ALIGNED

ALIGNED aims to enhance the environmental efficiency of bio-based industrial processes across five key sectors: construction, woodworking, textiles, pulp and paper, and bio-chemicals. Through the integration of scientific and industrial insights, the project's overarching objective is to offer a structured, evidence-driven approach to decision-making. This approach will enhance sustainability for both current and forthcoming bio-based industries by refining modelling techniques, addressing data deficiencies, and innovating new methodologies. The ultimate goal is to establish a unified assessment framework for bio-based products.  

Via the development of better and more harmonized LCA methods, the project aims to improve LCA practice, i.e. to improve the way LCA is done for the case of biobased products and industries.  This harmonisation effort can provide valuable insights for the standardisation of LCA practice that is ongoing in several venues in particular the ISO, PEF, and EPD systems, since currently the existing standards either leave a lot of room for interpretation regarding methodological choices, or are directly contradictory and provide conflicting recommendations. 

The ALIGNED project intends to approach, and ideally solve, the problem by focusing on the selection and testing and methods that are most scientifically sound and fit for purpose, thus using a science-based, and fact-based approach to LCA, rather than providing normative methodological recommendations based on the consensus of a restricted group of stakeholders, as it is often the case with current guidelines.   

Reason for applying to HSbooster.eu services

Project results can be exploited in several ways, however, the core of the ALIGNED project is to make all materials and reports available via open access, to serve for further research of the methodologies and frameworks developed during the project. When discussing potential exploitation routes within the consortium, standardization seems to be the route where the project can create the biggest impact after its lifetime, by using all the knowledge generated during the project to create a series of recommendations for LCA practitioners that will help standardize these analyses.

The ALIGNED consortium's interest in applying for these services is summarized in seeking guidance in:

1. How results regarding methodological harmonisation can be integrated into existing standards and guidelines for LCA either by: (1) adding new recommendations, or (2) revising, enhancing, or changing existing recommendations. 

2. How to better understand the standardisation process and its actors and approach them to make them aware of current ALIGNED results on methodological harmonisation for the LCA of biobased products and industries.

3. Understanding which standards and guidelines are the most relevant to the project results, and might benefit most from integrating ALIGNED recommendations.

4. Understanding which standardisation processes are currently ongoing that ALIGNED can potentially inform.