v3.10

ecoinvent Release Notes

ecoinvent FAQ

Key Changes:

• Main Data Updates by Sector:
  • Petroleum and Natural Gas: Extensive update of supply chains with 2021 statistical data.
  • Other Fuels: Data modeling for hard coal coke production in China.
  • Chemicals: Unit process data for olefins and aromatics, new datasets for hydrogen, methanol, chlorine, and cooling energy supply.
  • Electricity: Updated market mixes with data from 2020/2021, refreshed residual mix markets for EU-28 and other European countries based on 2022 data.
  • Waste: Fully disaggregated waste treatment chains.
  • Construction: Regionalized data for Tunisia, Ecuador, and Switzerland.
• Other Updates:
  • Harmonized System (HS) classification added for intermediate exchanges.
  • New impact assessment methods introduced, and characterization factors updated.
• Database-wide Changes:
  • Renamed activities and exchanges.
  • Updated exchange data (CAS numbers, formulas, comments).
  • Deleted and replaced elementary exchanges.
  • Changes in price data.
  • Changes in geographies.
  • New and updated classifications for intermediate exchanges (HS 2017, CPC).
• Specific Sector Updates: Detailed sections on fuels, chemicals, electricity, wastes, agriculture, building and construction materials, wood and forestry, pulp and paper, metals, and various updates.

v3.9.1

ecoinvent Release Notes

• Impact Assessment Methods:
  • Changes in indicator names and unit names for some LCIA methods, particularly ReCiPe.
  • Corrections and improvements to mapping options for EF methods, including more concise matches for metals and agrochemicals.
  • Corrections to CFs for “Carbon dioxide, non-fossil” in ReCiPe, EPS, and TRACI methods.
  • Addition of CFs for specific substances in the sub-compartment “non-urban air or from high stacks” to prepare for future inventory changes.
• Undefined Data:
  • Correction of the emission amount of “Mercury II” to air in the “market for natural gas, high pressure” dataset in Japan.
  • Updates to ISIC codes for four datasets to align with official codes.
  • Updates to prices for seven intermediate exchanges to correct economic allocation factors in the “Allocation at the point of substitution” (APOS) system model.
• Changes to Unit Process Data of Linked System Models:
  • Correction of variance values for amounts with lognormal distribution.
  • Restoration of missing metadata information fields for exchanges in unit processes.
  • Addition of Puerto Rico (US-PR) as a supplier to the market group for the US electricity markets.
  • Removal of datasets producing a recyclable material in the “Allocation, cut-off by classification” and “Allocation, cut-off, EN15804” system models.
  • Correction of the subdivision of the “treatment of metal scrap, mixed, for recycling, unsorted, sorting” dataset in the EN15804 system model.
  • Correction of the end year of the time period of datasets in EN15804.
  • Changes to the supplying datasets for some inputs from technosphere in the consequential system model.
• Effects of Changes on LCIA Scores:
  • The main drivers of score changes were the updates to CFs.
  • Significant changes were observed for indicators in EF v3.0 and v3.1, particularly “human toxicity: carcinogenic.”
  • Changes in climate change indicators in ReCiPe, TRACI, and EPS due to the removal of CFs for “Carbon dioxide, non-fossil.”
  • Changes in scores for indicators assessing human toxicity and emissions of heavy metals to air due to the correction of the “Mercury II” emission.

v3.9

ecoinvent Release Notes

Key Changes:

• Main Data Updates by Sector:
  • Crude oil and natural gas extraction and supply
  • Waste (specifically the wastewater sector)
  • Energy (market mixes and residual mixes for Europe)
  • Building and construction (cement and concrete supply chains)
  • Chemical
  • Metals (scarce metal supply chains)
  • Batteries (new Lithium Iron Phosphate battery)

• Method Changes: There were changes to methods and mapping to elementary exchanges. For comparison, stable methods between versions 3.8 and 3.9 were used.
• Allocation Models: Improvements were made to the “allocation at the point of substitution” and “allocation, cut-off, EN15804” system models.
• Elementary Exchange List: The elementary exchange list was heavily updated, incorporating learnings from the GLAD initiative.
• Impact Assessment Methods: Several impact assessment methods were updated or newly added.
• Product Information: 100% of the products in the database now have associated Product Information.

