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Standards/ISO 14044
Current

ISO 14044:2006

Life Cycle Assessment

Requirements and guidelines

View at ISO.orgGap Analysis

ISO 14044:2006 specifies requirements and provides guidelines for life cycle assessment. It turns the ISO 14040 framework into an operational study contract covering goal and scope, inventory analysis, impact assessment, interpretation, reporting and critical review. It does not prescribe one universal database or impact method; those choices must fit the study goal and be reported transparently.

Key Requirements

  • 1
    State the intended application, reasons, audience and comparative-assertion intent
  • 2
    Define the functional unit, product system, boundaries, allocation and data quality
  • 3
    Collect, validate and relate inventory flows to the functional unit
  • 4
    Select impact categories, indicators and characterisation models
  • 5
    Interpret results through contribution, sensitivity and consistency checks
  • 6
    Report methods, assumptions, limitations and review findings

Key Benefits

  • A detailed operational contract for an LCA study
  • Stronger transparency and reproducibility
  • Explicit treatment of allocation and data quality
  • Robust interpretation and sensitivity checks
  • Clearer expectations for critical review and public comparisons

Related Standards

ISO 14040
ISO 14001
ISO 14006