Outlier Analysis
Outlier Analysis in the context of an LCA study identifies products that deviate significantly from the norm in terms of environmental impact or cost. This analysis helps pinpoint products that may require further investigation or present opportunities for environmental improvement. GREENZERO Journey offers several outlier analysis options:Average Cost by Category
This analysis compares the environmental cost of each product against the average cost for its category. Products with significantly higher costs than their category average are highlighted as potential areas for improvement. Environmental costs are calculated using CE Delft factors, which monetize environmental impacts to enable direct comparison across different impact categories.Average GWP by Category
This analysis focuses specifically on Global Warming Potential (GWP), comparing each product’s carbon footprint against the category average. This helps identify climate hotspots in your portfolio.Cost vs GWP Impact
This analysis plots environmental cost against GWP impact for all products, helping identify:- Products with high cost but relatively low GWP (likely impacted by other environmental factors)
- Products with high GWP but relatively low cost (may have significant climate impact but low impact in other categories)
- Products with both high cost and high GWP (priority targets for improvement)
Cost vs Product Weight
This analysis examines the relationship between environmental cost and product weight. It helps identify:- Products with disproportionately high environmental cost relative to their weight (often indicating material selection issues)
- Weight-to-impact efficiency across your portfolio
- Opportunities for material optimization
GWP vs Product Weight
This analysis plots GWP impact against product weight, helping to identify:- Carbon efficiency per unit of product weight
- Products with disproportionate climate impact relative to their size
- Weight reduction opportunities with significant climate benefits
Impact by Category
The Impact by Category analysis shows the environmental performance of your complete portfolio across eight key environmental impact categories following the ReCiPe 2016 methodology. Each impact category represents a different aspect of environmental damage and is measured in its specific units. For detailed information about each impact category, including its definition, environmental mechanisms, and associated CE Delft cost factors, please visit the dedicated pages:- Global Warming Potential
- Acidification Potential
- Freshwater Eutrophication Potential
- Marine Eutrophication Potential
- Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential
- Ozone Depletion Potential
- Water Use
- Land Use
Impact by Lifecycle Phase
Impact by Lifecycle Phase analysis breaks down environmental impacts according to different stages of a product’s life cycle. This analysis helps identify which phases contribute most significantly to overall environmental impact, enabling targeted improvement strategies. In the context of LCA, lifecycle phases typically include:- Raw Material Extraction: Environmental impacts associated with extracting and processing raw materials from the earth.
- Manufacturing: Impacts from the production processes that transform raw materials into finished products, including energy use, emissions, and waste generation.
- Distribution: Environmental burdens from transporting products from manufacturing facilities to customers, including fuel consumption and associated emissions.
- Use Phase: Impacts that occur during the product’s useful life, such as energy consumption, maintenance, and consumables.
- End-of-Life: Impacts related to product disposal, including landfilling, incineration, recycling, or other waste management processes.
- Prioritize improvement efforts on the most impactful phases
- Develop targeted strategies for impact reduction
- Make informed design decisions for new products
- Communicate more effectively about environmental improvement initiatives
Data Quality Score
The Data Quality Score measures the overall reliability, completeness, and accuracy of the data used in your LCA calculations. This score helps you understand the confidence level in your results and identify areas where data improvement would be most beneficial. GREENZERO Journey evaluates data quality based on multiple factors, including:- Temporal representativeness (age of data)
- Geographical representativeness (regional relevance)
- Technological representativeness (process specificity)
- Completeness (coverage of relevant flows)
- Precision and uncertainty (variability in measurements)
Data Types and Their Impact on Quality
The Data Quality Score is significantly influenced by the types of data used in your LCA:Primary Data
Primary data is collected directly from your specific processes and operations. Examples include:- Measured energy consumption from your manufacturing facilities
- Actual material quantities from your bills of materials
- Specific transportation distances and modes from your logistics records
- Direct emissions measurements from your operations
Secondary Data
Secondary data comes from industry averages, databases, or published studies that are relevant to your processes but not specific to your operations. Examples include:- Industry average electricity consumption for similar manufacturing processes
- Standard material composition data from LCA databases
- Average transportation distances for similar supply chains
- Emission factors from published literature
Tertiary Data
Tertiary data is derived from proxy processes, estimates, or extrapolations when specific or even industry-average data is unavailable. Examples include:- Estimated energy use based on similar but different processes
- Material impacts approximated from related materials
- Transportation impacts based on generic assumptions
- Emissions estimated from theoretical models rather than measurements
Improving Your Data Quality Score
GREENZERO Journey provides recommendations for improving your data quality score, such as:- Replacing tertiary data with secondary or primary data
- Updating outdated data sources
- Increasing the specificity of process data
- Filling data gaps in your inventory
- Conducting sensitivity analyses for uncertain parameters
Individual Product Impact
The Individual Product Impact analysis identifies the products in your portfolio with the highest environmental impact, focusing particularly on Global Warming Potential (GWP). This analysis helps you prioritize which products to target for environmental improvements. The dashboard displays the top 10 products with the highest GWP impact, showing:- Absolute GWP impact (kg CO₂ eq.)
- Relative contribution to portfolio total (%)
- GWP per functional unit (e.g., kg CO₂ eq. per product)
- Year-over-year change in GWP impact
- Production volume influence
- Key contributing materials or components
- Lifecycle phases with highest impact
- Comparison to category averages
Hotspots & Dominance Analysis
Hotspots & Dominance Analysis is a critical component of Life Cycle Assessment that identifies the most significant contributors to environmental impacts across your portfolio. This analysis pinpoints specific areas where focused improvement efforts will yield the greatest environmental benefits.What is a Hotspot Analysis in LCA?
In the context of LCA, a hotspot is an element within a product system that accounts for a significant proportion of the overall environmental impact. Hotspot analysis helps answer questions such as:- Which materials contribute most to the environmental impact?
- Which processes are the most environmentally intensive?
- Which suppliers account for the largest share of upstream impacts?
- Which impact categories are most significant for a given product?
Product-Level Hotspots
GREENZERO Journey’s Insights page provides product-level hotspot analysis that identifies:- Key Contributing Components: Components or subassemblies that contribute disproportionately to a product’s environmental impact
- Critical Processes: Manufacturing or other processes that dominate the impact profile
- Impact Category Dominance: Whether certain impact categories (e.g., GWP, water use) dominate the overall environmental cost
- Lifecycle Phase Hotspots: Which lifecycle phases contribute most significantly to impacts
Material-Level Hotspots
The Insights page also provides material-level hotspot analysis across your entire portfolio, showing:- High-Impact Materials: Materials that contribute most significantly to your portfolio’s environmental footprint
- Material Quantity vs. Impact: Whether a material’s impact is driven by large quantities or high impact intensity
- Material Substitution Potential: Opportunities to replace high-impact materials with environmentally preferable alternatives
- Material Impact Breakdown: How each material contributes to different impact categories
Dominance Analysis
Dominance analysis extends hotspot identification by determining which factors dominate or control the overall results. This helps distinguish between:- Volume Dominance: Where impacts are primarily driven by the quantity of material or energy used
- Intensity Dominance: Where impacts are primarily driven by the high impact per unit of a particular material or process
- Phase Dominance: Where one lifecycle phase overwhelmingly determines the overall impact
- Category Dominance: Where one or two impact categories represent the majority of environmental cost