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Life Cycle Inventory LCI

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is important because we can only manage what we measure and LCA is recognised as one of the best methods of measuring ecological burdens and benefits. LCA is also a window on innovation as well as due diligence. The Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation (CRC CI), CSIRO, RMIT, ecospecifier, Evah Associates and other teams have worked on such LCA tools and databases since 1995 with input from a wide range of primary and secondary industry supply chain segments. Lack of competitor agreement on data or methods is an ongoing historical reality but alone it is not sufficient reason to discourage people from applying the existing valuable body of LCA knowledge to improve their environmental performance.

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Evah Associates use and develop LCI databases compiled by:

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  • Government, Research and Industry teams under confidentiality agreements since 1995

  • Groups in key primary and secondary industry on local and overseas inventory data.

  • Partners in Tables 1 and 2 with knowledge from buying and researching products.

  • Teams working in mineral, timber, fuel, power, metal, polymer and chemical segments.

  • Scientists with public access data on licensed operations, resource quality and emissions.

  • Engaging industry delegates on site at :

 

 

         1. Mines, Quarries, Forests & Refineries; Thermal, Hydro & Nuclear Power Stations;

         2. Blast, Electric & Basic Oxygen Steel Furnaces; Wire, Tube, Cable & Furniture Mills;
         3. Timber, brick, fibre, yarn, cloth, steel, concrete & gypsum makers and fabricators;
         4.Strip, Copper, Carpet, Ply & Saw Mills; Concrete, Paint, Glass & Polymer Plants;
         5.Extruders, Ceramics & Sawmills; Construction, Industrial & Infrastructure sites.

 

  • Licensed access to finance databases on industry ownership, supply & technology &

  • Licensed use of LCI Models of Global Council Commissioned Manufacturing Operations.

Concensus Development for our Tools, Databases and Methods

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Over the years our teams have engaged with:

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  • ecospecifier, Boral, RMIT, BlueScope, Onesteel, Pilkington and others with LCI data;

  • Stakeholders, Government, BHP and the CRC CI with national building supply chain LCI;

  • NSW Government LCI for NSW Supply contracts requiring suppliers LCI data from 1995;

  • NSW Government teams applying LCI for Green Games 2000 under a global media spotlight;

  • CRC CI Partners from building, construction and FM sectors constituting ~18% GDP developing LCI with $20M Commonwealth Government matching funding since 2001, and

  • Industry practitioners to improve the record on asbestos, lead, Chrome 6, VCM, VOX, CO2e.


Evah Associates uses CRC CI methods, guidelines and database documented in:

 

  • LCI Process Modeling First Generation 2001-006-B-08 Icon.Net, Australia.

  • LCI for Australian Commercial Building Material 2001-006-B-15 Icon.Net Australia.


Papers on our LCI and LCA methodology also include:

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  • Jones D. G., Watson P., Scuderi P. & Mitchell P. (2006) National Inventory Forms and Functions in Procs ALCAS 2006, Melbourne, Australia.

  • Mitchell P., Jones D., Watson P. & Seo S. (2005) A National Building Industry Inventory in Procs ALCAS 2005: Sustainability Measures for Decision-support, Sydney, Australia.

  • Jones D.G., Johnston D.R. & Tucker S. N. (2003) Life Cycle Inventory for Australian Building Materials in Procs of the CIB Conference SASBE 2003, Brisbane, Australia., and

  • Seo S. (2002) International Review of Environmental Assessment Tools & Databases, http://www.construction-innovation.info/images/pdfs/Research_library/

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Participant consensus originates from LCA protocols established at the 1998 Banksia Award winning National Directions CGI 97 Forum of Community Government & Industry documented in:

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  • Gilbert D. L., et al (1998) Directions for A Healthier and Sustainable Built Environment: The Built Environment Protocol, in Procs Building & Environment in Asia Conf. Singapore

  • CGI 97 Directions Forum (1997): Built Environment Protocol:

  • CGI-Directions Forum (1997) Built Environment Sustainability Task Force 

  • Jones D. G. (1997) Scope & Boundaries For The Forum & Protocol, Procs Conference Directions for a Healthier and Sustainable Environment: CGI-97  Directions Forum, Australia.


Papers on LCI consensus development including:

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  • Mitchell P., Jones D., Watson P., Johnston D. & Seo S. (2005) A National Building Industry Inventory, Procs ALCAS 2005: Sustainability Measures for Decision-support, Australia

  • Watson P., Jones D. and Mitchell P. (2005) Redefining the Life Cycle for a Building Sustainability Assessment Framework, Procs ALCAS 2005, Sydney Australia.

  • Jones D., Watson P. and Mitchell P. (2005) Building Project Definition Needs, Procs ALCAS 2005 Conference: Sustainability Measures for Decision-support, Sydney Australia.

  • Jones D. G., Watson P. & Mitchell P. (2004) Environmental assessment for commercial buildings: Stakeholder requirements & tool characteristics Report 2001-006-B-01, Icon.Net, Australia.

  • Jones D.G., Watson P., Scuderi P. & Mitchell P. (2006) Ch 10: Clients’ Building Product Ecoprofiling Needs, in Brown K., Hampson K. & Brandon P. (Eds) Clients Driving Construction Innovation: Moving Ideas into Practice. ISBN 1-7410712-8-3 Icon.Net Australia. 

  • Jones D. G., Watson P. & Mitchell P. (2004) Environmental Assessment for Commercial Buildings: Stakeholder Needs etc in Procs CIB Clients Driving Innovation, CRC CI, Australia.

  • Watson P., Jones D. G., Mitchell P. (2004) Are Australian Building Eco-Assessment Tools Meeting Stakeholder Decision-Making Needs? pp 371-377 in Contexts of Architecture, Procs 38th Architectural Science Ass & Intl Building Performance Simulation Ass, Australia.

 


The NSW and Queensland Government, CRC CI, CSIRO, RMIT, ecospecifier, Evah Associates working on our LCA tools and databases since 1995 have been helped by experts contributing data on the broadest industry sectors. While individuals from other groups working to agree on LCA data development methods may disparage many existing LCA providers, such lack of agreement across industry groups is in the nature of competition and this historical reality is ongoing now and for the foreseeable future.

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As LCA is a window on innovation as well as control systems it is unwise to apply self-serving excuses to delay uptake of the body of existing LCA and LCI to asses environmental performance and opportunity or ensure responsible planning and management. Doing no LCA is to actually implement the worst LCA results that do not measure, defend or increase the quality of a client's green outcomes in the interim.

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