Elevate your technical expertise at our Pre-Conference Workshop through immersive, expert-led sessions. Designed to be interactive and engaging, these workshops are available

in both 1.5 and 3-hour durations, offering comprehensive explorations into cutting-edge topics, emerging issues, and the latest advancements in technology.

This is an invaluable opportunity to expand your knowledge and skillset, positioning yourself

at the forefront of your industry. Don’t miss out on this chance to enhance your

expertise and network with fellow professionals.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

Access to All Workshops + Recordings: $975

Individual 1.5-Hour Workshops: $275 each

Individual 3-Hour Workshop: $550

Introduction to Mass Balance Chain of Custody

Mass Balance chain of custody is a market-based mechanism that is integral to a myriad of large-scale systems including the circular economy, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy. This course will provide a basic overview of the five chain of custody systems defined in ISO 22095 with an in-depth focus on how mass balance chain of custody works. Advantages and challenges with mass balance chain of custody will be summarized.

The course will conclude with an overview of the needs for guidance to LCA practitioners on how to account for mass balance chain of custody in LCA and EPDs, and how ACLCA is responding to this need via a mass balance / chain of custody working group.

Speaker: Jason Pierce, Eastman

EEIO LCA Basics & Hybrid LCA

Increased pressures from the investors, clients, and regulators have increased the importance of corporate GHG reporting. In this context, Scope 3 emissions are particularly material and often estimated using economic-environmental input-output (EEIO) approaches and, less frequently, product LCAs. The purpose of this workshop is to help LCA practitioners leverage various LCA methods for efficacious and comprehensive estimation of Scope 3, category 1 for corporate GHG accounting.

The first part of the workshop will educate participants on basics of EEIO models and their underlying math. This enhanced understanding can help participants unlock variety of insights into the EEIO emission factors, including input contribution analysis and emission sources. Accordingly, these methods can help elucidate reduction opportunities in the supply chain and inform future corporate efforts to engage supply chain and increase the collection of primary data.

The second half of this workshop will cover a few examples on how to leverage EEIO methods in synergy with process-based LCAs and develop hybrid LCA methodologies to improve the resolution and specificity of Scope 3 accounting.
Participants should come to the session with their laptops. Access to Excel, Google Sheets, and Python (e.g. via Jupyther notebooks) is recommended to be able to follow the exercises.

Speaker: Milena Rangelov, Watershed Technologies

Flexible Multi-Database and Hybrid LCA with Antelope

Antelope is an LCA modeling and computation framework that enables a user to build flexible, modular models quickly and easily. Antelope was designed around the principle that product system models can be described precisely without including the data on which those models are based. The architecture is designed to break up the distinct computational tasks of LCA into different interfaces for easier management. The software enables a user to compute LCAs without installing any data on their computer.

In the course, I will demonstrate how to install the free version of the software in a python environment and use it to perform on-the-fly LCIA and contribution analysis from a variety of free LCI databases, particularly drawn from the US Federal LCA commons. During this phase, the course will demonstrate techniques for benchmarking LCI data and performing quality review of LCIA scores. The second phase will focus on model building. Enrollees will learn how to build modular models that utilize multiple independent data sources, generate graphical and tabular results, and run scenarios.

Speaker: Brandon Kuczenski, Scope 3 Consulting

Incorporating Environmental Justice into Early-Stage Research

This workshop is designed for researchers interested in deepening their understanding of the environmental justice (EJ) impacts associated with their work. Participants will come prepared with a technology or process that they are interested in evaluating and then collaboratively navigate the Justice Underpinning Science and Technology Research (JUST-R) process for evaluating qualitative EJ metrics (see doi: 10.1016/j.joule.2023.01.007). The workshop will blend a brief EJ overview presentation with case study demonstrations and interactive discussions to guide attendees through identifying and addressing potential injustices within their projects. By the end of the session, participants will be better equipped to engage with EJ concerns, mitigate adverse impacts, and contribute to a more just and sustainable future.

Speaker: Taylor Uekert, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Advanced Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) Data Development

With the development of large databases of LCI data, the need to develop data from scratch has greatly decreased. In some cases, however, the impact of a material or process dominates a system’s impacts so greatly that better data are required. When a single supplier provides that material or process, it is a straightforward (if not always easy) process to gather primary data. In other cases, however, such as agriculture, there is no one supplier or source for the data.

In this 1½ hour course, we will explore techniques and sources to use to more accurately model needed inventory. The course will focus on agriculture and electronics data as these areas have proven to be both important and difficult to model.

Speaker: Lise Laurin, EarthShift Global

When Good Enough is Perfect: Using LCA Data and Tools at the Appropriate Resolution to Make Sustainable Building Design Decisions at scale.

This brief course offers a comprehensive introduction to current Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools essential for evaluating the environmental impacts of major building system components throughout their life cycles. Participants will learn how architects choose among various LCA tools, such as Athena Impact Estimator, Tally, One Click LCA, and EC3, to make informed, sustainable design decisions. The course will cover the unique features and applications of these tools at different stages of building design, emphasizing their integration with Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflows and feedback capabilities.

