Introduction to ISO 14040
ISO 14040 is a set of international standards that provides rules and concepts for doing life cycle assessments (LCAs) on products and services. ISO 14040, published in 1997, provides a framework for analyzing the environmental features and potential impacts of a product or service over its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal.
ISO 14040 Test Procedure
| System Boundary Setting | The scope of the evaluation is set by establishing system boundaries and clearly defining the life cycle stages, which include raw material extraction, production, use, and disposal phases. The LCA’s purpose and intended applications determine its exclusions and inclusions. The functional unit is defined as the quantifiable performance or function of the product or service, which helps to normalize data and compare different alternatives based on functional output rather than absolute amounts. |
| Life Cycle Impact Assessment | The LCA prioritizes environmental impact categories like climate change, resource depletion, and ecosystem toxicity based on scientific relevance and stakeholder interest. Quantitative values are assigned to inventory data within these categories, normalized for comparison, and weighted for societal values. Results are interpreted considering environmental hotspots and trade-offs, and findings are communicated transparently, addressing uncertainties and assumptions made throughout the assessment. |
ISO 14040 Test Results
It provides a framework and standards for conducting life cycle assessments (LCAs) on products and services to assess their environmental impact. The standard series, which includes ISO 14040, establishes principles and techniques for evaluating the many stages of a product or service’s life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal.
Other tests related to ISO 14040
ISO 14040 provides guidelines for environmental management life cycle assessments (LCAs), with related standards addressing specific aspects of environmental performance or management, including ISO 14041: Environmental management—life cycle assessment—goal and scope definition and inventory analysis; ISO 14042: Environmental management—life cycle assessment—life cycle impact assessment; and ISO 14043: Environmental management—life cycle assessment—life cycle interpretation.
