On 12 June 2026, the LCA4Bio project successfully held its 6th Co-Creation Workshop, bringing together stakeholders, researchers, and sustainability experts to explore recent developments in Prospective Life Cycle Assessment (pLCA) and the innovative tools being developed within the project. The online event provided participants with valuable insights into how future-oriented assessment methodologies can support the transition towards more sustainable and circular bio-based systems.
The workshop was opened by Lucia Garcia, LCA4Bio Project Coordinator, who welcomed attendees and provided an overview of the project’s objectives, achievements, and upcoming activities. She highlighted LCA4Bio’s mission to develop and validate harmonised, reliable, and applicable assessment methodologies capable of accurately evaluating the environmental impacts and circularity of bio-based systems while supporting future certification schemes and international trade opportunities.
Understanding the Role of Prospective LCA
The first technical session was led by Marcos D.B. Watanabe from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), who introduced the foundations of Prospective Life Cycle Assessment. His presentation explained why conventional LCA approaches are often insufficient when assessing emerging technologies and long-term sustainability pathways.
Participants learned how pLCA incorporates temporal dimensions into environmental assessments, allowing analysts to evaluate technologies that are still under development and to account for future changes in energy systems, industrial processes, and climate policies. The presentation demonstrated how future scenarios, technology upscaling, and projected background databases can be combined to create more consistent and robust sustainability assessments.
Several practical applications of pLCA were showcased, including studies on emerging bio-based technologies, the cement industry, and biofuel production. These examples illustrated how future changes in background systems can significantly influence environmental results, underlining the importance of integrating scenario-based modelling into life cycle assessments.
Advances in Prospective Impact Assessment
A key topic discussed during the workshop was the development of prospective Life Cycle Impact Assessment (pLCIA) methods. Current impact assessment approaches often rely on static characterisation factors, which may not adequately reflect future environmental conditions.
Recent research presented during the session highlighted the development of prospective characterisation factors for climate change based on Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs). These advances aim to improve the consistency, credibility, and scientific robustness of future-oriented environmental assessments by aligning impact assessment metrics with different climate and socio-economic scenarios.
Demonstrating the LCA4Bio pLCA Tool
The second technical session was delivered by Ruslan Zhuravchak, Research Software Engineer at NTNU, who introduced the pLCA tool currently being developed within the LCA4Bio project.
Designed to make prospective assessments more accessible to practitioners, the tool integrates prospective foreground inventories, projected background databases, and prospective impact assessment methods within a user-friendly environment. Participants were shown how the platform enables users to build and exchange inventories, perform prospective LCA calculations, visualise results, and compare different future scenarios.
The workshop also included a practical walkthrough of the platform, demonstrating its web-based interface and key functionalities. Attendees explored how different Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) scenarios and time horizons can be analysed through the tool, helping users better understand the environmental implications of future technological and policy developments.
Looking Ahead
The 6th Co-Creation Workshop represented another important milestone in LCA4Bio’s commitment to stakeholder engagement and collaborative methodology development. By sharing ongoing research and gathering feedback from the broader sustainability and LCA communities, the project continues to refine its methodologies and tools to ensure their practical applicability and scientific excellence.
As LCA4Bio enters the final phase of the project, upcoming activities will include dedicated training workshops and a final project webinar, providing further opportunities for stakeholders to engage with the project’s outcomes and contribute to the future of sustainability assessment in bio-based systems.
The LCA4Bio consortium would like to thank all participants for their valuable contributions and looks forward to welcoming the community to future events.
