Draft outline of a

CODATA Working Group on Environmental Life Cycle Inventories c/o Bo P. Weidema, Institute for Product Development, Building 424, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark

December 1999

This is the outline of a planned guideline to be produced during year 2000 by the CODATA Working Group on Environmental Life Cycle Inventories. The outline is the result of discussions at a Working Group meeting held in Paris 1999.12.05-06 on the basis of a draft document provided by Raul Carlson and Ann-Christin Pålsson of Chalmers University of Technology entitled ‘A procedural approach to the design of a model of a technical system’ (later published as Industrial environmental information management for technical systems). The outline should not be regarded as complete, but rather as the result of a brainstorm. It is to be amended based on a more systematic analysis and previously published results, e.g. the report from the DALCA project and other projects on data handling and data quality. For more information, please contact Raul Carlson or Bo Weidema. Additional items and contributions for the different chapters are welcome and are sought not only from the members of the Working Group but also from other interested parties, including the SETAC-Europe LCA-Working Group on Data Availability and Data Quality. Contributions may be rewarded with co-authorship of the final document.

Chapter 1. Introduction
On CODATA
On the context, especially the relation to ISO-standard 14041 (a supplement)
On the nature of LCI-data and the relation to similar types of data
On the lay-out of this document
On recommended minimum criteria for data quality documentation
On procedures for validating data according to this guideline.
 

Chapter 2. Setting up data collection systems

2.1 Definitions
Data
LCI-data
Stocks and flows
Data collection
Data collection systems

2.2 Action
Analysing what data is already available
What data are useful/important for LCA
The relationship between stocks and flows
Data that may cause confusion (e.g. overlapping data definitions)
Deciding on measurement methods and units
Frequency of data collection
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong

2.3 Documentation
On the documentation of data collection systems
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the documentation process

2.4 Validation
Description of the validation process for data collection systems
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the validation process

2.5 Communication
On the communication of information on data collection systems
Issues of terminology
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the communication process
 

Chapter 3. Collecting individual data values

3.1 Definitions
Collection methods includes measurement, estimation and calculation. This implies that no new parameters are introduced at later steps.

3.2 Action
Measurement standards
When measurement standards do not exist
Methods for estimation
Handling data gaps
Calculated data
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong

3.3 Documentation
On the documentation of collection of individual data values
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the documentation process

3.4 Validation
Description of the validation process for individual data values
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the validation process

3.5 Communication
On the communication of individual data values
Issues of terminology
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the communication process
 

Chapter 4. Forming a probability distribution

4.1 Definitions

4.2 Action
Statistical methods
Estimation of probability
Fluctuations in time
Bias
Inhomogeneous data
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong

4.3 Documentation
On the documentation of forming probability distributions
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the documentation process

4.4 Validation
Description of the validation process for probability distributions
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the validation process

4.5 Communication
On the communication of probability distributions
Issues of terminology
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the communication process
 

Chapter 5. Describing a technical system

5.1 Definitions

5.2 Action
How to describe a technical system
Defining system boundaries in time and space for each exchange
Allocation
Estimating system boundaries
Time boundaries (peaks/fluctuation)
The relationship between stocks and flows
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong

5.3 Documentation
On the documentation of technical systems
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the documentation process

5.4 Validation
Description of the validation process for technical systems
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the validation process

5.5 Communication
On the communication of information on technical systems
Issues of terminology
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the communication process
 

Chapter 6. Aggregating models of technical systems

6.1 Definitions
Aggregating systems is the removal of internal boundaries.

6.2 Action
How to aggregate models of technical systems
The limits of meaningful aggregation
Correlations
Consistency and completeness
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the aggregation process

6.3 Documentation
On the documentation of the aggregation
Transparency
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the documentation process

6.4 Validation
Description of the validation process for aggregation
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the validation process

6.5 Communication
On the communication of information on aggregation of models of technical systems
Issues of terminology
Recommended practice
Checklist of things that can go wrong in the communication process

---

CODATA Working Group on Environmental Life Cycle Inventories c/o Bo P. Weidema, Institute for Product Development, Building 424, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark. E-mail: bow@lca.dk

HOME to CODATA

Last update: 2002.02.06 BW