---
title: What is an LCA and Why It Matters in XYCLE
description: Learn what a Life Cycle Assessment is, why it matters, and how XYCLE uses it to help you measure and reduce environmental impact.
---
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# What is an LCA and Why It Matters in XYCLE
## A clear introduction to Life Cycle Assessment
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the foundation of how XYCLE works. Whether you are a sustainability professional, a supplier, or simply someone providing data into the platform, understanding the basics of LCA will help you use the tool more effectively and interpret your results with confidence.
### Beginner’s Guide: The basics of LCA
An LCA measures the environmental impacts of a product, service, or process over its entire life cycle or just part of it. This could mean looking at the journey from raw material extraction to disposal (cradle-to-grave), or focusing only on the stages up to the product leaving the factory or other part of the supply chain (cradle-to-gate).
LCAs break down impacts into categories such as climate change, water scarcity, land use, and resource depletion - but there are 16 in total for a standard LCA. This makes it possible to see where the greatest environmental effects occur and to target improvements.
It should be noted that there is also a more specific type of LCA into climate change impact known as a Carbon Footprint of a Product (CFP).
### Advanced Detail: Deeper into the methodology
Experienced practitioners will recognise that LCA is guided by ISO 14040/44 standards, while CFP is guided by ISO 14067.In XYCLE, the Environmental Footprint (EF) methodology is used, which is a midpoint approach recommended by the European Commission. This methodology evaluates environmental impacts at an intermediate stage in the cause-effect chain, which allows for a more nuanced interpretation before results are translated into potential damage categories.
You can set different system boundaries such as cradle-to-gate, cradle-to-grave, or gate-to-gate. The choice depends on the level of control or influence you have over each stage of the process.
### In XYCLE: Applying LCA concepts
When you create a project in XYCLE, the scope and boundaries you choose will determine:
- Which datasets are pulled in (foreground and background)
- Which life stages are included in the results
- How you interpret hotspot and contribution charts
By making deliberate choices at this stage, you set yourself up for results that are both accurate and relevant to your business needs.
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### Next Steps Checklist
1. Decide whether your study needs full life cycle coverage or a more focused scope
2. Review which stages you have reliable data for and which will require background data
3. Set your project’s boundaries in XYCLE before entering any process data
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