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Introduction
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a useful tool to evaluate the environmental
aspects and potential impacts associated with a product throughout its
life span (from cradle to grave). Although the ISO-14040 series has been
advanced as a framework for an internationally standardized LCA application
method, it still leaves the selection of important parameters to the individual
LCA practitioner. There needs to be facilitating of ongoing exchange of
opinions, discussions of how to increase application of LCA in industries,
and dissemination of appropriate LCA application methodologies in order
to increase understanding of LCA. This is particularly important within
the APEC region, where industries rely on each other, i.e. export and import
resources, materials and products.
However the status of LCA development in the Asia Pacific region was not
well publicized. In an effort to gain an insight into the status of LCA
activities in the region, the United Nations Environment Programmme (UNEP),
the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the New Energy Development
Organization (NEDO) and the Japanese Agency for Industrial Science and
Technology (AIST) successfully organized a two-day symposium on Life Cycle
Assessment for Asia Pacific region on November 24 and 25 1998 in Tsukuba
Research Center, Japan, and National Institute for Resources and Environment
(NIRE) supported as the secretariat. The report was published in the AIST's
web site, in which it was strongly suggested that we must hold the workshop
or symposium continuously to establish the researcher's nettwork in the
region.
The second symposium concerning the LCA activity in the region, The APEC/AIST
Symposium "LCA APEC member economies" was held on November 1-2,
2000, in the International Conference Center "EPOCHAL", Tsukuba,
Japan, supported by APEC, AIST and NEDO. AIST assisted in the capacity
of secretariat,too.
The aim of the symposium was :
- to exchange information of current LCA activities and to discuss how
to establish an LCA network in APEC member economies.
- to present LCA case studies for basic materials and energy production
in APEC member economies.
- to discuss how to develop public database for Life Cycle Inventory Analysis
and Life Cycle Impact Assessment methodologies that are applicable in APEC
member economies.
In the symposium, researches and industrial activities related to LCA were
summarized as the country reports. And then, the case studies for basic
materials and energy production in APEC member economies were presented
from some countries. It will be expected to promote more in these countries,
because they are the fundamental data to conduct LCA. In addition, the
way of the future collaboration to develop public database for Life Cycle
Inventory analysis and Life Cycle Impact Assessment methodology that are
applicable in APEC member economies will be discussed. The symposium expected
to activate international cooperation on LCA and to disseminate appropriate
LCA applications in APEC member economies.
The 3rd workshop entitled; "Gateway to Life Cycle Impact Assessment
for APEC Member Economies"was held in November, 2002 in Tsukuba again.
The aim was to bring APEC members together to report on and discuss the
priority environmental issues for different APEC economies and to examine
how the state of the art impact assessment models relate to these priorities.
The APEC region contains many unique environments that are substantially
different from the European environment where many of the current impact
assessment models and research have been developed. In addition to the
LCA experts from across APEC countries, key LCIA specialists from Europe
attended the workshop to offer input regarding possible future directions
in LCIA.
Participants from APEC region presented the environmental issues which
were paid attention in their countries. This report reviews the current
regional development of LCA and LCIA in the APEC member economies.
Environmental impacts in the region vary from country to country but it
is clear that land and water issues are generally important but are currently
poorly modeled in LCA.
There are some convergence between endpoint and midpoint impact modeling
and there is potential to adapt much of what has been done in Europe for
countries in the APEC region, possibly based on environmental archetypes
rather than strict geographical areas. Resources are needed to further
this work, however, there is a substantial network of people willing to
assist and promote the development of an LCIA methods for the region.
The 4th AIST workshop on LCA for APEC Member Economies-Capacity Building
in the Region- was organized in Tsukuba in October 2004. Past 3 workshops
examined overall LCA development in APEC countries, the development of
Inventory data especially for basic materials and energy production, and
impact assessment methods in the region respectively. The aim is capacity
building which means that after learning LCA practitioners and stakeholders
from the APEC region are expected to discuss how they will be able to expand
their capacity in own countries and collaborate each other towards the
same target. The APEC regions countries has unique environments that are
substantially different from the European environment. This workshop will
bring APEC members together to report on and discuss the priority environmental
issues for different APEC economies and to examine how the capacity related
to LCA build in the region.
The latest workshop at Bangkok, Thailand in Decmber, 2005 "Capacity
Building on Life Cycle Assessment in APEC Economies" was organized
by MTEC and Research Center for Life Cycle Assessment. This workshop was
prepared by Dr.Pomthong Malakul of MTEC in Thai side. Thailand's high level
of awareness and concern about LCA requires importance of cooperation between
APEC economies to establish further LCA development. This workshop is a
good opportunity for practitioners and users of LCA to strengthen knowledge
and networks.
5th AIST workshop in conjunction with 7th International Conference on EcoBalance
was held on 14-15 November 2006 in Tsukuba. Now Draft Report is updated.
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