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There is a broad consensus that the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework according to IS0 14040-14043 is very useful for pursuing the vision of sustainable development in product design and optimization. However due to the necessary effort involved, in practice the application of this framework to complex products like automobiles is very limited. This article deals on the one hand with methodological approaches for simplifying LCA in a systematic way. On the other hand it presents the existing method of the Iterative Screening LCA as an already sound and efficient simplifying method, suitable for assessing complex products.

Life cycle assessments (LCA) require extensive quantities of data on processes as well as on material and energy flows. Therefore, simplifying methods that reduce the effort in modeling the product system do have the most potential to make reliable LCAs of complex products like automobiles more efficient. Methodological approaches allowing the LCA practitioner to conduct the scope definition and life cycle inventory (LCI) with minimal effort through “smart” software based support are introduced. The suggested methodology has been validated with a case study on material options for a front subframe system of a Ford passenger car.