> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.sustainly.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Environmental impact 

> See what environmental impacts LCAs measure: effects on nature, human health, and resources. Learn how EF 3.1 and ReCiPe make results clear and actionable.

## What LCA Methods Measure

* **Nature:** how production and use affect ecosystems.
* **Human health:** potential harm to people across the life cycle.
* **Resources:** pressure on material and energy availability.

## **Common Reporting Methods**

* **EF 3.1 (Environmental Footprint):** an EU method used for European EPDs and PEFs. It assesses \*\*16 indicators \*\*spanning climate, human health, and nature; results include **normalisation and weighting** to help contextualise them.
* **ReCiPe:** widely used in academic work. It expresses results through three clear **endpoints**: **damage to human health**, **damage to ecosystems**, and **damage to resource availability**.

## Making Results Tangible

Impact categories can feel abstract. ReCiPe’s endpoints make them concrete—showing, for example, **how many species are lost** or **how many years of human life are lost** when producing a product. That framing helps teams understand what the numbers actually mean.

## Key Takeaways 📌

* LCAs go **beyond CO₂e**; they aggregate evidence across **nature**, **human health**, and **resources**.
* **EF 3.1** = 16 indicators (with normalisation/weighting) used in EU contexts.
* **ReCiPe** = three endpoints that turn complex results into **understandable** outcomes.