New network to harmonise Life Cycle Assessment within Foundation Industries
Academics have won funding to help the UK Foundation Industries use Life Cycle Assessment tools to reduce their environmental impact.

The Life Cycle Assessment Regulatory Science and Innovation Network (LCARSIN) is being set up by academics at the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester, UK, the Henry Royce Institute and other partners.
The network aims to bring key industry stakeholders together to address specific needs and produce research-based evidence for policymaking.
While Life Cycle Assessments are a powerful enabling tool for determining environmental impacts, the lack of a consistent approach across the Foundation Industries has caused difficulties for decision-makers.
In the initial discovery phase, the partners are requesting that practitioners, regulators and data users contribute to the development of the vision through a consultation.
The subsequent implementation phase will:
- Enable research to address specific needs identified by experts in the first phase.
- Encourage sharing and developing of best practice from events and working groups.
- Identify and enable necessary training for the network and wider sector.