Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Professional Training Course - Birmingham

Get ready to dive deep into Life Cycle Assessment and boost your sustainability skills with this hands-on training

Decerna has been performing LCA studies for over a decade, this training course will provide an introduction to LCA and OpenLCA.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has become an essential methodology for organisations working toward sustainability targets and regulatory compliance. This comprehensive one-day course provides both the theoretical foundations and practical software skills necessary to undertake LCA. Delegates will leave with an understanding of LCA, and will, under instruction, build their first basic LCA model.

With growing requirements for carbon footprint calculation, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), and CBAM compliance, practical LCA capabilities are now fundamental for product development, supply chain management, and corporate sustainability reporting.

Course Content

Morning Session: LCA Methodology and Applications

• Fundamentals of Life Cycle Assessment: Core concepts, scope boundaries, and methodological approaches
• ISO Standards Framework: Detailed coverage of ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 requirements
• Life Cycle Inventory Analysis: Data collection strategies and quality assessment
• Background data: Overview of existing databases for background data
• Impact Assessment Methods: Overview of environmental impact categories
• Electricity Grid Impacts: Carbon intensity calculations and implications for renewable energy
• Uncertainty Analysis: Pedigree matrices and how to use them

Afternoon Session: Hands-on openLCA Software Training

• openLCA Software Introduction: Interface navigation and core functionality
• Database Management: Working with LCI databases
• Process Modelling Techniques: Creating a basic model within the class, with the completed version available to download post-session.
• Basic Use of Parameters: Allowing for the automation of models
• Impact Calculation Methods: Applying ReCiPe, CML, ILCD and other assessment methodologies
• Scenario Analysis: Comparing alternatives and process variations
• Results Interpretation: Identifying hotspots and improvement opportunities

Professional Applications

Participants will develop skills which are applicable to help in a diverse range of sustainability initiatives:

• Product Environmental Footprinting: Cradle-to-grave and cradle-to-cradle assessments
• Regulatory Compliance: CBAM reporting, EPDs, and PEF/OEF requirements
• Supply Chain Assessment: Scope 3 emissions calculation and supplier evaluation
• Eco-Design Implementation: Product development optimisation and material selection
• Environmental Claims Verification: Preventing greenwashing with data-driven substantiation
• Circular Economy Evaluation: Recycling, reuse, and end-of-life scenario modelling

Why Choose Decerna?

Founded in 2008 as a department of the National Renewable Energy Centre, Decerna became an independent company in 2012, bringing practical knowledge from over 15 years of LCA projects. Our specialists combine deep technical expertise with industry-specific insights, enabling you to develop actionable sustainability strategies grounded in robust life cycle thinking.

Our training approach focuses on building lasting in-house capabilities that enable continued application of LCA methodologies within your organisation.

Why do we use openLCA in our training?

openLCA is the LCA/S-LCA tool of choice for Decerna. It is transparent and adaptable, and also the tool used for the US Government’s LCA Commons and the suggested approach for 45Q Tax Credits. openLCA enables us to conduct clear and auditable LCA’s, ranging from basic assessments to verified EPDs and large-scale, complex models for the due diligence assessment of carbon capture and utilisation systems. Since 2015, we have utilised openLCA for all LCA-related tasks within the team, ranging from commercial work to major European research projects, such as MAGNIFICENT and REALM. With the addition of openLCA Collaboration Server, we can create detailed models that can be collaboratively worked on by partners across the globe, with detailed, transparent version control, backups, and ensure models are available for clients for many years into the future.

Decerna is the official UK partner for GreenDelta, the makers of openLCA.

Course Details

Includes:

• Comprehensive course materials
• Training certificate
• Tea/coffee and lunch provided
• 30 days post-course technical support

Equipment Requirements:

• Participants should bring laptops (Windows or Mac)
• Pre-installation instructions for openLCA software will be provided prior to the course