IEA-AMF publishes report to improve the understanding of the concept of life cycle analysis of transportation fuels
Thu 23 May 2013
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A new report by the International Energy Agency Implementing Agreement on Advanced Motor Fuels (IEA-AMF) aims to improve the understanding of the concept of life cycle analysis (LCA) of transportation fuels. It provides guidance to governments considering LCA-based policies and to people who are affected by existing policies or those being developed. With the 2007 announcement of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the first major fuel carbon intensity regulation in the world, life cycle analysis moved from being a tool used for research to one used for regulation. Other jurisdictions have since followed California’s lead.
The IEA-AMF report says that since the California regulations were announced, the role of LCA in both policy and regulation has increased dramatically. Despite this, LCA is still far from being widely understood, even among those who are affected by it. Further compounding what is already a complex subject is the fact that LCA does not follow a standardized procedure. Though an ISO standard exists for LCA (under ISO 14000 Environmental Management Standards), it only provides general guidelines, so different models and methodologies are used in
different jurisdictions to perform the analyses which form the foundations of these regulations.
The International Energy Agency Implementing Agreement on Advanced Motor Fuels (IEA-AMF) has recently discussed the need to further its involvement in life cycle analysis (LCA) of various technological options for transportation fuels and technologies. The IEA-AMF believes it can play a role in integrating and disseminating fact based information on LCA as it relates to various transportation technology pathways.
The report takes a three-tiered approach to its analysis. It aims to:
1. Provide a general overview of Life Cycle Analysis principles (ISO methodologies, multiple approaches, etc.).
2. Characterise transportation fuels LCA specific sensitivities (such as scope and system boundaries, data sources, geo-physical differences, etc.).
3. Where appropriate and feasible put sensitivities into context using specific examples.
Participants in the report include the United States, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan, Sweden, France, Norway, Switzerland and Thailand.
A related report was published in April, developed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) based method to calculate the environmental performance of a product. The Commission is promoting the voluntary application of PEF in policies and by private actors, including companies.
The LowCVP's 2013 Annual Conference 2013 - 'Beyond the Tailpipe' - on July 11 will pick up on many of the themes included in the IEA-AMF report.
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