Aligning Life Cycle Assessment methods and bio-based sectors for improved environmental performance

The ALIGNED project will deliver a modelling framework to assess and optimise the environmental and socio-economic performance of bio-based industries. ALIGNED will advance the scientific field of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) (moving from TRL2-3 to TRL5) and collaborate with industries and representatives from five bio-based sectors: construction, woodworking, textile, pulp and paper, and bio-chemicals.

The transition towards a sustainable economy is dependent on consistent and comparable environmental assessments of bio-based products. However, in practice today the methods to assess the impact of bio-based products give incomparable results, thus confusing decision-making. The models and tools developed in ALIGNED will allow to perform high-quality assessment studies across the bio-based sectors, with industrial relevance and interoperability. This is possible by the iterative application and improvement of the new and harmonised models and tools in six specific cases of bio-based industrial technologies (TRL 2-6).

The ALIGNED framework will allow accurately to model key aspects not covered in current practice: the competition for biomass and for land, dynamic and time-specific carbon accounting, and biodiversity and socio-economic impacts. ALIGNED will also develop future energy and resource scenarios derived from integrated assessment models, and a consistent approach to uncertainty assessment.

Key stakeholders in the five sectors will be continuously involved, by providing feedback in the early framework development and by sharing the learnings from its practical application. The professional engagement of stakeholders will secure industry relevance and acceptance delivering real impact.