Description
Life Cycle Assessment is a scientific methodology to assess the environmental impact of a product, system or service along its life-cycle. This starts with the extraction of raw materials; follows with the manufacturing, distribution and use stages; and ends with the treatment of waste or byproducts. All this information allows us to avoid transfer of burdens between life cycle stages, geographical regions or environmental impact categories. For example, reducing the amount of material to manufacture a product (i.e. a washing machine, a car or a wastewater treatment plant) while not increasing energy consumption during its use or consumption.nIn September 2012, from the 3rd to the 7th, the Laboratory of Environmental and Chemical Engineering (LEQUIA) and the Institute of the Environment of the University of Girona organized the 12th International Summer School for the Environment (ISSE) focused on “Life Cycle Assessment and Water issues”. It was framed within the European project Ecotech-Sudoe (www.ecotechsudoe.eu). Following the Lisbon Strategy, the research project Ecotech-Sudoe aims to merge sustainability and competitiveness. Ecotechnologies are powerful tools to achieve this, while providing the same level of service but with lower environmental and social impacts. They are based on emerging and promising research areas, such as social and environmental LCA (Life Cycle Analysis), ecodesign, and industrial and territorial ecology. nn