Abstract
The definition of goals and scope is the first step of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) applications. It is the initial planning activities, where it is defined from the objective and target audience, the product characteristics (function, functional unit and reference flow), to other relevant scope elements (system boundaries, data quality requirements, cut-off criteria, multifunctionality issues, etc). As this is the first phase of LCA, it is common for previous definitions of goals and scope to be changed during the LCA study. After all, knowledge about the product's life cycle increases as the other LCA phases progress. To facilitate the LCA planning process, this chapter covers a number of useful tools that can be employed, such as illustrative flowcharts and diagrams, and tables and matrices for organizing and prioritizing actions.
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Silva, D.A.L. (2021). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)—Definition of Goals and Scope. In: de Oliveira, J.A., Lopes Silva, D.A., Puglieri, F.N., Saavedra, Y.M.B. (eds) Life Cycle Engineering and Management of Products. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78044-9_3
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