Considering the entire life cycle of products is an important element of sustainable development. ESU-services offers a wide range of environmental consulting, services, data, software, expertise and review around the topic of life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental product declarations (EPD) and carbon footprints (CF, OCF, PCF).

Our focus is on the life cycle assessment methodology and its application in research, product development, product labelling, marketing and politics. The method is used to record and evaluate the environmental impact of products over their entire life cycle, from cradle to grave. In this way, we support our customers in reducing the environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions in the life cycle of the products they produce or consume.

Contact us for a quote if you would like to analyze, compare or publish the environmental impact of your products.

A holistic reduction of environmental impacts is necessary

Observed and two possible future trends in Swiss temperature from 1864-2099 as a deviation from the 1981-2010 average. The average temperature for each year is shown as a coloured strip (blue: colder, red: warmer than average). The values from 1864 to 2018 are based on measurements. The values for 2019 to 2099 show the temperature trend for two scenarios: 1) consistent climate protection (corresponds to the global 2°C target, bottom line), and 2) no climate protection (top line). For each scenario, we show only one of the simulations used in the CH2018 climate scenarios as an example. Other climate simulations provide slightly different trajectories. Visualization inspired by E. Hawkins and A. Radtke. (Source: Meteo Switzerland).

Offers for LCA consulting and case studies

ESU-offers LCA consulting aiming to reduce environmental impacts for various themes.

• LCA case studies according to ISO 14040 and 14044 on energy systems, biofuels, food, packaging, lifestyles, transport, electronics, materials, construction products, and many other sectors.
• Environmental product declarations (EPD), Product Environmental Profile (PEP), Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) verified by third parties
• Development of Product Category Rules (PCR, PEFCR) for EPDs.
• Balance of a company’s total emissions including the flow of goods like an organizational life cycle assessment (OLCA) – or corporate carbon footprint (CCF) according to GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard. This is used as a basis for ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) according to the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), other reporting initiatives, or climate target setting.
• Consulting on life cycle and supply chain management.
• Life cycle costing (LCC)
• Ecodesign of products, life cycle design
• Project management in ground-breaking life cycle assessment projects such as ecoinvent and the “Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Products”.
• Other assessment methods such as CO₂-balances (carbon footprint), water footprint, environmental footprint, energy analyses, ecological footprint, biodiversity footprint, or transport balances.
• Material and substance flow analyses (MFA and SFA).
• Environmental extended input-output analysis
• Development of life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods, e.g. method of ecological scarcity (environmental impact points).
• Expertise and Standardisation for life cycle assessment

Software offered for LCA calculations

• Sales of for the world’s leading LCA software SimaPro.
• Automation for LCA and EPD calculation and documentation
• Simplified web tools and Excel parameter models.

Education for environmental managers and the public

• Training and coaching for LCA software and application.
• Education and training, lectures
• Support for journalists
• Organization of workshops such as the life cycle assessment discussion forum and conferences (International LCA foods conference).

Life cycle inventory data

• Life cycle inventory analysis, e.g., for oil and gas products for third party databases like ecoinvent, KBOB or CarbonMinds.
• Sales of own and third party life cycle inventory data for various areas of interest (e.g. food production and consumption, energy systems, chemicals or social life cycle assessment).

Review, Verification and Validation for environmental assessments

• Critical review according to ISO 14040, 14044, 14067, and other standards.
• Verification of EPDs according to EN 15804
• Advice on the development of standards for life cycle assessment.
• Articles for scientific journals, review, editor for the Int J LCA.

Contact us directly for more information about our offers related to life cycle assessment and environmental consultancy or book a meeting with our experts.