A carbon footprint looks at just one environmental impact the greenhouse gas emissions associated with a product, activity, or organization. In other words, it tells you how much it contributes to climate change.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) goes much further. Instead of focusing only on carbon emissions, it evaluates multiple environmental impacts across a product’s entire life cycle from raw material extraction and manufacturing to transport, use, and disposal.
Depending on the assessment, an LCA can measure impacts such as:
- Greenhouse gas emissions (carbon footprint)
- Water consumption
- Land use
- Acidification
- Eutrophication
- Resource depletion
This broader view helps identify trade-offs. For example, a product may have a lower carbon footprint but use significantly more water or consume more natural resources. An LCA highlights these trade-offs, allowing businesses to make better-informed sustainability decisions rather than focusing on carbon emissions alone.To understand both the services better you can refer to our guides linked below:
LCA guide: https://greensutra.in/lca-guide/
CF guide: https://greensutra.in/carbon-footprint-guide/