Life cycle and life cycle perspective

David Hysi

Chapter 97 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, 2026, pp 360-362 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The “life cycle” concept is a crucial tool in environmental sciences, providing a comprehensive framework for assessing the environmental impacts of a product, service, or process from resource extraction to end-of-life. It is essential to environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a methodological framework that assesses the environmental impacts attributable to a product's life cycle. ISO Standards define the concept of the life cycle, emphasizing its holistic nature and the interconnectedness of various phases. This holistic view allows stakeholders to identify key phases where environmental impacts are significant and where improvements or interventions can be most beneficial to avoid burden shifting. ISO 14004:2016 defines a life cycle perspective, considering the environmental aspects of an organization's activities, products, and services that it can control or influence. The stages where one organization has the most control or influence may offer the greatest opportunities to reduce resource use and minimize pollution or waste. With the recent developments in social life cycle assessments and the publication of ISO 14075 on principles and framework for social life cycle assessment, further studies in the field will be encouraged.

Keywords: Life Cycle; LCC; S-LCA; Life Cycle Perspective; Sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035309887
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