Life Cycle Assessment
Practical insights from 2 re:build sessions on implementing life cycle assessment in regenerative villages.
Overview
Life Cycle Assessment is a fundamental component of regenerative village development. This guide synthesizes knowledge from re:build gatherings to provide practical insights for implementing life cycle assessment in community projects.
Key Insights
Greenhouse gas life cycles: The life cycle of greenhouse gases like methane is one of the most critical factors to consider in building and development. Methane, in particular, has a much shorter atmospheric lifetime than CO2 but is far more potent as a greenhouse gas.
Life cycle CO2 emissions: When assessing the carbon footprint of buildings, life cycle CO2 emissions primarily come down to two main categories:
- Recurrent embodied energy: The energy required to maintain, repair, and replace building components over time
- Operational energy: The energy consumed for heating, cooling, lighting, and other building operations throughout its lifetime
Understanding both components is essential for making informed decisions about materials, systems, and building design that minimize total environmental impact.
Implementation Guide
To implement life cycle assessment in your regenerative village project, consider the following approach:
Implementation details to be added.