Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TranSensus LCA (Towards a European-wide harmonised, transport specific LCA Approach)
Période du rapport: 2024-07-01 au 2025-06-30
TranSensus LCA aims to pave the way towards a commonly accepted and applied single LCA approach for zero-emission road transport. TranSensus LCA will consider the battery value chain, the full vehicle (passenger and commercial vehicles, for the latter including fuel cells technologies) as well as relevant mobility scenarios over the full life cycle (i.e. cradle to cradle). Eight objectives have been defined, directly addressing the scope of the call and along which the TranSensus LCA coordination and support measures are oriented:
• Conceptualise and demonstrate a single, European-wide real-data LCA approach for zero-emission road transport, ensuring consistency, robustness, transparency and confidentiality needs
• Harmonisation of methodologies, tools and datasets
• Elaborate an ontology and framework for a European-wide LCI database
• Conceptualise LCI data management and update along the life cycle and along the sup-ply chain
• Paving the way for LCA-based product and business development
• Consensus building across all stakeholders
• Defining and providing recommendations and guidelines for the fast uptake of a single LCA approach
• Identifying synergies and transfer potential towards non-road applications
The conceptualisation will build upon existing activities (national, European and interna-tional, see Table 1.1) accompanied by desktop research reviewing and analysing the SotA. Identification of needs and gaps as well as the actual development of the overall concept for a single transport-specific LCA will be obtained by subsequent, hierarchically organised ex-pert workshops with i) the core team of beneficiaries and associated partners, ii) the Adviso-ry Boards and iii) the wider stakeholder community. The feasibility of the proposed LCA approach will be evaluated on selected case studies, again first within the core team and af-ter-wards with members of the Advisory Boards. The experiences gained by these feasibility studies will be incorporated into the consensus-building process and made available to the wider stakeholder community.
The consensus-building process will be implemented through the Industry and Scientific Advisory Boards, the Consensus Liaison Group and by expert workshops and open consultations. The two Advisory Boards (AB) ensure a right balance between industry and academia while guaranteeing that industry along the transport value chain is the stakeholder group pushing the consensus building process. This will ensure that the TranSensus LCA approach will be implemented by industry later. The three boards will play essential roles in consensus building while relevant further stakeholders and experts will be invited to open workshops and to be addressed in the online consultations.
• Conceptualise and demonstrate a single, European-wide real-data LCA approach for zero-emission road transport, ensuring consistency, robustness, transparency and confidentiality needs
• Harmonisation of methodologies, tools and datasets
• Elaborate an ontology and framework for a European-wide LCI database
• Conceptualise LCI data management and update along the life cycle and along the sup-ply chain
• Paving the way for LCA-based product and business development
• Consensus building across all stakeholders
• Defining and providing recommendations and guidelines for the fast uptake of a single LCA approach
• Identifying synergies and transfer potential towards non-road applications
The conceptualisation will build upon existing activities (national, European and interna-tional, see Table 1.1) accompanied by desktop research reviewing and analysing the SotA. Identification of needs and gaps as well as the actual development of the overall concept for a single transport-specific LCA will be obtained by subsequent, hierarchically organised ex-pert workshops with i) the core team of beneficiaries and associated partners, ii) the Adviso-ry Boards and iii) the wider stakeholder community. The feasibility of the proposed LCA approach will be evaluated on selected case studies, again first within the core team and af-ter-wards with members of the Advisory Boards. The experiences gained by these feasibility studies will be incorporated into the consensus-building process and made available to the wider stakeholder community.
The consensus-building process will be implemented through the Industry and Scientific Advisory Boards, the Consensus Liaison Group and by expert workshops and open consultations. The two Advisory Boards (AB) ensure a right balance between industry and academia while guaranteeing that industry along the transport value chain is the stakeholder group pushing the consensus building process. This will ensure that the TranSensus LCA approach will be implemented by industry later. The three boards will play essential roles in consensus building while relevant further stakeholders and experts will be invited to open workshops and to be addressed in the online consultations.
The final 12 months of the project were focussing on the finalisation of the TranSensus LCA approach and the consensus building with all relevant stakeholders. Overall, a harmonised, commonly accepted LCA approach for the automotive sector has been achieved.
