Turning life cycle data into credible climate action

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As climate disclosure requirements accelerate and stakeholder expectations rise, high-level carbon estimates are no longer enough. Companies are being asked to substantiate their claims with defensible, decision-grade data.

In Greenplaces’ recent webinar, “Life cycle assessments: Building credible, transparent GHG reporting from the ground up,” Corinne Hanson, VP of Sustainability at Greenplaces, and Shamita Chaudhary, COO and Head of Methodology at ClimatePoint, explored how life cycle assessments, or LCAs, help organizations move beyond basic carbon accounting and into more strategic, value-driven impact management.

The session unpacked what LCAs are, how they align with leading frameworks, and how companies can use them to drive measurable decarbonization outcomes across Scopes 1, 2 and 3.

Impact measurement as a strategic tool

The discussion opened with a critical reframing: impact measurement is not simply a compliance exercise. It is a strategic business tool.

While many organizations begin their sustainability journey in response to regulatory pressure or customer requests, LCAs enable a deeper level of insight. By quantifying environmental impacts across a product or service’s full life cycle, companies gain clarity on where emissions occur, which activities drive the most impact, and where investments will deliver the greatest return.

That shift from reporting to strategy is increasingly important. Sustainability leaders are being asked to inform procurement decisions, product design, capital allocation and growth planning. Without granular data, those decisions rely on assumptions. LCAs replace assumptions with evidence.

What an LCA actually measures

At its core, a life cycle assessment is a systematic methodology for quantifying environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product or service’s life cycle. This includes:

• Cradle-to-gate, which covers raw material extraction through manufacturing

• Cradle-to-grave, which extends through product use and end-of-life

• Cradle-to-cradle, which incorporates circularity and reuse

LCAs are guided by internationally recognized standards, including ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. These standards define a consistent structure for goal and scope definition, inventory data collection, impact assessment and interpretation.

Importantly, LCAs go beyond a simple carbon footprint. While greenhouse gas emissions are central, LCAs can also account for additional environmental impact categories depending on the study’s objective. For many organizations, however, the most immediate application is strengthening greenhouse gas reporting and Scope 3 transparency.

How LCAs align with Scope 1, 2 and 3 accounting

One of the most common misconceptions addressed in the webinar is that LCAs replace corporate carbon accounting. In reality, they complement it.

Corporate inventories, structured under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, categorize emissions into:

• Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources

• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased energy

• Scope 3: Indirect value chain emissions, including purchased goods and services, capital goods, transportation, business travel and end-of-life treatment

Scope 3 categories already reflect life cycle thinking. However, they often rely heavily on spend-based estimates or industry averages. LCAs introduce deeper granularity within those categories.

For example, rather than estimating emissions from purchased goods based solely on dollars spent, an LCA can identify which specific materials, components or suppliers drive the most impact. That level of insight enables targeted supplier engagement and informed product redesign.

The speakers also touched on avoided emissions, sometimes referred to as Scope 4. These are emission reductions that occur because of a company’s products or services. For example, route optimization software that reduces fuel consumption or energy-efficient lighting that displaces higher-emitting alternatives. While not part of a company’s formal inventory under the GHG Protocol, these avoided emissions can strengthen impact narratives when calculated transparently.

Methodologies and data approaches

LCAs can be conducted using different data approaches, depending on data availability and organizational maturity.

An activity-based method relies on direct, granular measurements of business activities, such as kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed, gallons of diesel used or pounds of materials recycled. This approach typically produces higher accuracy but requires robust data systems.

A hybrid method combines primary activity data with high-quality secondary data from global databases. This is often the most practical path for companies seeking both rigor and scalability.

When primary data is unavailable, secondary estimation methods can fill gaps. These may include area-based estimates, average data or spend-based emission factors. However, overreliance on secondary data can limit precision and defensibility.

Throughout the webinar, the importance of methodological integrity was emphasized. Effective carbon accounting and LCAs adhere to core principles:

• Consistency in boundaries and methods over time

• Completeness in covering all relevant emission sources

• Transparency around assumptions and limitations

• Accuracy to reduce uncertainty

• Relevance to stakeholder decision-making needs

These principles are essential for audit readiness and credible disclosure.

