Professor of Environmental Health Sciences
Life Cycle Assessment
6 Modules
36 Hours
6 hrs per module (approx.)
Rating
About Life Cycle Assessment
This course will introduce you to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA ) methodology, a tool to assess the environmental impact of products and systems over the whole product life cycle, from cradle to grave.
After a discussion of the potentials and limitations of quantitative LCA compared to other assessment tools, we will detail and practice each of the LCA phases. 1) The goals and system definition phase defines the goal and scope of the study, including the product function, functional unit, and the product system and its boundaries. 2) The Life Cycle Inventory phase quantifies the inventory of the various elementary flows of resource extractions and substance emissions crossing the system boundary, providing an overview of existing databases. 3) The life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) phase determines multiple environmental impacts damage and provides an overview of the existing LCIA methods 4) The interpretation phase analyses results from an LCA case study to provide recommendations towards more sustainable products.
Leading actions in several industrial sectors (agriculture and foods, automotive, personal care products, and energy) will be examined through relevant case studies in order to demonstrate how effective environmental life-cycle assessment leads to new product development.
Skills You'll Gain
- Case Study
- Environmental Science
- Full Life Cycle Implementation
- Life Cycle Assessment
- Life-Cycle Cost Analysis
What You'll Earn
- Certificate of Completion:
- Certificates of completion acknowledge knowledge acquired upon completion of a non-credit course or program.
Welcome Message
Welcome to Life Cycle Assessment, a course that introduces methods for evaluating the environmental and health impacts of products across their entire life cycle. Learners compare materials, processes, and trade-offs across sectors such as food, energy, transportation, and consumer goods to support more sustainable product and policy decisions. The course is part of the Healthy and Sustainable Foods and Products series.
This abbreviated syllabus description was created with the help of AI tools and reviewed by staff. The full syllabus is available to those who enroll in the course.
Course Schedule
Module 1: Product-Oriented environmental assessment: Introduction to LCA
- Video: Meet Your Instructors
- Video: Course Introduction
- Reading: Course Syllabus & Roadmap
- Reading: Pre-Course Survey
- Reading: Expected Timetable for Case Study
- Reading: How to use the $ sign in excel and how to find a value - File template for next two videos
- Video: How to use the $ in Excel: A Tutorial Activity (for those not very familiar with excel)
- Video: How to Find a Value in a List in Excel: A Tutorial Activity (for a more advanced use of excel)
- Reading: Week 1 Slides
- Video: Introduction to LCA - Part A - Why LCA?
- Video: Introduction to LCA - Part B - Uses of LCA
- Discussion Prompt: Products in Our Daily Life Activity
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check: Introduction to LCA
- Video: LCA From A to Z - Qualitative
- Video: LCA From A to Z - Quantitative
- Video: LCA From A to Z - Product Improvement
- Discussion Prompt: Minimizing Impacts of Shipping
- Reading: Introduction to LCA Illustrated Quiz
- Graded Assignment: Activity: LCA illustrated
- Video: A History of LCA Standards
- Video: LCA Compared to Other Environmental Tools- Part A
- Video: LCA compared to other environmental tools- Part B
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check: Introduction to LCA
- Graded Assignment: Week 1 Assessment
Module 2: LCA Goal Definition
- Reading: Week 2 Slides
- Video: Goal and Scope Definition - Part A
- Video: Goal and Scope Definition - Part B
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check: Goal and scope
- Video: Function & Functional Unit - Part A
- Video: Function & Functional Unit - Part B
- Video: Function & Functional Unit - Part C
- Reading: Directions for Activity: Functional unit and reference flows
- Graded Assignment: Activity: Functional unit and reference flows
- Reading: Activity: Hand Drying Comparison
- Discussion Prompt: Review Functional Unit
- Video: Building of Product System and Process Tree - Part A
- Video: Building of Product System and Process Tree Part B
- Video: Building of Product System and Process Tree Part C
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check Building the product system
- Video: Building of Product System: light bulb example
- Reading: Activity: Building the product system and process tree
- Discussion Prompt: Process Tree Review
- Video: System Boundaries - Part A
- Video: System Boundaries - Part B
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check System boundaries
- App Item: Process Trees
- Discussion Prompt: Car Process Tree Reflection
- Reading: Reminder: Case Study timeline
- Video: Case Study - Intermediary Presentation
- Reading: Case Study - Intermediary Presentation Model
- Reading: For car case study: Tesla data
Module 3: Life Cycle Inventory Part 1
