Book review
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Life cycle assessment in industry and business: Adoption patterns, applications and implications. P. Frankl and F. Rubik. This book sets out to examine the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a tool for planning and decision making within business. The examination is set in the context of businesses operating within the European Union and seeks to explore the interconnections between the use of LCA and the appreciation of LCA by policy makers. Two sources of information were used: a survey of 1625 companies (382 positive responses) and 20 detailed case studies. The research was centred on four European countries (Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland) with five case studies being used from each country. The authors address vital questions such as the applications for LCA usage, the motivating factors for using LCA, the links between environmental management
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systems and LCA, the obstacles to using LCA and what the future holds for LCA. The results of the survey demonstrate the increasing use of LCA and the growing number of industries that are using LCA. The book identifies companies with heightened environmental and stakeholder awareness as those most likely to utilise LCA within decisionmaking processes. Findings showed that small and medium sized companies (SMEs) have difficulties in implementing LCA due to human and financial resource limitations. The book concludes with recommendations for future developments in the areas of research, business and policy. Shortcomings in data availability are highlighted. A need for policy makers to promote and offer assistance in the use of LCA is identified. Of the four countries assessed, Switzerland was identified as being proactive in encouraging the use of LCA through state policy.
This book will be useful for students of LCA and business managers. Students will learn how businesses are actually using LCA and managers can evaluate the potential of LCA as a tool for decision making. Both groups will gain from the experiences of others in integrating LCA within decision-making processes. The book is well set out and follows a logical format though at times the style of writing is dry and diagrams could have been used to better effect. The book provides a timely assessment of LCA in the current business climate giving a background against which future improvements can be reviewed. Michael Collins The QUESTOR Centre, The Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
