Digital technologies for life cycle assessment: a review and integrated combination framework

PurposeCompanies need to enhance their understanding of the environmental impacts of their products and services. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has become a prevalent method for evaluating these impacts. Despite significant advancements in LCA methodology and data availability, several challenges persist. Digital technologies may offer solutions to these challenges in LCA. Therefore, it is crucial to explore how digital technologies can be integrated into LCAs.MethodsA systematic literature review was conducted to examine the application of digital technologies, specifically blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and artificial intelligence (AI), within LCAs. The review included 103 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers. Contributions of these technologies were categorized according to the four LCA phases outlined in ISO 14040/44 standards. The findings were synthesized into a framework that highlights the individual and combined potential of these technologies for enhancing LCAs.Results and discussionThe review reveals that IoT is primarily used in the inventory analysis phase, while blockchain, AI, and big data are applied across the goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation phases. Based on these findings, a comprehensive theoretical concept was developed to outline all possible combinations of these four technologies with LCA for synergistic application.ConclusionsThis study proposes a framework for integrating four key digital technologies-blockchain, IoT, big data, and AI-into LCAs to support environmental sustainability assessment from a company perspective. This framework offers a current overview and a foundation for future research. For LCA practitioners, it serves as a strategic tool for identifying potential technologies and making informed decisions about which digital technologies to apply in their assessments.