- Reading: Week 3 Combined Slides
- Video: Life Cycle Inventory - Building the LCI Part A
- Video: Life Cycle Inventory - Building the LCI Part B
- Video: Life Cycle Inventory - Building the LCI Part C
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check Building the LCI
- Reading: Activity: Building the LCI
- Graded Assignment: Building the LCI
- Discussion Prompt: Review Building the LCI
- Video: Primary Energy and CO2 Emissions from Processes & Materials - Part A
- Video: Primary Energy and CO2 Emissions from Processes & Materials - Part B
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check: Primary Energy and CO2 Emissions
- Reading: Energy and CO2 balance Lighting template
- Video: Primary Energy and CO2 Balance - Part A
- Video: Primary Energy and CO2 Balance - Part B
- Video: Primary Energy and CO2 Balance - Part C
- Video: Primary Energy and CO2 Balance - Part D
- Reading: Energy and CO2 balance Lighting template (Filled)
- Discussion Prompt: Questions and Comments
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check: Primary Energy and CO2 Balance
- Reading: Activity: Primary Energy and CO2 Balance - Part A
- Discussion Prompt: Review Activity: Primary Energy and CO2 Balance
Module 4: Life Cycle Inventory Part 2
- Video: Life Cycle Inventory - Databases - Part A
- Video: Life Cycle Inventory - Databases - Part B
- Video: Life Cycle Inventory - Databases - Part C
- Video: Life Cycle Inventory - Databases - Part D
- Video: Full Life Cycle Inventory - Car Case Study Part A
- Video: Full Life Cycle Inventory - Car Case Study Part B
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check: LCI databases
- Discussion Prompt: Activity: Case Study Global LCA Data Reflection
- Reading: Activity: Car case study - Matrix calculation
- Discussion Prompt: Review Activity: Car case study - Matrix calculation
- Video: Life Cycle Inventory - Special Topics - Part A Allocation
- Video: Life Cycle Inventory - Special Topics - Part B Input-output
- Video: Life Cycle Inventory - Special Topics - Part C Input-output
- Reading: Week 4 Assessment Resource
- Graded Assignment: Case Study: CAR Phase 1 Quiz
- Graded Assignment: Case Study: Milk Alternatives Phase 1 Quiz
- Reading: Case Study - Intermediary Presentation
- Discussion Prompt: Case Study: Reflection
Module 5: Life Cycle Impact Assessment
- Video: Introduction to LCIA
- Ungraded Plugin: Almanac : The Dust Bowl
- Video: Overview of Environmental Impact Categories - Part A
- Video: Overview of Environmental Impact Categories - Part B
- Video: Principles and Framework - Part A
- Video: Principles and Framework - Part B
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check: LCIA principles and framework
- Video: LCIA in Practice- Part A
- Video: LCIA in Practice- Part B
- Video: LCIA in Practice- Part C
- Video: LCIA in Practice - Part D
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check LCIA car case study - Midpoint and damage
- Video: LCIA in Practice - Part E
- Video: LCIA in Practice- Part F
- Video: LCIA in Practice- Part G
- Video: LCIA in Practice- Part H
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check: LCIA car case study - Normalization and weighting
- Reading: Activity: Practice LCIA - Hands drying example
- Discussion Prompt: Review Activity: Practice LCIA - Hands drying
- Video: Overview of LCIA Methods- Part A
- Video: Overview of LCIA Methods - Part B
- Video: Overview of LCIA Methods - Part C
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check Overview of LCIA methods
- Discussion Prompt: Week 5 Takeaways
Module 6: LCA Interpretation
- Video: Interpretation Principles
- Video: Interpretation - PC Case Study - Part A
- Video: Interpretation - PC Case Study - Part B
- Video: Interpretation - PC Case Study - Part C
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check: Interpretation principles
- Video: Case Study - Final Presentation - week 5
- Reading: Case Study Final Presentation
- Video: Checks and uncertainty - Part A
- Video: Checks and uncertainty - Part B
- Video: Checks and uncertainty - Part C
- Video: Checks and uncertainties Part D
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check: Checks and uncertainties
- Video: Product Classification - Part A
- Video: Product Classification - Part B
- Video: Product Classification - Part C
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check: Product classification
- Reading: Activity: Positioning Products
- Video: Review of Case Study Intermediary Presentation (Repeat from Week 4)
- Graded Assignment: Case Study: CAR Phase 2 Quiz
- Graded Assignment: Case Study: MILK Phase 2 Quiz
- Discussion Prompt: Open LCA Results
- Video: LCA Summary - LCA good practices in one page
- Graded Assignment: Knowledge Check: LCA Synthesis
- Reading: Case Study: Abstract Models
- Reading: Post-Course Survey
Grading Policy
Learners must earn an overall grade of 80% and complete all graded items. The course grade is based on the module quizzes, worth 60%, and a case study peer review assignment, worth 40% of the final grade.
Course content developed by U-M faculty and managed by the university. Faculty titles and affiliations are updated periodically.
Intermediate Level
Some related experience required
