The ecoinvent database version 3 (part I): overview and methodology

• DOI: 10.1007/s11367-016-1087-8
• Publication Date: 2016-04-21T13:11:39Z
• Authors: Gregor Wernet; Christian Bauer; Bernhard Steubing; Jürgen Reinhard; Emilia Moreno-Ruiz; Bo Weidema
• Keywords: Regionalization; System model; Parametrization; Ecoinvent version 3; 0211 other engineering and technologies; 02 engineering and technology; Life cycle assessment (LCA); Life cycle inventory (LCI) database

Purpose Good background data are an important requirement in LCA. Practitioners generally make use of LCI databases for such data, and the ecoinvent database is the largest transparent unit-process LCI database worldwide. Since its first release in 2003, it has been continuously updated, and version 3 was published in 2013. The release of version 3 introduced several significant methodological and technological improvements, besides a large number of new and updated datasets. The aim was to expand the content of the database, set the foundation for a truly global database, support regionalized LCIA, offer multiple system models, allow for easier integration of data from different regions, and reduce maintenance efforts. This article describes the methodological developments.