The data challenge in LCAs

Despite their value, LCAs are often perceived as resource-intensive. The speakers acknowledged several common challenges:

• Fragmented data across suppliers and internal systems

• Limited access to primary supplier emissions data

• Heavy reliance on industry averages

• Manual data collection and calculation processes

• Difficulty maintaining audit trails

These challenges have historically slowed adoption, particularly for mid-market companies without large internal sustainability teams.

However, advancements in technology and data infrastructure are changing that equation.

From measurement to decarbonization

An LCA’s value extends beyond measurement. Its real power lies in identifying actionable decarbonization pathways.

By pinpointing emissions hotspots across a product’s life cycle, organizations can prioritize reduction strategies where they will have the greatest impact.

For Scopes 1 and 2, near-term strategies may include:

• Electrification of vehicles and equipment

• Building efficiency upgrades

• Power purchase agreements and renewable energy credits

• Onsite renewable installations

• Green leasing and certified building standards

Scope 3 reductions require deeper value chain collaboration. Strategies may include:

• Supplier engagement and data sharing initiatives

• Updated travel policies that encourage lower-carbon options

• Recycling and composting programs

• Flexible or hybrid work policies

• Data center energy optimization

• Portfolio shifts away from emissions-intensive investments

A decarbonization plan should align reduction actions with corporate goals, industry benchmarks and operational feasibility. LCAs provide the evidence base to support those decisions.

Aligning with frameworks and regulatory expectations

As reporting requirements evolve, alignment with recognized frameworks is critical.

LCAs can be aligned with the GHG Protocol’s Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard, ensuring consistency with corporate inventories. They also support disclosures under CDP and can inform Environmental Product Declarations, or EPDs, Product Carbon Footprints and evolving mechanisms such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

With 97 percent of disclosing S&P 500 companies reporting to CDP using the GHG Protocol, consistency across methodologies is increasingly important for comparability and investor confidence.

Regulators and assurance providers are placing greater scrutiny on underlying data quality. Organizations that embed LCA into their reporting processes are better positioned to meet these expectations.

How Greenplaces and ClimatePoint streamline LCA execution

A core focus of the webinar was demonstrating how Greenplaces and ClimatePoint reduce the operational burden of LCAs.

The partnership integrates streamlined data collection across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 with advanced LCA modeling capabilities. Key components include:

• Centralized data workflows to improve consistency and auditability

• Actionable insights that surface emissions hotspots and value chain risks

• Audit-ready emissions reports that strengthen disclosure credibility

• Supplier alignment tools that improve data accuracy and defensibility

The solution leverages AI to accelerate traditionally manual processes. Capabilities such as automated bill of materials mapping, deep research functions and data quality review modules help generate high-quality product LCAs in as little as one to two weeks, with minimal client lift.

Dynamic reporting features allow organizations to update LCAs as products evolve, ensuring sustainability insights keep pace with growth plans and sales projections.

This forward-looking approach is particularly valuable for companies launching new products, entering new markets or pursuing certifications that require product-level environmental data.

Business benefits beyond compliance

The speakers emphasized that LCAs are not just a reporting exercise. When embedded into corporate strategy, they deliver tangible business benefits.

These include:

• Stronger and more defensible Scope 3 disclosures

• Improved internal decision-making across procurement and product development

• Greater supply chain transparency

• Targeted decarbonization investments

• A strengthened sustainability narrative for customers and investors

In competitive markets, credible product-level impact data can differentiate offerings and build trust. As procurement teams increasingly require emissions transparency from vendors, companies with robust LCA data are better positioned to win business.

Key takeaways

The session concluded with several clear messages for sustainability leaders:

First, LCAs provide deeper insight into value chain emissions than high-level estimates alone. They help organizations understand not just how much they emit, but why.

Second, LCAs complement, rather than replace, corporate Scope 1, 2 and 3 accounting. Together, they create a more comprehensive emissions management system.

Third, data quality and scalability remain the biggest barriers to adoption. Leveraging standardized workflows and technology-enabled tools can significantly reduce these hurdles.

Finally, organizations that integrate LCA into their broader reporting and sustainability strategy are better equipped to demonstrate credible, defensible progress.

As regulatory scrutiny intensifies and stakeholder expectations continue to rise, embedding life cycle thinking into corporate decision-making is becoming a competitive necessity rather than a niche exercise.

For companies ready to move from measurement to meaningful impact, LCAs offer a clear path forward.

Dive deeper

Watch the full webinar replay to hear expert insights on turning life cycle data into credible climate action.