Tools to measure the environmental impact of a product

The world energy consumption is rapidly growing with the continuous growth of the global population and economy. Understanding and communicating the environmental impacts of products is key to enabling transitions to environmentally sustainable systems. Provision of information on the environmental profile of a product will likely become of increasing strategic and economic importance for manufacturers as the marketplace becomes more environmentally conscious. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a standardized and widely adopted methodology to quantify the environmental impacts associated with a product throughout its life cycle. The life-cycle perspective and the consideration of several environmental issues enable identification of trade-offs and hot spots, thus providing a robust framework for decision support. The carbon footprint is defined as the estimation of the impact that an activity, a service, or an item may have on the environment. The literature review employed a systematic approach using databases like Scopus, Web of Science to analyze 55 studies on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Carbon Footprint (CF) tools from 2017 to 2024. Keyword-based searches ensured relevance, focusing on recent advancements, methodological improvements, and sustainability practices. The objective of the research is to present the tools to measure the environmental impact of a product through life cycle analysis and carbon footprint. The research presents the software used to perform LCA of a product. Additionally, it covers both generic and sector-specific tools used for calculating the Carbon Footprint (CF).