“The green shoots of demand for product LCA solutions are just starting to poke through a muddy patch in the market.” -- Verdantix director, Rodolphe d’Arjuzon
According to the recent study, Smart Innovators Product LCA Software, a flood of new software in the product LCA category will help firms improve their environmental impact, with demand picking up in 2012.
As noted in a recent article on the topic, Verdantix expects demand to pick up in 2012 due to new regulations on Scope 3 emissions reporting, as well as a growing focus on green procurement and evidence of the business value of LCA projects.
Indeed, it is our view that Scope 3 emissions reporting will have a significant impact on demand for sustainability assessment and reporting tools, as well. As noted in a previous post on this topic, Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: Reporting on “Scope 3” Emissions at the Product-level and Across the Supply Chain, the ability to identify and reduce scope 3 emissions – in particular, those associated with measuring GHG emissions at the product level – will grow in importance as regulations begin to reflect Scope 3 reporting requirements.
In particular, proposed definitions for scope 3 emissions reporting relate to a number of product-specific categories, including: emissions occurring during the product use phase, emissions resulting from disposal of products at end of life, and emissions occurring during transportation and distribution of sold products.
It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”
So - do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.
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