 Life cycle interpretationBlanca Corona Chapter 102 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, 2026, pp 377-381 from Edward Elgar Publishing Abstract: Life cycle interpretation is the final phase of the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The main purposes of interpretation are improving the life cycle model and deriving robust conclusions and recommendations. According to ISO 14044, the interpretation phase consists of three steps: (1) identifying significant issues, (2) evaluating results, and (3) providing conclusions, limitations, and recommendations. Significant issues are determined by analysing the inventory and impact assessment results, through methods like contribution analysis, dominance analysis, influence analysis, and anomaly assessment. Results are evaluated through completeness, sensitivity, and consistency checks. The conclusions consider the limitations and significant findings, and recommendations are based on the study's conclusions and intended application. The reliability and robustness of the LCA's outcome depend on the correct consecution of the interpretation phase. For this reason, the interpretation phase is crucial for decision-making processes and affects the trust that societal actors have in the LCA method. Keywords: Conclusions; Recommendations; Limitations; Improvement; Sensitivity; Consistency (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:eechap:22215_102 Ordering information: This item can be ordered from Access Statistics for this chapter More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing |
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