Ecology – Life Cycle Assessment
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Capturing CO2 and using it as an alternative carbon feedstock for chemicals, fuels and materials is a promising measure to address climate change and other environmental threats. The environmental benefits of CO2-based products, however, are not guaranteed: the CO2 capture and the activation of the inert CO2 molecule represent additional energy demands, and the integration of CO2 into products may lead to complex changes within the production and utilization chain. Thus, a comprehensive environmental assessment is needed to evaluate the environmental benefits of CO2 based products, and to credibly communicate them to future customers.
The aim of this project is to develop methods for such a comprehensive environmental assessment based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Life cycle assessment is a commonly accepted method for evaluating the environmental impacts of products. LCA takes into account the entire life cycle of a product, from the production of raw materials to the recycling or final disposal of wastes. The methods developed in this project are particularly suitable to (1) compare the environmental impacts of CO2-based products with those of already existing products, and (2) to determine the environmental impact reduction potential of introducing CO2-based products to the market.
This project is a part of the “enCO2re – enabling CO2 reuse” flagship program, which is funded by Climate-KIC. Learn more about enCO2re and Climate-KIC.