• Database-Wide Changes:
  • Renamed Activities and Exchanges: Some activities, products, and elementary exchanges were renamed for better clarity and precision.
  • Modifications of Lower Heating Values: Corrections were made to the Lower Heating Values (LHVs) of certain products.
  • Changes to Allocation, cut-off, EN15804 System Model:
    • “Recycled Content, cut-off” datasets were replaced with “burden-free production” datasets.
    • “Aluminium scrap, new” was reclassified.
    • New impact assessment methods were introduced, and characterization factors were modified.
  • Changes to Allocation at the Point of Substitution (APOS) System Model:
    • Corrections were made to specialty production supply chains.
    • A threshold was introduced after allocation.
• Impact Assessment Methods:
  • Several new impact assessment methods were added, and existing ones were updated or corrected.
  • Some older, superseded methods were no longer made publicly available.

v3.8

ecoinvent Release Notes

• Focus on User Experience: Version 3.8 has a strong focus on improving user experience. New features include:
  • Product Information: Detailed descriptions of products and services to aid identification and usage.
  • Market Information: Review and enhancement of meta-information for all markets.
  • Database Overview: A centralized file (“Database Overview for ecoinvent 3.8”) providing a concise overview of the database content.
• New System Model for EPD Practitioners: The “allocation, cut-off, EN15804” system model was introduced to facilitate compliance with the EN15804 standard for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
• Better Support for GHG Protocol: The database now offers the possibility to calculate emissions from electricity according to Scope 2 and Scope 3 Guidance of the GHG Protocol.
• New Data: Significant updates and additions to data, including:
  • Brazilian Data: Improved data for key supply chains in Brazil through the Cornerstone project.
  • Agriculture: New products (lentils, peas) and recontextualized agricultural services for Canada.
  • Batteries: New datasets for Li-Ion batteries and lead-acid batteries.
  • Chemicals & Plastics: Updated data for styrene production and polyurethane foam.
  • Electricity: Updated attributional electricity markets for most countries.
  • Electronics: New datasets for consumer electronic devices (smartphones, tablets) and updated data for laptops.
  • Forestry and Wood-based Products: New data for bamboo forestry and production of bamboo construction materials.
  • Metals: New and updated datasets for various metals, including scarce and critical metals.
  • Transport: Updated datasets for air freight transport.
  • Resource Correction: Correction of biogenic carbon balances in the “allocation, cut-off by classification” system model.
• Database-Wide Changes:
  • Renaming of activities and exchanges for better clarity.
  • Changes affecting attributional system models.
  • Lower Heating Value (LHV) added to all relevant products.
  • Modifications of heat production datasets.
• Impact Assessment Methods:
  • New methods added: EF v3.0, EF v3.0 EN15804, CML v4.8 2016.
  • Existing methods updated: EF v2.0 2018, IPCC 2013.
• General Changes:
  • Updated ISIC classifications for activities.
  • Updated CAS numbers for elementary and intermediate exchanges.
  • Product information added for all products.
  • Improved documentation for market activities.

v3.7.1

ecoinvent Release Notes

• Version 3.7.1 Correction: A critical error was found in version 3.7 regarding the “iron sinter production” dataset, specifically in the estimated emissions for dioxins and particulate matter. Version 3.7.1 was released to correct this error.
• Iron Sinter Production Correction: The emissions of “Particulates, > 10 um,” “Particulates, > 2.5 um, and < 10um,” and “Dioxins, measured as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin” were corrected in the “iron sinter production” activities for RER and GLO. Additionally, emissions for “Particulates, < 2.5 um” were added.
• Zinc Mine Operation Update: In the “zinc mine operation, GLO” activity, the exchange amount of “Gold, in ground” was changed based on updated data from the International Zinc Association.
• Ammonium Paratungstate Production Update: The uncertainty distribution in all exchanges was changed from “uniform” to “lognormal” for the “ammonium paratungstate production, solvent extraction” activity.
• Consequences in Results: The report analyzes the differences in LCA results between versions 3.7 and 3.7.1. It notes changes in human toxicity, ecotoxicity, and mineral resource categories, while other categories like climate change and water depletion remained largely unaffected. Changes were analyzed for different system models: “allocation, cut-off by classification,” “allocation at the point of substitution,” and “substitution, consequential, long-term.”
• Summary of Updates & Additions in v3.7: Version 3.7 included the addition of 900 new datasets and the update of 1,000 datasets, including over 100 new products. This expanded the database’s coverage in sectors like metals, fertilizers, forestry and wood, packaging materials, waste/recycling, and biogas supply chains. Electricity market mixes were also updated.
• Database-Wide Changes: Several activities and exchanges were renamed for clarity. Changes were made affecting attributional and consequential system models. Impact assessment methods were also updated, with some methods being renamed to indicate they are “superseded.” Non-fossil carbon balancing was addressed, especially for the wood and paper sector.
• Sector-Specific Updates: The report details updates and additions in various sectors, including building and construction materials, energy, fertilizers, metals, paper & pulp, waste management & recycling, and wood.

