DF 48:  
ecoinvent v3 – an introduction to the new features & data

June 13, 2012, Empa Akademie, Dübendorf (in English)

The ecoinvent Centre provides the most relevant, reliable, transparent and accessible LCI data worldwide. The new version 3 offers a variety of improvements and exciting features. This includes enhanced flexibility of multiple system models based on the same unit process data, parameterization and integration of formulas, a better and directly integrated documentation, and many other attractive options. Furthermore, many data collection projects expand and update the database, e.g. water use data for many processes, new data for fruits and vegetables, or further national electricity mixes. 

In this Forum, the ecoinvent Centre together with its carrying institutes (Empa, ETH, PSI, EPFL and agroscope ART) will introduce to you these new features, components and data of ecoinvent v3 and demonstrate how they can be used to increase the quality of LCA studies. 

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DF 49:  
Sustainable Consumption Patterns

September 18, 2012, GEP-Pavillon, ETH Zurich (in English)

Several national and international initiatives aim to consi­de­ra­bly reduce the environmental impacts due to today’s consumption patterns. This forum will show and discuss life cycle approaches used for the analysis of consumption patterns. Concepts like the “2000 Watt Society” will be explained. The existing potentials for a substantial reduction of environmental impacts, and the possible role of LCA in the analysis and quantification of such potentials, will be outlined. There will be room for presentations about web-tools, such as personal footprint calculators or other means of communication, to highlight results of an overall analysis of consumption patterns. 

Preliminary programme:  DF49_preliminary-programme_v120302.pdf

DF 50:  
Water in LCA: Which Assessment Techniques are emerging or ready? Including Lots of Challenging Aspects.

December 4, 2012, GEP-Pavillon, ETH Zurich (in English)

Water-related issues have been considered in LCA in various ways, from the long-standing eutrophication, acidification and ecotoxicity methods, to the more recent water consumption aspects. Four years on from the first discussion forum on water in LCA, many developments have been made, resulting in a rich palette of approaches. Significant challenges still remain, related to the complexity of water systems and ecosystems. New challenges have emerged, such as how to fit these “pieces” together to form a coherent and comprehensive approach for assessing the impacts of water use (both degradative and consumptive). This discussion forum will present the current status of water use assessment in LCA, and identify new and remaining challenges where future effort could be concentrated.