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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 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 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 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 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 2: Outputs Report: Bio-based and Upcoming Materials

This report presents a glossary of key terms alongside four case studies that examine the challenges associated with applying LCA in biobased and emerging systems. The glossary clarifies terminology commonly used in biobased and circular contexts, while the case studies (biofuels, circular materials, construction, and novel biomaterials) illustrate methodological issues including the treatment and storage of biogenic carbon, the modelling of circularity, and approaches to allocation and avoided impacts.

Lead Authors Professor Marcelle McManus, Dr Lewis McDonald, Haniyeh Hajatnia, Gandhari Nawalage, Dr Rosa M. Cuéllar-Franca, Dr Piya Gosalvitr, Rebecca Dunn
2026 View PDF — Working Group 2: Outputs Report: Bio-based and Upcoming Materials
PDF Outputs

Working Group 1 & 3: Application of LCA Data and Methodology in Policy Making and Regulation: Cross-Cutting Challenges and Research Priorities

If LCA is to be further embraced in policy making and (pre) regulatory developments to promote improved environmental outcomes, then there are several challenges that exist regarding LCA data and methodology. This summary outlines the key challenges, explains the stakes for the UK, and identifies 4 priority areas for research and action.

Lead Authors Working Groups 1 & 3
2026 View PDF — Working Group 1 & 3: Application of LCA Data and Methodology in Policy Making and Regulation: Cross-Cutting Challenges and Research Priorities