Eco-efficiency assessment is a quantitative management tool which enables the study of life-cycle environmental impacts of a product system along with its product system value for a stakeholder.
ISO 14045 is an International Standard that describes the principles, requirements and guidelines for eco-efficiency assessment for product systems, including:
Requirements, recommendations, and guidelines for specific choices of categories of environmental impact and values are not included. The intended application of the eco-efficiency assessment is considered during the goal and scope definition phase, but the actual use of the results is outside the scope of ISO 14045.
ISO 14045 on ‘Eco-efficiency assessment guidelines’ is applicable to all companies irrespective of sector, size, or location. ISO 14045 is useful for:
Within eco-efficiency assessment, environmental impacts are evaluated using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as prescribed by other International Standards (ISO 14040, ISO 14044). Consequently, eco-efficiency assessment shares with LCA many important principles such as life cycle perspective, comprehensiveness, functional unit approach, iterative nature, transparency, and priority of a scientific approach.
ISO 14045 guidelines:
ISO 14045 guidelines are a step towards a more responsible approach to production. This helps organizations to become more environmentally conscious in their activities.