LCA Links!

There are some really excellent special session proposals in process. Many of them are aimed at the policy theme of the conference, but others will address emerging issues such as quality validation, carbon footprinting and EPDs.

The rest of the conference will be determined by your abstracts. As always, your new ideas for research and implementation is what make this an exciting conference. Please submit abstracts through the account system: http://iere.org/account

Not a member, visit the Institute for Environmental Research and Education:http://www.iere.org/

LCA X will be held in Portland, Oregon, from 2 to 4 November 2010.  The SETAC North America Conference will be in Portland the following week.  The ACLCA is planning bridging events between the two conferences. Watch our website for details.

 The conference web site is at: http://lcacenter.org/LCAX/

Please direct questions and comments to: LCAX “at” LCAcenter.org

At this May 11th meeting, representatives of the French Government, US Government, UNEP and international retailers, and various industry experts will be in attendance.  

France plans to better inform the consumers about the carbon and environmental footprint of the products they buy. The goal is both to change the purchasing behaviours of consumers and to develop the producers eco-design approach. Key issues discussed and debated include: political ramifications, potential commerce barriers, and implementation hurdles.  

Speakers at this event include:  

Michèle Pappalardo, General Commissioner for Sustainable Development, France 

Pongvipa Lohsomboon, Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization, Thailand 

Rita Schenck, American Center for Life Cycle Assessment, USA 

Philippe Imbert, Retailer Group Casino (France) 

The common objective is that the consumer becomes a better informed and therefore more responsible player.

The American Center for Life Cycle Assessment is seeking regular abstracts and special session proposals for the the Life Cycle Assessment X Conference in Portland (2-4 November 2010).  The theme this year is “Bridging Science, Policy, and the Public” and the conference is open to all areas of Life Cycle thinking.

Regular abstracts are due by June 1st.  If you would like to organize a special session, note that the pre-proposal deadline has been extended to May 7th. 

The general conference website can be found here: http://lcacenter.org/LCAX

Guidance on abstract preparation is available here:

http://lcacenter.org/LCAX/abstract-how-to.pdf

Information on special sessions is available here:

http://lcacenter.org/LCAX/special-session-how-to.pdf

EurActiv, a private entity based in the UK that brings together institutional and non-institutional EU news alike, has published a comprehensive take on LCA activities in Western Europe.  Pronouncing:

“Assessing the environmental impact of products throughout their whole lifecycle - from raw material extraction to transport, consumption and final disposal – is being touted as the new mantra in environmental policymaking and sustainable business decision-making.”

The posting includes a summary on policy issues and activities in the public and private sectors that involve taking a life cycle approach.

Great reading here: http://www.euractiv.com/en/sustainability/global-life-cycle-economy/article-187768

In full disclosure, EurActiv has listed this site as a think tank among others.