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Product manufacturers are placing new and detailed environmental requirements on their suppliers. These supply-chain management (SCM) initiatives include both compulsory and voluntary requirements, such as requirements for Environmental Management Systems (EMS), Design-for-Environment (DfE) programs, restricted material conformant, take-back commitments, or performance disclosures. In effect, environmental management is no longer limited to site-specific concerns of emissions and waste. Newer product-focused issues now cover issues beyond the site, from product composition, materials selection, recyclability, product-use, to product take-back. In addition, supplier verification of requirements is becoming an important consideration. These trends are illustrated based on experiences and databases with existing company programs in automotive, electronics, telecom, consumer goods and other sectors.

The combustion of fossil fuels is increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and the weight of scientific evidence indicates that these gases are producing an enhanced green house effect that is altering the global climate. To address this challenge major industrialized countries have signed onto the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In response leading companies around the world are now investigating opportunities and evaluating the risks associated with their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Creating a successful market for GHG credits will depend, in large part, on the development of credible measurement and verification protocols. Decision-makers need to be assured that an improvement option undertaken in a manufacturing plant does not result in upstream or downstream changes that will increase the overall release of GHGs.

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry has noted that the peer review process is a key feature for the advancement of life cycle assessment. The International Organisation for Standardisation has recently provided further guidance and requirements for conducting such reviews in the ISO standard on life cycle assessment (ISO 14040). This paper outlines the contribution of the peer review process to the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) of a generic 1500 Kg vehicle that was carried out by United States Automotive Materials Partnership's Life Cycle Assessment Special Topics Group (USAMP/LCA). At the time of writing the final report for this study had not been reviewed, therefore the paper focuses on the overall peer review process, preliminary findings and lessons learned to date. This paper is one of six SAE publications discussing the results and execution of the USCAR AMP Generic Vehicle LCI.