Units for Weighting Results in OpenLCA (ReCiPe 2016)

Question

Dear community,

I am currently using  OpenLCA 2.3 for my project. Specifically, I am applying the ReCiPe 2016 impact assessment method at both Midpoint (H) and Endpoint (H) levels – World (2010) H/H (OPEN LCA methods 2.7.0)

After obtaining the weighting results, I noticed that the units are not displayed. Could anyone clarify what the expected units for these results are (e.g., Pt, mPt)?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Answer 1

This weighting in ReCiPe is somewhat outside of the original method maybe (the main papers, e.g. Huijbregts, M.A.J., Steinmann, Z.J.N., Elshout, P.M.F. et al. ReCiPe2016: a harmonised life cycle impact assessment method at midpoint and endpoint level. Int J Life Cycle Assess 22, 138–147 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-016-1246-y, do not mention it I think) - but SimaPro uses this and we thought it can be useful indeed. As normalisation, that you / openLCA apply before weighting, makes all results dimensionless, units for the weighted result are somewhat arbitrary. SimaPro uses "points" or millipoints. We do not use any unit. You see the factors that are applied in openLCA in the normalisation and weighting section of the LCIA method:

Hope this helps, best wishes,

Andreas