Exiobase 3.8 Products - Significant different between Climatiq and OpenLCA

Question

Hi,

I've recently ordered Exiobase 3.8 through Nexus and was just comparing some of the factors with Climatiq to ensure comparability before going any further with the project, using the product database.

In Climatiq (see screenshot) the carbon impact is 0.1097 kgCO2e/eur. 

When I run the same process in OpenLCA (admittedly with a 10^-6 cut off to manage memory), I get a value of 0.0619 kgCO2e/eur with IPCC2021, so just over half.

I note that the monetary is listed as "EUR 2000" in OpenLCA. I presume that as the dataset is from 2019, that "EUR 2000" is not a baseline of Euro value in the year 2000? There are no notes to that end in Exiobase 3.8.2 OpenLCA document.

Is it known why there is such a difference? Does it trace back to the inclusion (or not in OpenLCA) of land use change?

Thanks,

Chris

Comments

Hi Conrad - yes I saw that previous query and that the databases were not the same. In this case, I am looking at the same databases - 3.8.2 in both circumstances.

I haven't tried to adjust for inflation or convert currencies beyond normalising the factor down to impact per euro.


Do you have any other suggestions for the large difference? For example, I cannot see any breakdown of biogenic carbon sources in OpenLCA while Climatiq expressly mentions land use is included. I have uploaded the impact analysis tab screenshot in the original message above.

Answer 1

Hi Chris, what is the process / sector in openLCA? Country is UK, I see. Thank you. I can try a full calculation then, a 1E-6 cutoff can have an influence. Thank you!

Edited: Ah indeed, it was also visible in your screenshot. In exiobase, as it is provided, you do not have IPCC 2021 but CML 2001. Without cutoff, you get (pxp version) with this 8.98E4 kgCO2eq., for 1E6 Euros:

This is the original method from the exiobase database, you see in the LCIA checks that quite some flows are not considered for GWP:

-> it could make sense to adjust the method it seems, or add IPCC2021 explicitly.

All the best,

Andreas

Comments

Hi Andreas - thank you for the offer.

The process I started with (although there will be others) is Renting services of machinery and equipment without operator and of personal and household goods (71) in the UK.

Thanks for your help in advance.

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Hi Andreas,

Thank you for your helpful reply. I have tried to upload the OpenLCA methods to add IPCC2021 following the OpenLCA instruction manual for the latest version. (I assume this is what you mean by add explicitly). However, it also does not say it is compatiable with Exiobase in the notes and I think this is why when I run a calculation I get zero results for the IPCC2021 data. Could you let me know if there is an alternative way? I need more than this example factor, so an automated way would be helpful.

Similarly, each time I try to increase memory in configuration I received a failure to write notification. This is the cause for the using the cut-off method. It would be helpful if you know a fix.

Thanks.

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Edit to the immediately above. I see the naming convention for the openlca methods is different to that used in the exiobase flows (e.g carbon dioxide, fossil (openlca) vs CO2 - combustion - air (exiobase). I shall try to modify CML to include the missing categories highlight in the LCIA checks above.