Life cycle assessment (LCA) method has been widely used in many fields since its birth, but the most prominent contribution is its application to environmental management. The technical framework of LCA can be divided into four parts:target and scope, list analysis, impact assessment (LCIA) and result interpretation. The methods of LCIA can be summed up as midpoint method and end point method. LCA has limitations in such as data acquisition, inventory allocation, boundary selection, evaluation models, temporal and spatial constraints, and uncertainty of results. In order to adapt to the requirements of environmental management and evaluation technology, LCA evaluation technology is being developed towards a systematic direction. LCA has so far expanded its application field and avoided its limitation in evaluation, which makes it become an indispensable tool for environmental management.

life cycle  /  impact assessment  /  environmental management  /  sustainable development