View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Shedding light on the shadows: Transparency challenge in background life cycle inventory data.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Shedding light on the shadows: Transparency challenge in background life cycle inventory data.
Authors: Guo, Jing1,2 (AUTHOR), Li, Ruiqiao2 (AUTHOR), Zhang, Ruirui2 (AUTHOR), Qi, Jianchuan2 (AUTHOR), Li, Nan2 (AUTHOR), Xu, Changqing3 (AUTHOR), Chiu, Anthony S. F.4 (AUTHOR), Wang, Yutao5 (AUTHOR), Tanikawa, Hiroki6 (AUTHOR), Xu, Ming2 (AUTHOR) xu-ming@tsinghua.edu.cn
Source: Journal of Industrial Ecology. Jun2025, Vol. 29 Issue 3, p766-776. 11p.
Subjects: Life cycles (Biology), Environmental databases, Product life cycle assessment, Sampling (Process), Databases
Abstract: Life cycle assessment (LCA) hinges on the transparency and reliability of inventory data. However, the transparency of background life cycle inventory (LCI) data sources remains unexamined. This research assesses data transparency in mainstream LCI databases using a two‐step examination system based on source findability and accessibility. Six major databases (ecoinvent, GaBi, U.S. Life Cycle Inventory Database, European Life Cycle Database, Inventory Database for Environmental Analysis, and Chinese Life Cycle Database) were analyzed by sampling processes and tracing their sources. The results reveal widespread transparency issues, with only 40%–60% of sampled processes having findable sources and <5% being fully accessible in certain databases. Incomplete documentation and complex cross‐referencing between processes and sources posed key barriers. The lack of transparency undermines LCA credibility and necessitates reconstructing databases for enhanced traceability. Although a preliminary study, these findings highlight the challenge of data transparency and provide a methodology to evaluate databases. This drives collective action to uphold transparency standards, restoring trust in LCA as a sustainability decision‐making tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Industrial Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: egs
DbLabel: Engineering Source
An: 186458317
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Shedding light on the shadows: Transparency challenge in background life cycle inventory data.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Guo%2C+Jing%22&quot;&gt;Guo, Jing&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;1,2&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Li%2C+Ruiqiao%22&quot;&gt;Li, Ruiqiao&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;2&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Zhang%2C+Ruirui%22&quot;&gt;Zhang, Ruirui&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;2&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Qi%2C+Jianchuan%22&quot;&gt;Qi, Jianchuan&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;2&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Li%2C+Nan%22&quot;&gt;Li, Nan&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;2&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Xu%2C+Changqing%22&quot;&gt;Xu, Changqing&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;3&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Chiu%2C+Anthony+S%2E+F%2E%22&quot;&gt;Chiu, Anthony S. F.&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;4&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Wang%2C+Yutao%22&quot;&gt;Wang, Yutao&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;5&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Tanikawa%2C+Hiroki%22&quot;&gt;Tanikawa, Hiroki&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;6&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Xu%2C+Ming%22&quot;&gt;Xu, Ming&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;2&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;i&gt; xu-ming@tsinghua.edu.cn&lt;/i&gt;
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;JN&quot; term=&quot;%22Journal+of+Industrial+Ecology%22&quot;&gt;Journal of Industrial Ecology&lt;/searchLink&gt;. Jun2025, Vol. 29 Issue 3, p766-776. 11p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Life+cycles+%28Biology%29%22&quot;&gt;Life cycles (Biology)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Environmental+databases%22&quot;&gt;Environmental databases&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Product+life+cycle+assessment%22&quot;&gt;Product life cycle assessment&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Sampling+%28Process%29%22&quot;&gt;Sampling (Process)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Databases%22&quot;&gt;Databases&lt;/searchLink&gt;
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Life cycle assessment (LCA) hinges on the transparency and reliability of inventory data. However, the transparency of background life cycle inventory (LCI) data sources remains unexamined. This research assesses data transparency in mainstream LCI databases using a two‐step examination system based on source findability and accessibility. Six major databases (ecoinvent, GaBi, U.S. Life Cycle Inventory Database, European Life Cycle Database, Inventory Database for Environmental Analysis, and Chinese Life Cycle Database) were analyzed by sampling processes and tracing their sources. The results reveal widespread transparency issues, with only 40%–60% of sampled processes having findable sources and &lt;5% being fully accessible in certain databases. Incomplete documentation and complex cross‐referencing between processes and sources posed key barriers. The lack of transparency undermines LCA credibility and necessitates reconstructing databases for enhanced traceability. Although a preliminary study, these findings highlight the challenge of data transparency and provide a methodology to evaluate databases. This drives collective action to uphold transparency standards, restoring trust in LCA as a sustainability decision‐making tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: &lt;i&gt;Copyright of Journal of Industrial Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder&#39;s express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.&lt;/i&gt; (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=186458317
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/jiec.70010
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 766
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Life cycles (Biology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Environmental databases
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Product life cycle assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sampling (Process)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Databases
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Shedding light on the shadows: Transparency challenge in background life cycle inventory data.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Guo, Jing
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Li, Ruiqiao
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Zhang, Ruirui
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Qi, Jianchuan
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Li, Nan
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Xu, Changqing
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Chiu, Anthony S. F.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Wang, Yutao
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Tanikawa, Hiroki
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Xu, Ming
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Text: Jun2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 10881980
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 29
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Industrial Ecology
              Type: main
ResultId 1