EcoBalance is one of the most significant life cycle analysis (LCA) expert gatherings. This year, it took place in Sendai, Japan, with more than 650 LCA experts exchanging ideas and discussing innovations to foster sustainable development practices. Among the recognitions awarded, the EcoBalance Best Business Practice award highlighted the integration of life cycle thinking and climate resilience in infrastructure projects.

The Importance of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Climate Resilience

This award underscores the necessity of incorporating Life Cycle Assessment and climate resilience into infrastructure planning and implementation. LCA allows engineers to compare the carbon footprints of different design options, offering a comprehensive methodology to evaluate environmental impacts across the lifecycle of infrastructure projects such as roads and railways.

How does LCA work in linear infrastructure?

LCA evaluates the environmental impacts of infrastructure across five key phases:

• Production phase: Assesses the environmental effects of obtaining materials for construction, including raw material extraction, their transportation, to product manufacturing.
• Transportation phase: Evaluates impacts of supplying materials to the construction site
• Construction phase: Evaluates impacts from construction activities and equipment use
• Use phase: Analyses long-term maintenance and effects during the infrastructure’s operational life
• End-of-life phase: Examines impacts of decommissioning, recycling, or repurposing

LCA supports sustainable decision-making by:

• Assessing the base design to identify areas for improvement.
• Benchmarking alternative solutions with a focus on reducing major impacts.
• Comparing designs based on key performance indicators.
• Deciding the most sustainable solution to meet global objectives.

What is climate resilience?

Climate resilience ensures that transportation systems like roads and railways can withstand and maintain performance under extreme climatic conditions. Key aspects include:

• Flood-resilient structures: Designing infrastructure to withstand statistically probable flood events.
• Heat-resistant materials: Using materials that can endure extreme heat waves and minimise structural damage.
• Flexible design: Ensuring adaptability to future climate scenarios and facilitating upgrades.

A unified resilience risk score can be achieved by:

• Climate screening to evaluate and map exposures such as heat, floods, and freeze-thaw cycles.
• Infrastructure vulnerability analysis to assess surface conditions and traffic impacts.
• Identifying social and economic impacts of climate change on nearby communities.

Why Combine LCA and Climate Resilience?

Employing both methodologies can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of infrastructure projects, achieving up to 50% carbon reductions while improving cost-efficiency and long-term sustainability. Thinking long-term is essential to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of climate change on infrastructure longevity.