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Communicating LCA findings to non-experts is often more challenging than running the assessment itself. Technical terminology, layered assumptions, and complex charts can overwhelm your audience quickly. The goal is not to “dump” data but to create clarity, confidence, and relevance — so people understand what the results mean and why they matter. When done well, LCA communication becomes a strategic asset. It helps businesses make better decisions, aligns teams around sustainability goals, and builds trust with customers and stakeholders.

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Why Communication Matters

LCA results are inherently complex: multiple impact categories, detailed assumptions, and sprawling supply chains. But decision-makers rarely need all of that detail. They need insight. Clear communication ensures that your work actually informs product choices, investment decisions, and sustainability strategies. Non-experts typically ask three questions:
  • What does this mean for us or our product?
  • What should we do next?
  • How certain are these findings?
Your communication should answer these directly — and in plain language.
Strong communication helps turn LCA results into actionable, data-driven sustainability insights instead of disconnected technical outputs.

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Strategies for Clear Communication

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1. Simplify Without Oversimplifying

Focus on 3–5 core insights rather than every data point. Highlight hotspots, trade-offs, and improvement opportunities. Avoid jargon unless you explain it.

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2. Use Relatable Metrics

Instead of abstract categories, translate results into familiar units:
  • “CO₂e per product”
  • “Water used per wash cycle”
  • “Equivalent to driving X km”
These analogies make impacts concrete and memorable.

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3. Visualize What Matters

Non-experts process visuals faster than tables. Use:
  • Bar charts to highlight hotspots
  • Sankey diagrams to show material or emission flows
  • Simple icons or color coding to break down product components
Avoid overly detailed charts; clarity beats complexity every time.

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4. Tell a Story

Frame your findings in a narrative arc:
  • The challenge: Why the assessment was needed
  • The insights: What you learned
  • The decisions: What can be improved
  • The impact: How this strengthens business or sustainability goals
Storytelling turns data into meaning.

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5. Adapt to Your Audience

Executives care about business implications.
Engineers care about technical trade-offs.
Marketing cares about consumer relevance. Adapt the language, charts, and level of detail to each group.
Before presenting, ask: “What is the single decision this audience needs to make?” Shape your message around that.

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Tools and Formats

Different audiences require different communication formats. Mix and match:

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• Dashboards for Interactive Exploration

Tools like the Sustainly LCA Dashboard help stakeholders explore hotspots and scenarios without digging through spreadsheets. Centralized sustainability data ensures consistent messaging across teams.

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• Infographics for Fast Understanding

Perfect for consumer-facing communication or high-level summaries. Icons, arrows, and simplified flows help non-experts understand product impacts in seconds.

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• Reports and Presentations

Best for clients, partners, or internal documentation. Follow a clean, narrative structure and include an appendix for technical details. This separates the “story” from the “raw data.”

Keep It Clear

Use visuals and plain language to highlight what matters most.

Keep It Honest

Include assumptions and uncertainty so stakeholders trust your results.

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Bringing It All Together: The Sustainly Approach

Sustainly’s transparent AI workflows support teams in turning LCA outputs into clear communication materials. By centralizing sustainability data, structuring assumptions, and generating easy-to-share summaries, teams can adapt the same results to different audiences — from product managers to customers. This makes sustainability communication collaborative, scalable, and accessible, even for non-experts.

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Final Thought

Your LCA is only as impactful as your ability to communicate it. With clear narratives, relatable metrics, and the right tools, your findings can inform smarter decisions, inspire action, and build stronger sustainability alignment across your entire organization.