Course Description:
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a well-established environmental accounting tool used to identify, characterize, and assess environmental impacts across products' life cycles, from cradle to grave. Historically, LCA has been a voluntary method used for a range of applications, from internal decision-making to supporting product claims. However, there are clear limitations to its use. Now, the European Union is developing the product environmental footprint (PEF) to address these limitations, an LCA-based method that aims to facilitate environmentally friendly products in the market. Since the PEF can be used to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements, its introduction is expected to have global implications. In this presentation, the speakers will discuss the similarities and differences between LCA and PEF methodologies and explore the trajectory of product environmental assessment in the EU. Additionally, we will look at what the introduction of the PEF means for the international market and demonstrate the importance of these methods for facilitating regulatory compliance and transparent communication between businesses and consumers. Finally, we will also discuss how these measures can help inform supply chain choices.

Contact Hours:
1 Contact Hour

Presentation Date:
10/19/2022

Presenters:
Angela Bischoff
Elisabeth Luther