Abstract:

The environmental optimisation of products involves many challenges and difficulties concerning, on the one hand, the identification of their environmental parameters and, on the other hand, the correct determination of the environmental impacts of particular product systems. Product systems as multidimensional objects and environmental changes with multifactor characteristics are linked by highly specialised methods to assess these relations. One of the methods addressing this challenge is life cycle assessment which additionally involves IT tools to support calculations and visualisation, as well as environmental databases of previously conducted analyses.