The module deepens the methodological foundations for environmental assessment using the methodology of life cycle assessment (LCA), which records material flows and their environmental impacts over the entire life cycle from the manufacture, usage and disposal of products. It thus allows a comparison of different options for the design of products, technologies and services. The module conveys the possibilities and limits of the applications of life cycle assessment in the context of decision support. It also addresses more recent developments for linking ecology and economy, such as life cycle costing. The methodological knowledge is deepened in a practical application example with the help of the software openLCA. For this purpose, the students independently carry out an orienting LCA on changing topics in small groups and are sensitised to the implications from methodological specifications (definition of system boundaries, problems with the procurement and evaluation of primary data, recourse to generic data, relevance of results of assumptions, appropriate communication of results to the addressees, etc.).
