Advancing Life Cycle Assessment (LC A) methodology to enable the assessment of sufficiency measures

Project name: Advancing Life Cycle Assessment (LC A) methodology to enable the assessment of sufficiency measures
Project leader: Elisabeth Ekener , Hållbarhet, utvärdering och styrning, SEED, KTH
Financing: Formas, 2024-01832
Project period: 2025-09-01 - 2029-08-31

This project aims to develop a novel approach to life cycle assessment (LC A) methodology, called Sufficiency- LC A, to evaluate the environmental and social impacts of sufficiency measures, that is, “getting by” or “living well with less” environmentally impactful consumption. This is motivated by the global sustainability needs, for both improved technology and sufficiency in consumption, and that traditional LC A methodology is capable of assessing the former but not the latter. This incapacity arises from a central LC A principle, “functional equivalence”, which ensures fair comparisons when aiming to reduce impact per consumption or functionality, but at the same time, disqualifies LC As of sufficiency measures, since these aim to reduce impact through reducing or considerably changing consumption or functionality. The project will define and categorize sufficiency measures, redefine functional equivalence to be applicable to sufficiency, develop socially oriented functional units and ways of measuring human well-being, and apply Sufficiency-LC A in practice. Methods used are literature reviews, systematic analyses, methodological development, expert consultations and focus groups. Given the importance of sufficiency measures for sustainability and the fact that they are systematically overlooked in the ubiquitous decision-making contexts where LC A is used, the project could make seminal contributions to sustainability science and the sustainability transition.

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