Discover the latest expertise on LCA in policy and regulation.

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Resources

Our Working Groups and Special Interest Groups produce a range of outputs, including white papers, presentations, briefing notes, and policy updates. These resources are available to download below.

PDF Outputs

Working Group 3: An Initial Review and Classification of Existing LCA Methodologies

This deliverable provides an initial comprehensive review and structured classification of existing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies. Given the extensive diversity of methodologies, this review systematically clarifies common standards, frameworks, and their sectoral relevance, focusing on recognised international standards such as ISO 14040/44, ISO 14067, and ISO 14025. This deliverable aims to support informed methodological choices, enhance the clarity of LCA practices, and identify critical methodological aspects essential for robust sustainability assessments across diverse sectors.

Lead Authors You Wu
Contributing Authors Nick Coleman, Stuart Coles
2026 View PDF — Working Group 3: An Initial Review and Classification of Existing LCA Methodologies
PDF Outputs

Working Group 4: LCA Accreditations: International Practices

The purpose of this report is to consider international best practice that could give policymakers greater confidence in using LCA to inform and evaluate policy, in order to test the above hypotheses. Specifically, it is focussed on discovering current practices around certification of LCA and LCA practitioners for regulatory science.

Lead Authors Alberto Iranzo, Keith James, Sarah Gray
Organisation WRAP
2026 View PDF — Working Group 4: LCA Accreditations: International Practices
PDF Outputs

Working Group 4: Practice & Accreditation, Executive Summary

Working Group 4 recommends that formalisation of accreditation for LCA practitioners would give industry and policy makers confidence in their abilities and a guarantee of ethical conduct. This need will become more urgent as the weight of legislation prompted by environmental policies requires an increasing number of active professionals both undertaking LCA’s and verifying them.

Lead Authors Working Group 4
2026 View PDF — Working Group 4: Practice & Accreditation, Executive Summary
PDF Outputs

Working Group 5: Examining the UK Skills Gap in Life Cycle Assessment

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a vital tool for understanding the environmental impacts of products, services, and policy options across industry and the public sector. While its use is expanding, driven in part by regulatory requirements, the UK faces a fragmented LCA education and training landscape.

Lead Authors Ben Purvis
Contributing Authors Rachael Rothman, Gavin Bunting, Sophie Cozien-Cazuc, Mauro Alejandro Cruz Mercado, Parnian Doostdar, Philippa Oldham, Andy Rees, Christopher Smith
2026 View PDF — Working Group 5: Examining the UK Skills Gap in Life Cycle Assessment
PDF Outputs

Working Group 5: Bridging the UK Skills Gap in Life Cycle Assessment

This report outlines three broad categories of training and education available in the UK for LCA skills: Higher Education, Short Courses, and Self-Directed Training. Following this, a series of recommendations for policy makers, industrial actors, and the wider LCA community are presented.

Lead Authors Ben Purvis
Contributing Authors Rachael Rothman, Gavin Bunting, Sophie Cozien-Cazuc, Mauro Alejandro Cruz Mercado, Parnian Doostdar, Philippa Oldham, Andy Rees, Christopher Smith
2026 View PDF — Working Group 5: Bridging the UK Skills Gap in Life Cycle Assessment
PDF Outputs

Network: Life Cycle Assessment & Regulatory Science

This report aims to introduce Life Cycle Assessment and to clarify the definition of Regulatory Science, then to provide examples of current use of Life Cycle Assessment in Regulatory Science, to consider cases in which the method offers opportunities in future Regulatory Science, and to suggest cases where the use of Life Cycle Assessment may not be offer benefits.

Lead Authors Stuart Walker
Contributing Authors Rachael Rothman
2026 View PDF — Network: Life Cycle Assessment & Regulatory Science
Presentation Showcase at The Shard

Keynote from Arun Rao

Arun's presentation provides a summary of the GLA’s whole lifecycle carbon policy which has been applied through Policy SI2 of the London Plan since its adoption in 2021. Discover the mechanisms in planning policy through which the policy is applied, the broader aims and methodology, outcomes from the policy so far, industry reaction and response, and potential next steps.

Lead Authors Arun Rao, Principal Policy Officer, GLA
Organisation The Greater London Authority (GLA) Whole Lifecycle Carbon Policy
2026 View Presentation — Keynote from Arun Rao
Presentation Showcase at The Shard

Keynote from Camilla de Ste Croix

Camilla presented emerging findings from DESNZ's recent consultation and from a DESNZ-commissioned research project on LCA data quality. Please note: this presentation serves as an introduction to the consultation when it was published last summer. Updated materials will be shared once DESNZ has been able to publish the response and the research project.

Lead Authors Camilla de Ste Croix, Head of Embodied Emissions Reporting, DESNZ
Organisation Growing the Market for Low Carbon Products
2026 View Presentation — Keynote from Camilla de Ste Croix