UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative. 10-year accomplishments and way ahead ( )

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1 UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative 10-year accomplishments and way ahead ( )

2 Who are we?

3 UNEP Mission To provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. Environment for Development

4 UNEP - Mandate Keeping the world environmental situation under review; Catalyzing and promoting international cooperation and action; Providing policy advice and early warning information, based upon sound science and assessments; Facilitating the development, implementation and evolution of norms and standards developing coherent interlinkages among international environmental conventions; Strengthening technology support and capacity in line with country needs and priorities

5 UNEP - 6 priorities & objectives To strengthen the ability of countries to integrate climate change responses into national development processes that countries utilize the ecosystem approach to enhance human wellbeing that environmental governance at country, regional and global levels is strengthened to address agreed environmental priorities Climate Change Ecosystem management Environmental governance that natural resources are produced, processed and consumed in a more environmentally sustainable way Resource Efficiency - SCP to minimize the impact of harmful substances and hazardous waste on the environment and human beings Harmful substances and Hazardous Wastes to minimize environmental threats to human well-being arising from the environmental causes and consequences of conflicts and disasters Disasters and conflicts

6 UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative International Life Cycle Partnership To bring science-based life cycle approaches into practice worldwide Business, Academic, and Governments working together to bring science-based life cycle approaches into practice worldwide Over 2000 individuals collaborating globally SETAC brings the science UNEP brings access to governments and outreach One stop shop for life cycle approaches

7 Why Life Cycle Thinking?

8 Value chain of product or service

9 Life cycle thinking Life cycle assessment framework Goal and Scope Definition Inventory Analysis Interpretation LCA is a tool to measure, assess and manage the environmental and human health performance of a product from raw materials through production, use, and end-of-life phases from cradle-to-grave (ISO & 14044) For government policy is effective and efficient, delivers the most benefit with the least cost, allows focus on the real issues Impact Assessment For business use data (mostly existing) to understand most significant impacts of business most cost effective areas for improvement

10 Making LCT operational Strategy Integrate with EMS? Management Systems Programmes Decision Support tools Data and Information

11 What have we done?

12 Phase 1: Creating Community Launch of LCI Kick-off of Working Groups Why Take a Life Cycle Approach st LA and Africa LCA Conferences 1 st LCA Award LCM : A Business Guide

13 Phase 2: Participating in the Community 2 LCA Award Building and Energy Sector Why Take a Life Guidelines for Cycle Approach Social LCA LCM Global Guidance 3 LCA Award for Databases USETox Life Cycle Sustainability 2012 USETox

14 Key highlights 1: LC Assessment and Data E-LCA Framework: development of the life cycle assessment midpoint-damage framework

15 Key highlights 2: LC Assessment and Data Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) - Guidelines for Social Life Cycle Assessment of Products

16 Key highlights 3: LC Assessment and Data Global Guidance Principles for Life Cycle Assessment Databases: A Basis for Greener Processes and Products

17 LCA Data Status in 2012 Commercial databases with local datasets for relevant products and unit processes are available (6) Commercial and public databases with local datasets for relevant products and unit processes are available (5) Few datasets for products (e.g. on energy) or impact categories (e.g. climate change) from research organizations are available (13) Only limited to very few unit processes (e.g. energy, transportation) or impact category (e.g. climate change) (2) Neither public nor commercial data is available (13) Public databases with local datasets for several products and unit processes are available (1)

18 Key highlights 1: Life Cycle Management LCM: A Business Guide to Sustainability key definitions and principles to LCM and a stepby-step guide to support LCM integration

19 Key highlights 2: Life Cycle Management LCM: A practical guide how business uses it to decrease footprint, create opportunities and make value chains more sustainable