Special focus will be given to Kaleidoscope, an innovative, user-friendly LCA-driven GWP foot-printing tool developed by Payette Architects, which streamlines the sustainability assessment process for building projects. Students will understand the importance of selecting the appropriate LCA tool based on project requirements, the realistic level of detail needed, and user familiarity with LCA methodologies. This course is ideal for architects, engineers, sustainability consultants, and other professionals looking to integrate LCA into their design workflows and contribute to sustainable building practices in a market-driven industry, or for those providing the source data that powers these tools to make better and faster decisions.

Speaker: John Cays, New Jersey Institute of Technology

LCA 101

Join our Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) 101 workshop, a comprehensive introduction to LCA. This 3-hour workshop provides a foundational overview, demystifying the principles and processes of LCA. Attendees will gain an understanding of how LCA is used to evaluate the environmental impacts of products or services throughout their entire life cycle—from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling. Ideal for beginners or those seeking a refresher, this session equips participants with the basic knowledge to start applying LCA in their work or studies, paving the way for informed decision-making towards sustainable practices

Speaker: Christoph Koffler, Sphera

Using Federal LCA Commons Resources to Submit Data to the USLCI

The Federal LCA Commons (FLCAC) centralizes free and public, U.S. life cycle inventory (LCI) data. The FLCAC is evolving to accept and store quality LCI datasets at scale while also adapting to become more interoperable and accessible. The USLCI database and other FLCAC repositories are now publishing according to, and being retro-fitted to align with, emerging FLCAC data guidelines. The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), in partnership with the USDA National Agricultural Library (NAL), has developed a comprehensive online USLCI data publication handbook and online support tools to help implement a streamlined, transparent, user-focused USLCI publication workflow. The handbook and support tools outline how to prepare your data for publication to the USLCI, including: data extractions, file export and conversions, metadata descriptors, nomenclature, categorization, and the representation of flows and processes. There are also detailed descriptions on how to use the openLCA software to prepare your data, and how NREL will support the publication of your work. The USLCI data handbook and support tools are fully aligned and compliant with the emerging FLCAC conventions and data guidelines.

The objectives of this course are to 1) update participants on the status of the FLCAC resources and how to navigate and obtain public data for use in their projects, and 2) to use online USLCI support resources to walk participants through formatting, submitting, and validating their data when publishing on the USLCI. The course will walk through the publication workflow from a local file to published dataset on lcacommons.gov using openLCA and the FLCAC Collaboration Server (a repository and version control software developed by USDA and GreenDelta). At the end of the course, participants will have a clear understanding of steps to prepare and publish LCI data on the USLCI, gain deeper insight into the Federal LCA Commons, and become aware of other developments in this space.

Speakers: Paige Weiler & Jake Nammovich, Eastern Research Group (ERG), in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Social LCA; Why, What, and How

We will begin the session with a concise overview of the need for conducting S-LCA caused by the growing demand for a deeper understanding of social impacts within the supply chain. Next, we will introduce the Social LCA methodology, which provides a comprehensive approach to evaluating the social impacts of products and services throughout their entire lifecycle. Our discussion will cover the UN guidelines for S-LCA and the methodological sheets. Furthermore, we will explore the practical application of a generic database, such as the Social Hotspots DataBase, for conducting S-LCA. Several case studies will be shared to illustrate real-world scenarios.
Additionally, we will delve into the Handbook for Product Social Impact Assessment, a framework developed by a consortium of companies under the guidance of PRé Sustainability. This framework enables the collection of primary data and the evaluation of positive and negative social impacts across the supply chain. Through case studies, we will demonstrate the practical implementation of this framework.
Furthermore, we will provide you with the latest updates on developing an ISO standard for S-LCA and the first SPD (social version of the EPD).
We will play the S-LCA game and tell you more about the way Social impacts are assessed as part of the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment by the EU. (Orienting project)

By the end of this workshop, you will:
• Gain a clear understanding of how to formulate a business case for conducting S-LCA (Why)
• Familiarize yourself with the fundamental concepts of S-LCA, including stakeholder categories and social impact considerations (What)
• Learn practical techniques for conducting S-LCAs at the product/service, company, and industry levels using the SHDB (How)
• Develop the skills to measure product-specific and company-wide social footprints, identifying social hotspots in the process (How)
• Comprehend the Product Social Impact Assessment framework (What)
• Comprehend the Social Impact Assessment method as integrated in the EU approach for Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (Orienting project)
• Explore different data sources and risk assessment methods relevant to S-LCA (How)

This workshop is designed for anyone interested in gaining an introduction to S-LCA, its methods, and applications, and learning how to conduct an S-LCA whether you are a professional, a researcher, or simply curious about socially sustainable practices, we welcome your participation.

Don't miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge and contribute to a more socially responsible future. Reserve your spot today!

Speaker: Monique Bennema, SustainMatters