LCA – Life Cycle Assessment
Life cycle assessment measures the environmental impact of a product, process or service across its whole life, from raw material extraction through manufacture, distribution, use and end of life. Each study follows the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 framework across four phases, goal and scope, inventory, impact assessment and interpretation, and extends to product carbon footprints to ISO 14067 and Environmental Product Declarations to ISO 14025, delivered across India by a specialist as one accountable engagement.
Reviewed by Team GreenSutra · Updated 18 June 2026
From product footprint to measured environmental impact
Measure, manage and mitigate environmental impact across the full life of a product.
A life cycle assessment, or LCA, evaluates the environmental impact of a product, process or service across its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction and processing through manufacture, distribution, use and final disposal. Unlike a single number, a life cycle assessment looks at many impact categories at once, so the result shows not only the carbon footprint but also the demands placed on water, land and finite resources.
Every assessment follows the globally recognised ISO 14040 principles and the ISO 14044 requirements, adopted in India as IS/ISO 14040 and IS/ISO 14044, moving through four phases: goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory, life cycle impact assessment and interpretation. Where a verified output is needed, the study extends to a product carbon footprint under ISO 14067 or an Environmental Product Declaration under ISO 14025. The three outputs map onto distinct standards, so a request for one is rarely a request for another:
| Output | Governing standard | What it reports |
|---|---|---|
| Life cycle assessment | ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. | A full multi-impact study across the life cycle, covering several environmental categories together. |
| Environmental Product Declaration | ISO 14025 Type III declaration, with EN 15804 for construction products. | A third party verified declaration of life cycle results against Product Category Rules, so declarations from different programmes compare. |
| Product carbon footprint | ISO 14067. | A single climate indicator, the greenhouse gas emissions of a product across its life cycle. |
The value of a life cycle assessment is the evidence it produces: it identifies the environmental hotspots that drive cost and impact, informs decisions on materials, design and process, prepares an organisation for regulatory and procurement requirements, and provides a measured baseline that makes redesign, substitution and reduction provable rather than asserted.
Based in Mumbai and operating as an Indian origin sustainability practice since 2016, GreenSutra delivers life cycle assessment for products and operations across India, and brings the same accounting discipline to organisations worldwide. The methodology in full, the four ISO phases, the boundary approaches, the impact categories and how an LCA, an EPD and a product carbon footprint differ, is set out in the life cycle assessment guide.
Process of LCA
How a life cycle assessment engagement runs, from goal and scope to a reported, declarable result.
Goal and scope definition
The goal, intended use and audience are agreed, then the functional unit and the system boundary are set, cradle to grave, cradle to gate or another boundary that fits the question. Data quality and impact categories are fixed here, so every later result is comparable.
Life cycle inventory
Every input and output across the life cycle is compiled, the materials, energy, water, emissions and waste tied to each stage. Primary plant data is combined with recognised background datasets to build a transparent inventory against the functional unit.
Life cycle impact assessment
The inventory is translated into environmental impact across categories such as global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, water use and resource depletion. Results are classified and characterised so the picture covers more than carbon alone.
Interpretation
The results are read against the goal, environmental hotspots are identified, and sensitivity and completeness are tested. Conclusions and reduction options follow, with the limitations of the study stated plainly.
Reporting and declaration
The assessment is reported to the requirements of ISO 14044, and where a verified output is needed it is taken forward as a product carbon footprint to ISO 14067 or an Environmental Product Declaration to ISO 14025.
The four phases of a life cycle assessment
Goal and scope, inventory, impact assessment and interpretation, applied iteratively to a defined functional unit, following the ISO 14040 framework.
The purpose is set and the functional unit and system boundary are defined, fixing what the study includes and the basis on which results compare.
The life cycle inventory compiles the material, energy and emission flows for every stage, referenced to the functional unit.
The inventory is converted into environmental impact across categories such as global warming, acidification, eutrophication and water use.
Hotspots are identified, sensitivity is tested, and conclusions and recommendations are drawn, feeding back into scope where needed.
The four phases defined by ISO 14040 run in order yet remain iterative, since interpretation can send the study back to refine the goal, the inventory or the boundary. ISO 14044 adds the reporting requirements, and a critical review where a public comparative assertion is made. The functional unit holds the assessment together, so every input, output and impact stays comparable.
Approaches of Life Cycle Assessment
The system boundary decides which life cycle stages a study covers. Five common approaches.
The product life cycle unfolded, from inception through procurement, manufacture, packaging, delivery and use to end of life, with logistics on every leg and recovery feeding new production. Each approach below is a scope over these stages, set by the system boundary fixed during goal and scope.
Cradle to grave
The full life cycle, from raw material extraction through manufacture, distribution and use to end of life disposal. The default scope for a complete environmental picture.
Cradle to gate
A partial assessment from extraction to the factory gate, before distribution and use. It captures the upfront, embodied impact of a material or product.
Cradle to cradle
A circular variant where end of life material feeds new production rather than disposal, assessing recovery and recycling back into the loop.
Gate to gate
A single process step inside the life cycle, useful for analysing one stage of manufacture in detail and for building up larger assessments.
Well to wheel
Applied to fuels and energy, combining well to tank and tank to wheel, the extraction and processing of a fuel and its use in a vehicle.
Benefits of Life Cycle Assessment
What a measured, multi-category assessment earns an organisation.
Environmental hotspots identified
A life cycle assessment shows which stages and materials drive impact, so reduction effort and investment target the points that matter most rather than the most visible ones.
Eco-design and cost efficiency
Material substitution, lighter design and process change are tested against a measured baseline, lowering environmental impact and often material and energy cost together.
Regulatory and procurement readiness
Environmental Product Declarations and product carbon footprints answer tenders, green public procurement and disclosure requirements with verified, comparable evidence.
Market credibility
A third party verified EPD and a transparent assessment give buyers, investors and regulators evidence they can check, replacing unsupported environmental claims.
Why GreenSutra for life cycle assessment
The reasons behind the reputation.
ISO 14040 and 14044 method
Every assessment runs through the four ISO phases, goal and scope, inventory, impact assessment and interpretation, so the result is defensible and comparable.
Multi-category, not carbon alone
A full life cycle impact assessment covers water, land, resources and acidification alongside global warming potential, so trade offs between impacts stay visible.
Declarations delivered
Product carbon footprints to ISO 14067 and Environmental Product Declarations to ISO 14025 are produced from the same study, ready for buyers and procurement.
End to end delivery
Goal and scope through inventory, modelling, interpretation, reporting and declaration handled as one accountable engagement.
Mumbai based, pan India
Life cycle assessment delivered for products and operations across India from a Mumbai base since 2016, in an evidence first house style.
FAQs About Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Q·01What is the purpose of a life cycle assessment?
Q·02How does a life cycle assessment differ from a carbon footprint?
Q·03What is an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)?
Q·04How much does a life cycle assessment cost?
Q·05Is an LCA or EPD required to export products into the EU?
Q·06What is the difference between ISO 14040 and ISO 14044?
Primary sources
Request a life cycle assessment
A short conversation about the product, the boundary and the output needed turns into a tailored LCA plan. Schedule a call directly or send a written brief.
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Maintained by GreenSutra · Last reviewed June 2026