AG1800 Life Cycle Assessment 7.5 credits

The course includes lectures and a group project. Lectures will cover the following areas:

• LCA in relation to other environmental systems analysis tools.
• Methodology for the different phases of an LCA (goal definition and scoping, inventory analysis, impact assessment and interpretation).
• Methodology for simplified LCA.
• LCA software tools and databases.
• Critical review of an LCA study.
• Application areas of LCA and limitations.

Groups of 2-4 students will perform projects in which an LCA is performed with the software SimaPro. Projects are presented in a report and at a seminar. Each group will also make a critical review of the LCA of another group.

After completing the course, you should be able to:

• Explain the overall purpose and principles of LCA.
• Discuss possible applications and limitiations of LCA.
• Describe the content and explain the purpose of the analytical steps of LCA.
• Carry out a complete LCA of a product or service system, including:

1. identify and delimit the system,
2. specify and handle allocation problems,
3. identify and use relevant data from LCA databases,
4. collect and use data from other sources,
5. choose characterisation method based on coverage and relevance to the intended application,
6. implement and use a computer model of the system in the LCA software SimaPro,
7. analyse, explain, and interpret model results.

• Write a report of the performed LCA, applying to the reporting guidelines and terminology as defined in the ISO standard for LCA.
• Make a critical review of another LCA.

Requirements for single course students:

• Completed documented upper secondary education including documented proficiency in English and
• 180 in Engineering, Planning, or Natural Sciences, including 15 univ cred (hp) in Environmental Sciences or equivalent.

Baumann, H, and Tillman, A.-M. (2004): The Hitch Hiker´s Guide to LCA. Studentlitteratur.

Recent scientific papers will be handed out at the start of the course.

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

• PRO3 - Project, 4.0 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
• PRO4 - Critical Review, 1.0 credits, grading scale: P, F
• TEN1 - Examination, 2.5 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

Written exam (TEN1, 2,5 hsp). Graded A/B/C/D/E/Fx/F.
Project report (PRO3, 4.0 hsp). Graded A/B/C/D/E/Fx/F.
Critical Review (PRO4, 1.0 hsp). Graded P/F
Final grade is weighted average of the written exam and the project report. 'Pass' grade on the critical review is required to receive a final grade.

Anna Björklund

• All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
• In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
• In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.