20 Key highlights 3: Life Cycle Management Life Cycle Management Capability Framework for Business Level Span of control / influence Metrics Decision Process Business case Qualified Project Compliance- yes/no Process outputs Team-based, visible trade-offs Risk Avoidance; license to operate Efficient Enterprise Process inputs/ outputs Eco- efficiency Rule-based tradeoffs to achieve enterprise goals Improved operating margins Labor & resource efficiency Effective Value chain Cradle to grave, integrated across value chain Fact-based to anticipate value chain trade-offs Top line growth, Innovative products, new markets Adaptive Society Sustainability measures Resiliency Value-based to codevelop business goals & social expectations Strong balance sheet Long- term competitive advantage

21 LCA Networks LCA Practitioners Total countries in Non OECD countries 12 in Non OECD countries Countries Organizations in OECD countries 16 in Non OECD countries Existing networks More than 10,000 Source: LCA Providers tools 2,200 Source: UNEP # of LCA Countries/ Organizations represented

22 LCA Networks Total 51 countries of which 16 in developing countries

23 National LCA Network

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25 Where are we now?

26 Phase 3 Mainstreaming Life Cycle Thinking

27 Our Approach: Flagship Projects 1. Methodologies a. Integrating Life Cycle Costing, Social Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental LCA and linking with CSR b. Key environmental indicators based on mature environmental approaches 2. Data a. Global database management network & training 3. Product sustainability information 4. Capability Development & implementation a. Global capability development 5. Communication & stakeholder outreach a. Communication strategy b. LC Platform: clearing house and social media a. Product sustainability meta specification b. Knowledge mining

28 Objective 1: Enhance the global consensus and relevance of existing and emerging life cycle methodologies and data management 1. Indicators, characterization factors and methodologies for Life Cycle Approaches Indicators, characterization factors and methodologies for Life Cycle Sustainability Approaches 1a. Integrating Life Cycle Costing, Social Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental LCA and linking with CSR 1b. Key environmental indicators based on mature environmental approaches 1c. Consolidating USEtox 1d. Emerging environmental approaches Ecosystem services (biodiversity, land, water ) and externalities Flagship projects These projects are considered as the most important in the group, especially in terms of establishing a public image 1e. Applications to organisations

29 Objective 1: Enhance the global consensus and relevance of existing and emerging life cycle methodologies and data management 2. Data, registries and modelling approaches for life cycle approaches 2a. Global database management network & training 2c. Database registry & format conversion 2b. Uncertainty 2d. Guidance on use of IO and hybrid data 3. Product sustainability information creating consensus and enhance LC based product sustainability information 3a. Product sustainability meta specification 3b. Knowledge mining

30 Strategy Operationalisation Organization Objective 2: Expand capability worldwide to apply and to improve life cycle approaches; making them operational for organisations 4. Capability Development & implementation Developing capability through training, support and professionalisation 4a. Global capability development 4b. LCM-CMM dissemination 4c. LCA professionals code of conduct 4d. Regional networks

31 Capacity building provides the foundation for mainstreaming LCT

32 UNEP project on Increasing Resource Efficiency in International Supply Chains Definition of target countries (not exclusive) Prioritization of LC topics Training-the- (local)trainers Replicate training in the regions Pilot cases Main donors: - the EC ENRTP programme - UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative

33 Objective 3: Communicate current life cycle knowledge and be the global voice of the Life Cycle community to influence and partner with stakeholders 5. Communication & stakeholder outreach Effective communication with all target groups and ongoing engagement with strategic partners and decision makers 5a. Communication strategy 5b. LC Platform: clearing house and social media 5c. LC Award scheme 5d. Multistakeholder roundtable(s) 5e. Partnership development

34 Pilot Projects Call for LCM proposals launched in May 2013 Companies interested in implementing a project adopting LCT Using the LCM Capability Maturity Model, companies can submit a proposal and receive technical assistance to implement a project over a 6-12 month period. Who can apply? Companies from target countries; companies being part of a well spread national or international value chains; companies with environmental or sustainability policy, and an interest in applying life cycle approaches to their business. UNEP offers coaching services to companies to undertake a self assessment and develop a proposal Deadline: mid August 2013

35 Stakeholders