Environmental Project, 995 – Update on Impact Categories, Normalisation and Weighting in LCA - Selected EDIP97-data

Update on Impact Categories, Normalisation and Weighting in LCA

Authors preface

This technical report is a result of a LCA methodology and consensus-making project focusing on normalisation and weighing. The project has involved a large part of the LCA practitioners and interested parties in Denmark. The technical report documents normalisation references with the reference year 1994 and weighting factors with 2004 as the target year. Along with the technical report a guideline ("LCA Guideline: Impact categories, normalisation and weighting in LCA") has been developed.

The project has been organised as a true consensus-process. First, the project leader in dialogue with the involved consultants and researchers discussed and agreed upon a general data collection process, the idea being to receive consistent data from a wide range of national and international information sources. However, this approach appeared to be less effective than hoped for, and it was therefore decided to proceed in a less uniform way within different impact categories in order to obtain the requested/necessary data and use them in development of normalisation references. The choices made were presented at two workshops, each providing valuable input to the project group as well as securing a consensus among all interested parties.

The following persons have been responsible for the individual chapters:

Chapter 2+3: Heidi K. Stranddorf and Leif Hoffmann, dk-TEKNIK ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Chapter 4: Global warming: M.Sc (Chem. Eng) Leif Hoffmann, dk-TEKNIK ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Chapter 5: Ozone depletion: M.Sc (Chem. Eng) Leif Hoffmann, dk-TEKNIK ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Chapter 6: Photochemical ozone formation: B.Sc (Chem. Eng) Karsten Fuglsang, dk-TEKNIK ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Chapter 7: Acidification: M.Sc (Chem. Eng) Leif Hoffmann, dk-TEKNIK ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Chapter 8: Nutrient enrichment: Ph.D. (Biology) Jørgen Larsen, Danish Technological Institute

Chapter 9: Ecotoxicity: Ph.D. (Ecotoxicology) Jens Tørsløv, DHI Water and Environment

Chapter 10: Human toxicity: M.Sc (Eng) Frans Møller Christensen, Danish Toxicology Centre & M.Sc (Chem. Eng) Leif Hoffmann, dk-TEKNIK ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Chapter 11: Weighting: M.Sc (Eng) Niels Juul Busch, Rambøll

The main part of the data collection and calculations have been performed in the period 1998-2001, with small adjustments and re-calculations being made in 2003. Anders Schmidt, FORCE Technology/dk-TEKNIK ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT was responsible for the final editing of the report in autumn, 2003. A special thank is given to Michael Hauschild, Danish Technical University, for his guidance and reviews of the efforts in the project.