Life-cycle assessment: some applications in environmental business management

The growing environmental pressures on business and some of the responses which companies are making are reviewed. The technique of life-cycle assessment is one of the tools which organisations have at their disposal to help in the identification of the effects or impacts which they have on the environment. This technique is outlined and examples given of its application to the evaluation of the environmental impacts of products. An extension of the technique for the evaluation of the provision of services is discussed.