> ## 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 Glossary of Terms

> Short, practical definitions to help you read LCA content with confidence.✨ From functional units to impact categories, this glossary demystifies key sustainability concepts.

| Term                                        | Definition                                                                         |
| ------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)**             | Assessment of a product’s impacts across its full life cycle, beyond CO2e.         |
| **Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)** | Third-party verified, concise public summary of an underlying LCA.                 |
| **Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)**   | EU methodology for multi-indicator assessment and comparability within a category. |
| **Functional unit**                         | Unit based on service/use (e.g., 200 wears) to enable fair comparisons.            |
| **Declared unit**                           | Unit per reference quantity (e.g., 1 kg, 1 piece) when function isn’t defined.     |
| **Impact categories**                       | Indicators covering effects on nature, human health, and resources.                |
| **Hotspot analysis**                        | Identification of lifecycle stages/materials that drive most impact.               |
| **Attributional modelling**                 | Totals direct contributions across lifecycle stages (common for EPD/PEF).          |
| **Consequential modelling**                 | Looks at system-wide effects and market changes (more academic/large-scale).       |
| **EF 3.1 methodology**                      | EU method with 16 indicators; includes normalisation and weighting.                |
| **IPCC 2021 methodology**                   | Carbon-footprint method focused on global warming potential (short/long term).     |
| **ReCiPe methodology**                      | Method reporting three endpoints: human health, ecosystems, resource availability. |
| **Carbon tunnel vision**                    | Narrow focus on CO2e that overlooks other material impacts.                        |
| **LCA databases**                           | Measured elementary-flow data for materials, processes, and emissions.             |
| **Ecoinvent**                               | Proprietary, transparent, editable LCA database.                                   |
| **European Footprint database**             | EU, aggregated, free-access database built from existing sources.                  |
| **Digital Product Passport (DPP)**          | Standardised digital record of product lifecycle and supply-chain data.            |
| **EN 15804**                                | European framework for construction EPDs, including recycling credit rules.        |
| **Normalisation & weighting**               | Processes to contextualise and prioritise indicator results.                       |
| **Comparative LCA**                         | LCA comparing alternatives on a common functional basis.                           |