). Scope 1 emissions accounted for 4,223 tonnes of CO2e, scope 2 for 38,380 tonnes of CO2e and scope 3 for 165,190 tonnes of CO2e. Operating carbon totalled 207,793 tonnes of CO2e, and 38,169 tonnes of scope 3 CO2e was attributed to capital expenditure projects. Medical equipment, pharmaceutical supplies and electricity were the largest contributors to the hospital’s carbon footprint.Conclusions: Identifying key areas contributing to emissions can enable targeted approaches in reducing a hospital’s carbon footprint, better preparing the hospital as the carbon economy evolves to include the healthcare sector.

E. Switzerland

Switzerland’s domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions stood relatively low at 5.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per capita in 2019. However, by adding all consumption-based emissions caused on both Swiss territory and abroad, including imported goods and international air travel, Switzerland’s GHG footprint amounted to fourteen tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per capita and year. This rate is two-and-a-half times higher than the global average of six tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. Although it was the first country to communicate its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement—entering into force for Switzerland on 5 November 2017 and pledging to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels—Switzerland likely missed its reduction goals pledged for 2020 under the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Doha Amendment.

Has China’s Carbon Emissions Trading Pilot Policy Improved Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity?

The carbon trading system affects all aspects of the economy and society profoundly. Agriculture, as a high-carbon-emitting industry, has been hard-hit. China’s agricultural activities will emit about 820 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, accounting for 7% of the country’s total carbon emissions. In order to develop a green and low-carbon economy and control greenhouse gas emissions, China officially launched the pilot carbon emissions trading policy in 2013. The effects and mechanism of this on agricultural carbon emissions are still unclear. Herein, this paper uses China’s provincial panel data from 2000 to 2019 to measure agricultural green total factor productivity regarding the implementation of China’s carbon emissions trading pilot policy in 2013 as a quasi-natural experiment, and uses PSM-DID robustness analysis to evaluate the effect of China’s carbon emission rights trading pilot policy on agricultural green total factor productivity in pilot areas. The propensity score method is a type of statistical method that uses nonexperimental or observational data for intervention-effect analysis, which reduces the effects of bias and allows for more reasonable comparisons between treatment and control groups. “Difference in difference” is an approach to policy-effect evaluation based on a counterfactual framework to assess the change in the observed factors in both cases of policy occurrence and nonoccurrence. PSM-DID is a combination of PSM and DID using the PSM method to match each treatment group sample to a specific control group sample, which can solve the problem of self-selection bias in the DID method and assess the policy implementation effect more accurately. This study found that China’s carbon emissions trading pilot policy has significantly improved China’s agricultural green total factor productivity. Further impact mechanism tests show that China’s carbon emissions trading pilot policy will improve agricultural green total factor productivity through environmental protection policies and technological innovation. Finally, this paper puts forward corresponding countermeasures and suggestions based on the research results.

Grassland soil carbon sequestration: Current understanding, challenges, and solutions.

Grasslands store approximately one third of the global terrestrial carbon stocks and can act as an important soil carbon sink. Recent studies show that plant diversity increases soil organic carbon (SOC) storage by elevating carbon inputs to belowground biomass and promoting microbial necromass contribution to SOC storage. Climate change affects grassland SOC storage by modifying the processes of plant carbon inputs and microbial catabolism and anabolism. Improved grazing management and biodiversity restoration can provide low-cost and/or high-carbon-gain options for natural climate solutions in global grasslands. The achievable SOC sequestration potential in global grasslands is 2.3 to 7.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year (CO2e year-1) for biodiversity restoration, 148 to 699 megatons of CO2e year-1 for improved grazing management, and 147 megatons of CO2e year-1 for sown legumes in pasturelands.

