5. Limits of LCA

The main weaknesses of the LCA method relate to two aspects: data availability and quality, and methodological shortcomings.

• Data availability and quality

  One of the main limitations of LCA concerns data availability. Several problems are encountered:

  • not all the necessary data are automatically measured by manufacturers, who are well aware of the flows with a market value and the flows released into the environment, since regulations require them to measure the latter;

  • the data is confidential; given the socio-economic stakes of LCA results, most of the results produced by companies are not made public;

  • data are too aggregated in existing databases and are difficult to use;

  • ...