21 Mar 2024

Call for Abstracts: SETAC Europe 26th LCA Symposium

Sophia Kristensson, Chalmers University of Technology

Abstract submission for the SETAC Europe 26th Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Symposium is now open. Submit your abstract to showcase your work, share insights and engage in meaningful discussions centered around LCA.

The SETAC Europe 26th LCA Symposium, to be held from 21–23 October in Gothenburg, Sweden, is expected to be the largest yet. The theme of the symposium is “Making LCA meaningful: Good data, better models, sustainable decisions,” with sessions focusing on life cycle inventory in practice, life cycle impact assessment, life cycle management and the progress and challenges in different industrial sectors.

We have been overwhelmed by the response to our open call for sessions. It looks like we will be seeing a wide range of LCA methodological work and applications spanning everything from agriculture to artificial intelligence, and from public policy to business management, so most people will find a home."

Gregory Peters

Conference Chair and Scientific Director at the Swedish Life Cycle Center

The line-up of preliminarily accepted session proposals reflects the continued use of LCA in many fields but also its increasing application, for example to battery and textile technologies. When compared with the sessions of the previous conference in this series, the call for sessions seemed to indicate there is increasing interest in biodiversity and land-use, consistent with heightened awareness of the ecological aspects of products and systems in an LCA context. It is also noticeable that people are looking at artificial intelligence (AI), both in relation to the immense environmental impacts of IT systems globally and also the potential benefits of automated data acquisition and learning processes.

Past conferences in this series have helped participants get a grip on where consensus can exist in LCA practice and where particularity matters. “Personally, I am hoping to learn which topics seem to be heading towards consensus or instead discovering the need for differentiation,” says Peters.

The symposium offers an inclusive scientific program with presentations, discussions, workshops and social interactions, promoting networking and collaboration, with a focus on enhancing the entire process of LCA to bring about positive changes. Practical case studies and methodological contributions related to applications of LCA are welcome, whether for innovation, policy development, communication or other purposes.

“There is a good chance that if you are interested in LCA or life cycle management, you will find allies here. This conference series has played a huge role in the global development of LCA, making it a place where you can stand up, see the horizon, and get useful feedback from people who understand you,” says Peters.

This meeting provides an excellent forum for LCA-focused scientists to share and present their research amongst a like-minded community. Abstracts can be submitted until 22 May. 

Author’s contact: [email protected]

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