(7c) LCA As a Sustainability Decision-Making Tool for Regulations and Investment

Life-cycle analysis (LCA) is a unique tool which provides a framework to quantify impacts from a specific process or technology from resource extraction to disposal, or "cradle to grave."  LCA can be employed to assess the "sustainability" of a technology by identifying the life-cycle impacts on environmental, economic, and social indicators.  These sustainability scores can be used to compare technologies or identify areas for improvement and further research.  The comprehensive sustainability impacts of a technology should inform the regulatory and financial support a technology receives.  This talk will use examples to indentify how LCA can serve as a useful tool to assess the sustainability of technologies and how the results can be used in policy development or future research portfolios.