Sustainability in Health Care

The academic public health and biomedical communities have a long history of researching and documenting the adverse impacts of pollution on human health. However, the healthcare industry itself is a major contributor to pollution as well as the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions responsible for global warming. For example, the health sectors of the United States, Australia, England, and Canada are estimated to emit a combined 748 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents annually, equivalent to a nation that would rank seventh in the world for GHG emissions. Moreover, the healthcare sector is a major consumer of natural resources, thereby contributing to the imbalances characteristic of what is increasingly being referred to as the Anthropocene and a threat to planetary health. In this article, we summarize current information on the healthcare industry's environmental footprint and the potential for markedly reducing that footprint by applying the principles and tools of sustainability science. We discuss some of the industry's special challenges, including those associated with new construction (which have undergone relatively little examination in relation to sustainability, despite predictions of accelerated growth). We examine current ideas and efforts to advance sustainability solutions in the healthcare industry, in high-, middle-, and low-income countries alike, where the healthcare industry can be expected to grow the fastest. Finally, we review case studies and discuss research needs.

The Environmental Footprint of Neurosurgery Operations: An Assessment of Waste Streams and the Carbon Footprint.

Healthcare in England generates 24.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), equating to approximately 4% of the total national output of greenhouse gases (GHG), and of this, 10% is from the manufacturing of medical equipment. Operating theatres are a major contributor of biomedical waste, especially consumables, and are three-to-six times more energy intensive than the rest of the hospital. This study seeks to quantify and evaluate the carbon cost, or footprint, of neurosurgery at a single institution in England. A single neurosurgical operation generates, on average, 8.91 kg of waste per case, equivalent to 24.5 CO2e kg per case, mostly from single-use equipment. Per annum, 1300 neurosurgical operative cases are performed with total waste generation of 11,584.4 kg/year and a carbon footprint of 31,859 (kg) CO2e. The challenge of achieving net zero GHG presents an opportunity to catalyse innovation and sustainability in neurosurgery, from how care is delivered, through to equipment use and surgical methodologies. This should improve the quality of healthcare provision to patients and yield potential cost savings.

Carbon Analysis of Wood Composite Panels

Abstract Wood composite panels (WCP) are well known for their environmentally friendly attributes of being sustainable, renewable, biodegradable, and predominantly made from wood residues generated during lumber and plywood production. This paper focuses on the ability of WCPs to store carbon for long periods of time in nonstructural applications such as cabinets, furniture, and flooring. WCPs, include particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF), and hardboard–engineered wood siding and trim (EWST). These panels are anticipated to have an average service life of 25–30 years. In 2019, there was an estimated 291 million cubic meters (m3) of WCPs in use in North America that corresponds to a carbon pool of 354 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. This WCP carbon pool is enough to offset 24 years of cradle-to-gate cumulative carbon emissions (fossil and biogenic sources) emitted during production of these panels. In other words, producing and using WCPs stores carbon for long periods because the amount of carbon emitted during the production of the panels is far less than what the panels themselves are capable of storing over their lifetime of product use.

Managing food waste is key to tackling climate change

Managing food waste is key to tackling climate change

Technical Potential of Biogas Technology to Substitute Traditional Fuel Sources and Chemical Fertilizers and Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Case of Arba-Minch Area, South Ethiopia.

A study was conducted in South Ethiopia with the aim of assessing the technical potential of biogas energy in replacing traditional bioenergy and chemical fertilizers and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. A household survey with both a quantitative and qualitative approach was employed for data collection. Primary data were gathered from 182 biogas adopters as well as 10 key informants and three group discussions. Secondary data were also collected from different sources. The average biogas production potential of installed biogas plants was 205 m3 per day. The average reduction in use of firewood, charcoal, dung cakes, and crop residues due to biogas adoption was 66%, 72%, 68%, and 89%, respectively. The use of bio-slurry as an organic fertilizer reduced the quantity of chemical fertilizers used by more than 50% per household per year. The reduction in the quantity of biofuel consumption reduced the volume of greenhouse gas emissions by 418 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per household per year. If the reduced firewood and charcoal use reduced the felling of live trees, this could potentially conserve 45 ha of forest per household per year. Therefore, biogas energy could help reduce the anthropogenic pressure on forest resources by addressing the major drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.

