Product system model

Kamrul Islam and Masaharu Motoshita

Chapter 129 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, 2026, pp 486-487 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The product system model in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a foundational framework, encapsulating unit processes and flows to model a product's life cycle. Comprising foreground and background components, it quantifies the resource inputs, emissions, and product outputs, facilitating life cycle inventory and impact assessment. However, challenges arise in its description, sharing, and standardization, leading to inconsistent interpretations and methodological choices. Ambiguities extend to issues such as data quality evaluation and handling confidential information. Harmonizing product system models is essential for transparency and credibility, necessitating a disclosure framework to facilitate sharing, revision, and critical review while safeguarding sensitive data. Achieving software-independent descriptions and consensus on model structures is imperative for advancing LCA practice. Revisions within ISO standards, such as enhancing guidelines for data quality, model transparency, and confidentiality, are suggested to improve the consistency and adaptability of the product system model. Redefining the model to accommodate both attributional and consequential approaches and establishing clear, reproducible criteria for documenting modeling assumptions could enhance the reliability of LCA outcomes. These revisions aim to ensure that product system models are transparent, comparable, and flexible, fostering more consistent LCA practices across applications.

Keywords: Life cycle assessment; Foreground and Background; Disclosure framework; ISO standards; Harmonization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035309887
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