AG2800 Life Cycle Assessment 7.5 credits

• Educational level

  Second cycle

• Academic level (A-D)

  C

• Subject area

• Grade scale

  A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

• Course web

Learning outcomes

The overall aim of this course is to develop your skills of systems thinking in environmental issues, related to your own area of expertise. This course will give you a basic analyst’s competence in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
After completing the course, you should be able to: 

• Explain the overall purpose and principles of LCA.
• Discuss possible applications and limitiations of LCA.-Describe the content and explain the purpose of the analytical steps of LCA.
• Carry out a complete LCA of a product or service system, including:  
  1. identify and delimit the system,  
  2. specify and handle allocation problems,  
  3. identify and use relevant data from LCA databases,  
  4. collect and use data from other sources,  
  5. choose characterisation method based on coverage and relevance to the intended application,  
  6. implement and use a computer model of the system in the LCA software SimaPro,  
  7. analyse, explain, and interpret model results.
• Write a report of the performed LCA, applying to the reporting guidelines and terminology as defined in the ISO standard for LCA.
• Make a critical review of another LCA.

Course main content

The course includes lectures and a group project. Lectures will cover the following areas:

• LCA in relation to other environmental systems analysis tools.
• Methodology for the different phases of an LCA (goal definition and scoping, inventory analysis, impact assessment and interpretation).
• Methodology for simplified LCA.
• LCA software tools and databases.
• Critical review of an LCA study.
• Application areas of LCA and limitations.

Disposition

The course includes lectures and a group project. Groups of 2-4 students will perform projects in which an LCA is performed with the software SimaPro. Projects are presented in a report and at a seminar. Each group will also make a critical review of the LCA of another group.

Eligibility

180 credits (hp) in Engineering, Natural sciences including 15 hp in Environmental Science or equivalent and documented proficiency in English corresponding to English B/English 6.

Literature

Baumann, H, and Tillman, A.-M. (2004): The Hitch Hiker´s Guide to LCA. Studentlitteratur.
Aktuella vetenskapliga artiklar.

Examination

• PRO1 - Critical Review, 1.0 credits, grade scale: P, F
• PRO2 - Project report, 4.0 credits, grade scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
• TEN1 - Examination, 2.5 credits, grade scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Requirements for final grade

Examination (TEN1; 2,5 hp)
Critical review (PRO1; 1,0 hp)
Project report (PRO2; 4,0 hp)
Final grade is a weighted average of the written exam and the project report. Pass grade on the critical review is required to receive a final grade.

Offered by

ABE/Environmental Strategies Research

Contact

Anna Björklund, anna.bjorklund@abe.kth.se, Tel. 08-7908621

Examiner

Anna Björklund

Version

Course plan valid from: Autumn 13.
Examination information valid from: Spring 09.