The methodology development followed a scientific and democratic process within WP2, adhering to the ISO 14040 LCA framework. The agreed methodology includes 144 specific requirements (59 mandatories) for E-LCA and 51 requirements for S-LCA (15 mandatories), covering all aspects from goal and scope to inventory, impact assessment, interpretation, and reporting. An annex provides additional guidance for LCA practitioners. The feasibility and applicability of the methodology have been tested and a dedicated deliverable has been published.
The consensus building took place mainly between the consortium and the Advisory boards. For the consensus building, feedback across three voting rounds were collected and analyzed, which involved more than 95 questions. The feedback highlighted areas requiring clarification, such as definitions of key concepts and the integration of social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) methodologies. A specific focus was placed on road testing the methodology, where real-world scenarios were evaluated to assess the practicality of the guidelines. This road testing provided critical insights into the applicability of the methodology by conducting 4 test cases (LDV BEV, HDV BEV, FCEV and S-LCA), leading to recommendations for methodological and editorial adjustments that ensure the guidelines meet the diverse needs of stakeholders. Overall, the validation and proof of practicability has demonstrated that the TranSensus LCA approach can meet its expectations and is ready to use. For the final consensus a Liaison Group with four representatives from member states has been established.
The final, harmonised TranSensus LCA approach were consolidated in a guideline in which also the findings of the road testing were taken up. In addition, prestandardisation efforts were made which included the development of communication materials in the form of a brochure, a presentation and a video availabel through the project's homepage. These dissemination materials summarised the scope and key findings of the guidelines.
All objectives have been met.
The methodology development followed a scientific and democratic process within WP2, adhering to the ISO 14040 LCA framework. The agreed methodology includes 144 specific requirements (59 mandatories) for E-LCA and 51 requirements for S-LCA (15 mandatories), covering all aspects from goal and scope to inventory, impact assessment, interpretation, and reporting. An annex provides additional guidance for LCA practitioners. The feasibility and applicability of the methodology have been tested and a dedicated deliverable has been published.
The consensus building took place mainly between the consortium and the Advisory boards. For the consensus building, feedback across three voting rounds were collected and analyzed, which involved more than 95 questions. The feedback highlighted areas requiring clarification, such as definitions of key concepts and the integration of social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) methodologies. A specific focus was placed on road testing the methodology, where real-world scenarios were evaluated to assess the practicality of the guidelines. This road testing provided critical insights into the applicability of the methodology by conducting 4 test cases (LDV BEV, HDV BEV, FCEV and S-LCA), leading to recommendations for methodological and editorial adjustments that ensure the guidelines meet the diverse needs of stakeholders. Overall, the validation and proof of practicability has demonstrated that the TranSensus LCA approach can meet its expectations and is ready to use. For the final consensus a Liaison Group with four representatives from member states has been established.
The final, harmonised TranSensus LCA approach were consolidated in a guideline in which also the findings of the road testing were taken up. In addition, prestandardisation efforts were made which included the development of communication materials in the form of a brochure, a presentation and a video availabel through the project's homepage. These dissemination materials summarised the scope and key findings of the guidelines.
All objectives have been met.
TranSenus LCA has developed a harmonsied framework for a single automotive LCA which is availabel as guideline aiming at LCA practitioners. Thi transport-specific LCA has been harmonised with a broad representative group of stakeholders paving the way for a wide-scale uptake of the TranSensus LCA approach. The commonly accepted framework allows the industry to provide information on the product sustainability in an objective and comparable way. Besides, benefits of sustainable and circular economy based solutions will become more evident through the TranSensus LCA approach. Thus, more zero-emission solutions will enter the market based on a LCA and CE-driven development.With this commonly accepted LCA approach, the industry is now able to perform a LCA already in the product development in an efficient way.
However, the TranSensus LCA guideliens are considered as living document needing continuos revisions and updates incorporating findings from other intiatives. It has been agreed upon, that the guidleines will be reviewed every year via the ERTRAC WG "Circularity & Competitiveness". It was also agree that dissemination and promotion of the guidelines will continue over the coming years on European and national level to ensure that they are considered in legislation and standardisation.
However, the TranSensus LCA guideliens are considered as living document needing continuos revisions and updates incorporating findings from other intiatives. It has been agreed upon, that the guidleines will be reviewed every year via the ERTRAC WG "Circularity & Competitiveness". It was also agree that dissemination and promotion of the guidelines will continue over the coming years on European and national level to ensure that they are considered in legislation and standardisation.