A carbon footprint study of the Canadian medical residency interview tour

Background Each spring, thousands of Canadian medical students travel across the country to interview for residency positions, a process known as the CaRMS tour. Despite the large scale of travel, the CaRMS tour has received little environmental scrutiny. Purpose To estimate the national carbon footprint of flights associated with the CaRMS tour, as well as reductions in emissions achievable by transitioning to alternative models. Methods We developed a three-question online commuter survey to collect the unique travel itineraries of applicants in the 2020 CaRMS tour. We calculated the emissions associated with all flights and modelled expected emissions for two alternative in-person interview models, and two virtual interview models. Results We collected 960 responses out of 2943 applicants across all 17 Canadian medical schools. We calculated the carbon footprint of flights for the 2020 CaRMS as 4239 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents), averaging 1.44 tCO2e per applicant. The average applicant’s tour emissions represent 35.1% of the average Canadian’s annual household carbon footprint, and the emissions of 26.7% of respondents exceeded their entire annual ‘2050 carbon budget.’ Centralized in-person interviews could reduce emissions by 13.7% to 74.7%, and virtual interviews by at least 98.4% to 99.9%. Conclusions Mandatory in-person residency interviews in Canada contribute significant emissions and reflect a culture of emissions-intensive practices. Considerable decarbonization of the CaRMS tour is possible, and transitioning to virtual interviews could eliminate the footprint almost entirely.

Cost-benefit analysis of gasoline demand control policies and its greenhouse gas mitigation co-benefits

Policy-making about gasoline in Iran has always been challenging. A LEAP model was developed through the below steps: identifying the components of the supply and demand for gasoline in Iran, gathering needed data energy-environmental modeling, designing the structure of gasoline demand and modeling the gasoline demand in Iran, planning the refining and supplying the petroleum products and entering the model data, deigning the reference scenario and validation of the model, planning, modeling, and running of the possible gasoline demand reduction scenarios in Iran. In this study, different non-price and price measures to decrease the gasoline demand in Iran are assessed based on cost-benefit analysis. With the current outlook, the price does not seem to be rising easily. Implementing each of these two scenarios will reduce greenhouse gases, respectively, by 16.93 and 24.96 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents in 2035 compared to the baseline. With every ¢ 1 increase per cubic meter of actual natural gas price, the Net Present Value (NPV) and cost of GHG reduction under the scenario of simultaneous implementation of price measures is expected to reduce by respectively US$ 0.04 billion and US$ 0.36 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent, respectively.

Development and demonstration of an uncertainty management methodology for life cycle assessment in a tiered-hybrid case study of an Irish apartment development

It has been recognised by life cycle assessment (LCA) practitioners that uncertainty analysis needs to be incorporated into LCA studies to improve the reliability of the results; however, case studies still report results without uncertainty. Reasons for ignoring uncertainty include resource constraints or a lack of knowledge or expertise. This paper presents a structured uncertainty management method that aims to improve uncertainty reporting in LCA. The most common uncertainty classification for LCA is parameter, model and scenario; however, multiple classifications exist in literature. The latest classification published by Igos et al. (2019) divides uncertainty into three dimensions: location, level and nature, based on previous research (Walker et al. 2003; Warmink et al. 2010). In this paper, the three-dimensional uncertainty classification is further developed for practical implementation in LCA. The classification is incorporated into an uncertainty management methodology that is divided into five steps: identification, classification, quantification or qualification, reduction and reporting, and is integrated into the iterative steps of an LCA in accordance with ISO 14044 (2006). The method is demonstrated in a tiered-hybrid case study of an Irish apartment development from cradle-to-gate that focuses on climate change. The data sources include the bill of quantities, Ecoinvent datasets, Irish input-output tables and Irish environmental accounts data. The initial uncertainty assessment of the case study found that the deterministic value likely underestimates the total tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (t CO2-eq.) for the apartment development. The probability that the impact is greater than the deterministic value is approximately 93%, prior to uncertainty reduction. The main contributors to the total uncertainty were identified as the choice of Ecoinvent dataset, the sectoral emission intensities and the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change Global Warming Potentials. Therefore, work to reduce the total uncertainty should focus on identifying the most suitable dataset for the building material to reduce the input distribution for that material and on acquiring more product-specific data. The developed uncertainty management method improves the way uncertainty is managed in practice in LCA case studies by providing a detailed and structured way for uncertainty to be identified, classified, measured and reported. It further identifies where resources can be focused to iteratively reduce the overall uncertainty of the results and thus improve their reliability. It is recommended that the developed method is tested across other case studies, life cycle stages and impact categories in further work.