Summary & Goals
The goal of the PLM Green discussion forum and working group on Product Life Cycle Assessment (PLCA), led by Klaus Brettschneider, is to investigate, validate, and promote the use of PLM-enabling business strategies and software technologies that can reduce the impact of products on the environment, most notably greenhouse gas emissions.
Product Life Cycle Assessments are pivotal in environmental protection, surpassing the singular focus on carbon impact and climate change. While carbon emissions are undeniably significant contributors to environmental degradation, PLCAs comprehensively evaluate a product’s environmental footprint throughout its entire life cycle. This holistic approach considers greenhouse gas emissions and factors like resource extraction, manufacturing processes, transportation, product use, and end-of-life disposal.
By scrutinizing each stage, PLCAs provide a nuanced understanding of a product’s overall impact, enabling businesses and consumers to make informed decisions. This broader perspective allows for identifying additional environmental stressors beyond carbon emissions, fostering more sustainable practices, and contributing to a well-rounded environmental conservation strategy.
We within the PLM Green Global Alliance will explore and document the role, potential, and value of PLM in addressing the challenge of limiting the impact of products on the sustainability of our planet’s environment.
Focus & Objectives
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) strategies are crucial in facilitating and enhancing Product Life Cycle Assessments (PLCAs). PLM involves systematically managing a product’s entire lifecycle, from conception and design to manufacturing, use, and disposal. PLM provides a structured framework for organizing product-related data, streamlining communication across different stages, and ensuring process consistency.
When integrated with PLCAs, PLM strategies enable a more efficient and accurate assessment of environmental impacts. PLM systems help capture and centralize relevant data at each stage of a product’s lifecycle, making evaluating factors such as materials used, energy consumption, and waste generation easier. This integration promotes sustainability by facilitating informed decision-making, allowing businesses to optimize processes, reduce environmental footprints, and design products with a more comprehensive understanding of their lifecycle impacts.
PLM strategies, software, processes, and data act as the foundation for performing effective Product Life Cycle Assessments, enabling businesses to align environmental considerations with product development and management best practices.
Invitation to Participate & Collaborate
To participate in our PLM Green theme study group on PLCA we invite you to first join the PLM Green LinkedIn Group then contact our moderator Klaus Brettschneider.
References & Resources
Here below we have started maintaining a curated list of featured white papers, blog posts, presentations, case studies, webinars, and interviews on the role of PLM-enabling technologies in performing product lifecycle assessments. We invite you to send us examples you have come across in your own work, company, industry, or country to info@plmgreenalliance.com.