v3.7

ecoinvent Release Notes

• Summary of Updates and Additions:
  • 900 new datasets were added.
  • 1,000 datasets were updated, including over 100 new products.
  • Expanded coverage in sectors like metals, fertilizers, forestry and wood, packaging materials, waste/recycling, and biogas supply chains.
  • Updated electricity market mixes.
• Sector-Specific Updates:
  • Building and Construction Materials: Updated glass wool mat data for Switzerland.
  • Energy: Updated attributional electricity market mixes to represent 2017 (most countries) or 2018 (US and Canada). New data on biogas production and supply chains for Switzerland.
  • Fertilizers: New and updated data on mineral fertilizer production. Restructured and updated fertilizer markets and market mixes.
  • Metals: Updated data on copper, cobalt, iron and steel, and scarce metals. Revised aluminum datasets in North America.
  • Paper & Pulp: Updated data on cartonboard, kraft paper, and paper sacks.
  • Waste Management & Recycling: Enhanced with new data on recycling activities of packaging materials.
  • Wood: Updated forestry activities and wood processing datasets. Added new wood-based products.
• Changes in Results:
  • The update of the metals sector drives most of the changes in LCA scores, especially for metal depletion indicators.
  • Changes in ammonia and urea, along with nitric acid, have a significant impact.
  • Updated electricity market mixes, along with changes in copper and rare earth scores, and correction in uranium enrichment technology shares, bring changes to the electricity sector.
  • Update of biomethane supply chains has significantly modified the scores associated with this commodity.
  • Improvement of regional coverage of wood markets led to some changes in scores, mainly due to transport considerations.
• Database-Wide Changes:
  • Renamed activities and exchanges for clarity.
  • Changes affecting attributional and consequential system models.
  • Updates to impact assessment methods, including renaming some methods as “superseded.”
  • Non-fossil carbon balancing, especially in the wood and paper sector.

v3.6

ecoinvent Release Notes

• Sustainable Recycling Industries: This version has seen significant contributions by the SRI (Sustainable Recycling Industries) programme.
• Database-Wide Changes:
  • Renamed Activities and Exchanges: A number of activities and products were renamed for better clarity and to better define their scope.
  • Metal Elementary Exchanges: The naming convention for elementary exchanges representing metal extraction was revised for consistency.
  • Changes in Geography: Brazil was split into its 27 states and 5 electricity grids, affecting both the Electricity sectors.
  • Changes Affecting Allocation System Models: Modifications were made to the classification and allocation of products in attributional system models. Some products were reclassified from MFT (Multi-Functional Treatment) to non-MFT for the APOS (Allocation at the Point of Substitution) system model. Corrections were made to the use of “true value allocation” (e.g., exergy for electricity and heat allocation).
  • Changes Affecting the Consequential System Model: A few activities had their Technology Levels changed, impacting their behavior in the consequential system model.
  • Impact Assessment Methods: Several impact assessment methods were marked as “obsolete.” Naming conventions for resources elementary exchanges were updated. New and updated elementary exchanges were included, with corresponding Characterization Factors (CFs) added.
• Sector-Specific Changes:
  • Building and Construction Materials: Updates were made to data on sand and gravel, clinker, cement, concrete, and other materials.
  • Chemicals: Updates were made to data on plastics and steam.
  • Electricity: New data for Latin American electricity was added. Updates were made to electricity market mixes in attributional system models. Other changes included updates to power plant infrastructure inputs and geothermal/concentrating solar power supply chains.
  • Metals: Significant updates were made to data on aluminum, copper, gold, silver, iron, steel, platinum group metals, tin, titania, zinc, cadmium, cobalt, and slags/tailings.
  • Petroleum Refining and Petroleum Products: The modeling of petroleum refining and products was revised, including geographical coverage and consequential modeling.
  • Transport: Changes were made to transport associated to certain activities (see page 150)
  • Waste Sector: New waste treatments for domestic composting were added. Practices for secondary metals recovery and e-waste plastic recycling were represented.
  • Water Supply: Updates were made to irrigation, tap water, process water, and rainwater harvesting data.

