Evaluation of Life Cycle Approaches for the Development of Environmental Indicators in Policy and Decision Making Support

The integration of life cycle thinking into policy and decision making processes requires the development of credible and scientifically robust environmental indicators, capable to define targets and monitor results. The potential range of such indicators is very broad, depending on the level of policy/decision-making and the type of information needed. Indicators may apply from micro level situations (a single product/process/technology/site) to macro scale policy areas (e.g., EU thematic strategies). A further differentiation can be made for each level, depending on the life-cycle phase under consideration: resources, products, or waste. The present study compares process-based life-cycle assessment (LCA), economic input-output analysis-based LCA (EIO-LCA), materials flow analysis and some relevant hybrid methods in order to assess their suitability for building up environmental indicators in different policy and decision-making contexts. The evaluation has been carried out along a comprehensive set of criteria, covering methodological, technical and data availability issues. The outcomes of the study will contribute to the definition of a sound approach towards the development of the three sets of decoupling indicators, as announced in the EU Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources.JRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource