What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is crucial for understanding the environmental impacts of a product from its inception to its disposal. This methodical approach involves examining each stage of a product's life, including raw material extraction, production, distribution, usage, and end-of-life management. By assessing these phases, LCA identifies opportunities for reducing negative environmental effects, thus enabling more sustainable decision-making.

This comprehensive assessment allows organizations to understand the cumulative environmental effects of their products, facilitating better strategies for eco-friendly practices and innovation. While other options involve important business concepts such as marketing, financial risk, and employee satisfaction, they do not address the specific objective of LCA, which focuses solely on evaluating environmental impact throughout a product's lifecycle.