When will OpenLCA incorporate the updated methods described in PEF 2018 guide?

Question

Based on the new PEF guidelines (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/smgp/pdf/PEFCR_guidance_v6.3.pdf):

1. Does the ILCD midpoint + method include the updates of IPCC 2013 method, or is it still calculated based on the 2006 IPCC method? And if not, is there any provision to implement it on OpenLCA?

2. Is there any provision that OpenLCA will be updated with the UNEP 2016 method regarding particulate matter?

3. Can OpenLCA run CML 4.8? If not, when will it be possible? And what is the difference between CML IA and CML 2002?

4. If I want to run an LCA following the new PEF guide, should I run an LCA 3 times, using:

-  AWARE(water use)

- CML (resource use, minerals and metals and resource use, fossils)

- ILCD midpoint + (for the rest) ?

Or is OpenLCA planning to integrate all methods? If so, when?

Many thanks

Answer 1

Hi Sagets, I recommend you to open the LCIA methods in openLCA and check out the descriptions in the "General information" tab as well as to simply check the characterisation factors in the impact categories tab.

1) The version openLCA offers is 1.0.9; You should be able to cross check the CFs on the web pages provided in the description: " [...] more information about the method can be found at : http://eplca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/uploads/LCIA-characterization-factors-of-the-ILCD.pdfcontact info: http://eplca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/?page_id=140 Version 1.0.9, May 2016.  Method checked against SimaPro 8.5."

2) As far as I know there is not a time frame for this but in general we always strive to have all important methods readily available for openLCA. However, constraints in time and resources sometimes limit us in what we can provide.

3) In principle, openLCA can run any LCIA method ... you just have to create it ;-) A partial difference between CML IA and CML 2000 is that the latter features an impact category "Abiotic depletion (fossil fuels) - CML-IA baseline". You may also want to compare some of the characterisation factors and check if there are differences (via the impact factors tab). I do not know this from the top of my head right now.

4) If those methods have impact categories which you need to cover all the impact categories which you want to address,- yes, you can run those three LCIA methods and stitch the results together. However, you can also create your own LCIA method. As mentioned above, we sometimes struggle to integrate and keep all LCIA methods up to date (still, we currently have more than 70 readily available) and we always appreciate support from users who are keen to create new LCIA methods for openLCA and who are willing to share these methods with other users and the openLCA community.

I hope this helps.
Best, Jonas

Comments

Hi Jonas,

Many thanks for your response. Please let me know if there is an update regarding the last question.
We will try to generate a new method that complies with the PEF guidelines and will let you know.

Regarding 2), we simulated an analysis of soy milk vs cow milk, and ILCD midpoint + (based on IPCC) generated a negative carbon footprint for cow milk, while CML IA baseline generated a positive one, which seems to be right, as it delivered the same result as IPCC 2013 GHG emissions. We suspect that there is a problem with the flows name reading (as mentioned in one of the questions in the forum). Shouldn't the 3 methods deliver the exact same carbon footprint, since all of them have IPCC 2013 as model?

Best wishes

Sophie

---

Hi Sophie, as far as I know, IPCC provides the CFs but it is still up to the LCIA method developers to decide which flows to consider and at some point CML added some flows. If you let us know which method package exactly you are using in openLCA we will take a look. Flows in openLCA are not linked via the names of flows but via their UUIDs. Best, Jonas

---

Hi Jonas,
As discussed here I compiled into one LCIA method the categories that PEF recommends. I am just missing  the UNEP 2016 method regarding particulate matter (as it does not yet exist in OpenLCA) and also kept AWARE aside as it works a bit differently.  I can share it if you want!

---

Hi Jonas,
Is the LCIA method "ILCD 2.0 2018 midpoint" (ecoinvent methods) as implemented in openLCA basically the same method as the EF 2.0 method in GaBi?
I compared the charactersiation factors, and it seems to be more or less the same (although in EF 2.0 in GaBi Software there are also regionalised CFs for land use and water)..
And what about the method in the freely available "EF_secondarydata_201908" database? Here the method is called "Environmental Footprint (Mid-point indicator)"

EF 2.0 = ILCD 2.0 2018 midpoint = Environmental Footprint (Mid-point indicator)

Is this equation correct? (It is a little bit confusing that the LCIA has slightly different names...)

Best regards, Erik