Development of the National LCA Database Roadmaps project ran from October 2018 until August 2019 as part of the Resource Efficiency through Application of Life Cycle Thinking (REAL) project.
In line with the overall goal of REAL – to integrate resource efficiency in global value through LCA – Development of the National LCA Database Roadmaps project aimed to support the development of LCA databases in Brazil, Ecuador, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Uganda, enhancing access to regionalized data, as well as improving data interoperability. At the center of the project activities, the national project teams established country-specific database roadmaps characterized by extensive stakeholder consultations and active engagement of key local actors.
To facilitate interregional discourse, the ecoinvent association led an International Working Group (IWG) comprising representatives from each participating country, the European Commission, and the UN Environment. The IWG also provided guidance and technical know-how for the national project teams. National Database Working Groups (NDWGs), established in each country after careful mapping of the national LCA communities and their stakeholders, engaged key actors in formulating the vision, goals, and priorities for the database roadmaps. After completion, the NDWG members are often expected to play a pivotal role in disseminating and implementing the roadmaps.
As a collaborative effort, the project successfully supported the participating countries in strategic planning and the identification/evaluation of technical solutions for developing their own national LCA databases. Additionally, the project partners were introduced to the concept of data interoperability according to the requirements for the Global LCA Data Access (GLAD) network.
The final roadmap reports and other information material from the project are published on the Technical Helpdesk for LCA Databases. At the same time, the Technical Helpdesk is strengthened with newly recruited experts and members from the countries that participated in the Roadmaps project.