> ## 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.

#  LCA Databases

> Understand what LCA data really is and why databases matter. Learn the difference between Ecoinvent and the EU’s European Footprint database, and how each supports credible sustainability insights.

## What LCA Data Really Is

* Datasets are built from **measured elementary flows**: what a process takes from nature and what it emits back.
* New LCA data is **not scraped** from the web and **not generated** by machine learning. It rests on measured reality.

## Why Databases Feel Complex

* Large databases stack up like a **pyramid of processes**. A product sits on top of many upstream steps: materials, energy, transport, equipment, and more. You do not need to master the whole pyramid to use it, but it explains why there are only a few general databases.

## Ecoinvent

* **Proprietary** database founded by Swiss research institutions and maintained by the Ecoinvent Association.
* Known for **transparency in the data hierarchy**, which lets specialists **modify datasets** to reflect real conditions.
* **Geography matters**. Datasets often use a region’s **electricity mix**. If your process uses a different power source, impacts can shift, so practitioners sometimes **replace parts of a dataset** when they have better data.
* This level of editing is **not possible** with aggregated databases.

## European Footprint Database

* Created by the **EU** to make LCA data **freely available** as LCAs move into regulation.
* **Based on existing databases**, including Ecoinvent, Sphera, and others.
* It is **aggregated**, so you cannot fully trace dataset origins or edit them in detail, but access is free.

## Databases At a Glance📊

| Database               | Access      | Structure             | What you can do                                                            |
| :--------------------- | :---------- | :-------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Ecoinvent**          | Proprietary | Transparent hierarchy | Inspect and edit parts of datasets; reflect geography like electricity mix |
| **European Footprint** | Free        | Aggregated            | Use official, accessible data; limited drill down and no detailed editing  |

## **Key Takeaways for Beginners**

* Results rest on **measured flows**.
* **Location and system choices** can change outcomes.
* **Transparent** databases allow fine tuning; **aggregated** ones trade detail for access.