v3.5

ecoinvent Release Notes

• Database-Wide Changes:
  • Renamed Exchanges and Activities: Several activities and products were renamed to improve clarity and better define their scope. Examples include renaming “green bell pepper” to “bell pepper” and “epoxy resin” to “epoxy resin, liquid”.
  • Changes in Geography: The geographical location of some activities was changed. For example, some aluminium production activities were changed from CA-QC and IAI Area, North America, without Quebec to RNA (Northern America).
  • Changes in Classification: Changes were made to the classification of products for attributional system models, specifically regarding allocation cut-off (recyclable, waste, allocatable) and allocation at the point of substitution (APOS) (MFT or non-MFT).
  • Changes in Price: Prices were adjusted for several products, which can affect results when economic allocation is used. Examples include changes in the prices of apples, bell peppers, and lithium carbonate.
  • Impact Assessment Methods:
    • Corrections were made to characterization factors (CFs) in several impact assessment methods, including Impact2002+, Ecological scarcity 2013, ReCiPe (legacy implementation), and IPCC 2013.
    • New methods were added, including the updated package of recommended methods from the European Joint Research Centre (JRC) (ILCD version 2.0) and the latest ReCiPe version (1.13).
• Sector-Specific Changes:
  • Aluminium Supply Chains: The entire aluminium supply chain was updated using data from the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) for the reference year 2015. Geographical resolution was improved or edited in some cases.
  • Chemical Sector:
    • New and updated markets were added, including regional markets for many chemical products. Transport distances for these regional markets were calculated based on Eurostat data.
    • Several transforming activities were updated, with adjustments to production volumes, specific links to regional suppliers, and corrections to exchange amounts.
  • Electricity:
    • New data on electricity production in South Africa was added.
    • Updates and corrections were made to market mixes.
    • Changes were made to the modeling of electricity voltage transformation activities.
  • Hard Coal Supply Chains:
    • Changes were made to the modeling of mining and preparation of hard coal, including uncontrolled coal fires and fugitive methane emissions.
    • New and updated datasets were added, including market and import datasets.
  • Pulp and Containerboard Update:
    • Updates were made to pulp and containerboard data.
  • Transport Sector:
    • Updates were made to road freight transport, rail freight transport, and inland waterways freight transport.
  • Waste Sector:
    • New municipal waste treatments and market mixes were added.
    • Other updates included waste paperboard re-modeling, renaming of zinc residue from incineration, new Swiss markets, corrections to activities, and deletion of activities.
  • Updates in Remaining Sectors:
    • Updates were made to infrastructure & service supply chains, agriculture and forestry sectors, building and construction, fuel production and supply, and machinery-related sectors.

v3.4

ecoinvent Release Notes

• Introduction: Even seemingly minor changes, like altering an activity link, can potentially influence impact assessment results.
• Database-wide changes:
  • Renamed exchanges and activities: Some activities and products were renamed for clarity or to prepare for future updates (e.g., “copper concentrate” to “copper concentrate, sulfide ore”).
  • Price changes: Prices were updated for several products (e.g., acetone, compost, hydrogen, lime).
  • Changes on Impact Assessment: Corrections were made to a few mistakes in the implementation of impact assessment methods from version 3.3. No new methods were added.
• Electricity:
  • Market mixes: Updated and new market mixes for electricity (high, medium, and low voltage) based on the latest statistical data. Attributional system models are based on 2014 production volumes, and consequential system models have new specific electricity market compositions for 40 countries.
  • New and updated activities: Many new activities were added or updated for electricity and heat production to cover 142 countries and represent marginal suppliers in consequential modeling.
  • New data on India: India’s electricity production is now modeled per state, grouped into five sub-national grids.
• Chemical products:
  • Significant extension of coverage, including reviews, updates, and new datasets.
  • ISIC codes of updated activities were reviewed and changed where necessary.
  • New chemical products were added, and their corresponding markets were created.
  • Existing chemical products were reviewed and updated, with changes to exchange amounts, production volumes, prices, and documentation.
  • Steam production datasets in the chemical industry were harmonized.
• European natural gas supply chains:
  • Updated data for natural gas production in Norway, Russia, the Netherlands, and LNG production in Algeria.
  • Improved data for losses and emissions related to flaring, venting, and fugitive emissions.
  • Recovery of elemental sulfur from the sweetening process was introduced as a byproduct.
• Other sectors: Updates were made in plastics and synthetic rubber, recycling of post-consumer PE and PET packaging material, agriculture, building and refractory materials, metals, transport, waste treatment of organic waste, and wood and wood products.

Infrastructure Sustainability Council / Australian Life Cycle Assessment Society (ALCAS) / Life Cycle Strategies

Infrastructure Sustainability Council / Australian Life Cycle Assessment Society (ALCAS) / Life Cycle Strategies