Development of a probabilistic life cycle assessment methodology adapted to the telecommunication sector and combining data reliability and validity

生命周期评估（LCA）是一种方法，它考虑了系统（可以是产品或服务）整个生命周期内的质量和能量输入和输出，并将其转化为环境影响。 虽然生命周期评估受国际标准（ISO 14040）的约束，但由于所研究的系统数据的不确定性，该方法因其结果的可变性（库存或环境影响取决于所进行研究的详细程度）而受到批评。 虽然已经提出了考虑与系统数据相关联的几种类型的不确定性的方法，但是还没有开发出结合这些类型的不确定性的方法。 数据输入的整体变异性可以通过其可靠性和有效性来表征，以满足研究的数据质量要求。 该研究项目开发了一种方法，基于这两个特点的考虑，以定义与系统数据相关的不确定性，然后将这些不确定性扩展到LCA结果，即环境影响。 该项目有两个目的。 一方面，它定义了一个明确和准确的方法来管理LCA中的不确定性，并在这样做的时候，淡化了对LCA的批评。 另一方面，所开发的方法可操作到概率LCA软件更好地解释LCA结果。 该研究项目与加拿大贝尔公司合作应用于电信部门。

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodology which considers both mass and energy inputs and outputs over the entire life of a system (which can be a product or a service) and translates these into environmental impacts.  Although LCA is governed by international standards (ISO 14040), the method faces criticism for the variability of its results (either inventory or environmental impacts depending on the level of detail of the study conducted) due to uncertainties surrounding the system data studied.  While approaches have been proposed to consider several types of uncertainty associated with the system data, no method combining these types of uncertainties has yet been developed.  The global variability of data input can be characterized by its reliability and its validity with respect to the data quality requirements of the study.  This research project develops a methodology based on the consideration of these two characteristics to define the uncertainties associated with the system data and then to expand these uncertainties to the LCA results namely, environmental impacts.  The aim of the project is twofold.  On one hand, it defines a clear and accurate methodology to manage uncertainty in LCA and in doing so, tones down criticism regarding LCA.  On the other hand, the developed methodology is operationalized into probabilistic LCA software for a better interpretation of LCA results.  This research project is applied to the telecommunications sector in collaboration with Bell Canada.