LCSA in the regions - state of the art, mainstreaming conditions and upscaling approaches

This chapter provides a state of the art of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) implementation in developing countries based on 201 publications. Mainstreaming conditions for LCSA implementation are assessed based on the level of publications, topics covered, data availability, and existing capacities via national life cycle networks. Gender representativeness in publications was also assessed (20-25% female authorship). The most published themes in LCSA papers in developing countries concern energy, housing, and waste management. Only 62% of LCSA publications considered the three sustainability pillars, and only 2% were authored by non-academia organizations. Promising approaches for upscaling LCSA practice include tailored approaches with impact assessment models, local data availability, and the capacity-building activities needed, in particular on social life cycle analysis (S-LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) and among non-academia practitioners. In particular, additional supporting efforts should target Africa, considering South Africa as a hub. The Iberoamerican life cycle network and more advanced countries, including China, Brazil, Thailand, and Indonesia, can serve as hubs for regional upscaling.