Shedding light on the shadows: Transparency challenge in background life cycle inventory data

Jing Guo, Ruiqiao Li, Ruirui Zhang, Jianchuan Qi, Nan Li, Changqing Xu, Anthony S. F. Chiu, Yutao Wang, Hiroki Tanikawa and Ming Xu

Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2025, vol. 29, issue 3, 766-776

Abstract: Life cycle assessment (LCA) hinges on the transparency and reliability of inventory data. However, the transparency of background life cycle inventory (LCI) data sources remains unexamined. This research assesses data transparency in mainstream LCI databases using a two‐step examination system based on source findability and accessibility. Six major databases (ecoinvent, GaBi, U.S. Life Cycle Inventory Database, European Life Cycle Database, Inventory Database for Environmental Analysis, and Chinese Life Cycle Database) were analyzed by sampling processes and tracing their sources. The results reveal widespread transparency issues, with only 40%–60% of sampled processes having findable sources and

Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:inecol:v:29:y:2025:i:3:p:766-776

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