Environmental Impact Category

LCA results present as impact data in several impact categories. There are about 15 impact categories (depending on the LCIA method), because, for example, climate impacts and water footprints can’t be compared directly (just like apples and pears). Different LCIA methods define different impact categories.

Here are the mandatory environmental impact categories included in EN 15804+A2 (adapted from EF 3.):   

• Global Warming Potential (GWP): This is now split into subcategories to provide more detail:
  GWP - Total (sum of the following three)
  GWP - Fossil (emissions from fossil sources)
  GWP - Biogenic (emissions and removals of biogenic carbon)
  GWP - Land Use and Land Use Change (LULUC)
  GWP-GHG (equal to GWP-total except that the characterisation factor for biogenic CO2 is set to zero)

• Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP)
  ‍
• Photochemical Ozone Formation Potential (POCP) (also known as "Smog Formation")
  ‍
• Acidification Potential (AP)
  ‍
• Eutrophication Potential (EP): This is also split into subcategories:
  Eutrophication - Aquatic Freshwater (EP-freshwater)
  Eutrophication - Aquatic Marine (EP-marine)
  Eutrophication – Terrestrial (EP-terrestial)
  ‍
• Abiotic Depletion Potential for Minerals and Metals (ADP-MM)
  ‍
• Abiotic Depletion Potential for Fossil Resources (ADP-F)
  ‍
• Water Use (WU, WDP)

In addition to these mandatory categories, EN 15804+A2 also includes several optional reporting categories  that provide further insights into human health and land use impacts:

• Particulate Matter Emissions
  ‍
• Ionizing Radiation, Human Health
  ‍
• Eco-Toxicity (freshwater)
  ‍
• Human Toxicity, Cancer Effects
  ‍
• Human Toxicity, Non-Cancer Effects
  ‍
• Land Use Related Impacts/Soil Quality
  

Beyond these environmental impact categories, EPDs compliant with EN 15804 also report on:

• Resource Use Indicators (e.g., use of renewable and non-renewable primary energy, secondary materials, freshwater, etc.)
  ‍
• Waste Categories (hazardous, non-hazardous, radioactive waste disposed)
  ‍
• Output Flows (components for reuse, materials for recycling, materials for energy recovery, exported energy)
  
  ‍