• Deakin University

Foundations of Life Cycle Assessment Practice

Gain the practical skills to use life cycle thinking to improve the environmental impact of your product or service.

Hands holding a world with graphics around the outside representing waste, fossil fuels, and humans.

Foundations of Life Cycle Assessment Practice

  • 2 weeks

  • 3 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Open level

Find out more about how to join this course

Master the fundamentals of life cycle assessment (LCA)

On this two-week course, you’ll work through the phases of a life cycle assessment to discover how this approach benefits the environment and businesses alike.

You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the whole life cycle and environmental impact of a product or service.

Armed with this knowledge, you’ll delve into how to use LCA to create products and services with reduced environmental impacts and costs, as well as increased resource efficiency.

If you’d like to continue your learning at the end of the course, you can take our follow-on microcredential to earn a certificate and university credits from Deakin University.

Unpack the methodological framework of LCA

To help you understand the principles of LCA, you’ll start by identifying the phases of its methodological framework.

Through this exploration, you’ll develop practical skills to successfully conduct a life cycle assessment.

Gain an understanding of inventory analysis and impact assessment

As you move through the phases of the methodological framework, you’ll explore the crucial steps of inventory analysis and impact assessment.

You’ll discover how conducting these assessments will help you better understand any environmental damage caused by your product or service.

You’ll also discover how LCA can improve the analysis of multiple phases of the supply chain and how it might benefit your company.

Learn from the experts at Deakin University

Throughout the course, you’ll be guided by the specialists from Deakin University.

By the end, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to apply life cycle thinking and conduct an LCA to improve products and services.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 2 seconds BUKKY TOKEDE: Environmental challenges, like climate crisis, biodiversity collapse, and environmental justice are of growing importance in the modern world. Life cycle assessment offers a scientifically robust methodology to quantify environmental impacts. It also provides meaningful insights on the sustainability and performance of products and services.

Skip to 0 minutes and 32 seconds Hi there. My name is Dr. Bukky Tokede, and I am a certified life cycle assessment practitioner. In this free open course, we will explore the key foundations of life cycle assessment practise, which helps to avoid shifting burdens from one life cycle state to another. This course is expected to serve as a preparatory introduction that guides you in understanding what LCA is and how it is used by stakeholders across multiple industries in achieving a sustainable world. You will gain insights from global experts and seasoned leaders in the field of LCA. The course also provides a segue to a six-week credit-bearing micro-credential where you can acquire the technical knowledge and practical skills required in undertaking LCA across different sectors.

Skip to 1 minute and 27 seconds Now’s the time to join the course and start learning about the life cycle assessment.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Introduction to life cycle assessment

    • Let's get started

      Meet your teaching team and other learners, and find key information about this course, including useful tips and links to help you get the most out of your learning.

    • What is life cycle assessment?

      An introduction to life cycle assessment.

    • Weekly wrap

      Meet some LCA practitioners and a summary of the week.

  • Week 2

    Methodological framework

    • Key phases

      Overview of LCA phases.

    • Course wrap

      Reflect on the key ideas presented throughout this course.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explain the concept of life cycle thinking (LCT)
  • Describe some basic principles and characteristics of LCA
  • Identify the core standards guiding methodology of LCA

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone interested in learning more about the whole life cycle of a product or service and what affects its environmental impact.

You can also take our follow-on microcredential to earn a certificate and university credits from Deakin University.

Who will you learn with?

I am a Senior Lecturer at Deakin University with research and teaching focus in Engineering, Architecture and Built Environment and licensed as a Life Cycle Certified Assessment Professional (LCACP).

Professor Matthews has a multi-disciplinary construction background, holding a PhD in Architecture and post-graduate qualifications in mathematics, computing, and environmental studies.

Who developed the course?

Deakin University

Deakin University is one of Australia’s largest universities with more than 61,000 students and over 15,000 online.

  • Established

    1974
  • Location

    Melbourne, Australia
  • World ranking

    Top 280Source: QS World University Rankings 2021

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$349.99 for one year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$109/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 12 May 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

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  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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