About AusLCI

The Australian National Life Cycle Inventory Database (AusLCI) is a major initiative currently being delivered by the Australian Life Cycle Assessment Society (ALCAS). The aim is to provide and maintain a national, publicly-accessible database with easy access to authoritative, comprehensive and transparent environmental information on a wide range of Australian products and services over their entire life cycle. It is an invaluable tool for those involved in environmental assessment and particularly life cycle assessment (LCA), as it provides consistent guidelines, principles and methodologies for the collection of life cycle inventory (LCI) data, along with protocols for LCA processes for different sectors.

The project brings together stakeholders from industry, government and academia to develop a methodology to standardise the interpretation of ISO 14040 in Australia. The LCI database will then enable suppliers to use LCA to reduce environmental impacts and to appropriately promote the environmental attributes of their products and services.

The initiative will deliver substantial benefits to manufacturers and retailers, who may be able use it to demonstrate product credentials and increase sales, provide enhanced disclosure to consumers and obtain market advantage for individual products over competitors.

The database will also provide a consistent source of information to support and provide benchmarks for eco-labelling, and underpin the development of LCA-based policy developments and design tools for buildings and infrastructure.

AusLCI will assist with:

• Setting metrics and processes for comparing the environmental impact of products and services.
• Levelling the playing field for LCA-based product comparison.
• Fostering innovation in design and manufacturing.
• Promoting education and consensus-building processes.
• Providing whole of life LCA processes that can integrate with existing environmental tools and applications.

It will enable industry to:

• Benchmark process and product performance against industry standards.
• Make informed decisions in driving process efficiencies, new purchases, furthering environmental goals and quantifying impacts.
• Proactively assess, mitigate and quantity the effort required to offset CO2 emissions.
• Demonstrate product credentials and increase sales.
• Provide enhanced disclosure to consumers and the ability to respond to public criticism of products.
• Obtain market advantage in the anticipated low impacts and carbon sequestering benefits for individual products over competitors.

It will enable governments to:

• Guide policy direction and promote sustainable practices within the Australian economy.
• Provide a strong platform for funding, education, policy-making and legislation.
• Assist in decision-making, such as analysis of investment or purchasing decisions.
• Provide enhanced educational resources.