ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

ETSI STANDARD

Environmental Engineering (EE);
Methodology for environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
goods, networks and services

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Reference
RES/EE-EEPS14

Keywords
LCA

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Contents
Intellectual Property Rights ................................................................................................................................7
Foreword.............................................................................................................................................................7
Modal verbs terminology....................................................................................................................................7
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................7
1

Scope ......................................................................................................................................................112

References ..............................................................................................................................................11

2.1
2.2

3
3.1
3.2

4

Normative references ....................................................................................................................................... 11
Informative references ...................................................................................................................................... 12

Definitions and abbreviations .................................................................................................................13
Definitions ........................................................................................................................................................ 13
Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................................... 17

Void ........................................................................................................................................................20

Part I: ICT life cycle assessment - framework and guidance ...........................................................................20
5
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4

6

General description.................................................................................................................................20
General description of an LCA......................................................................................................................... 20
Compliance to the present document................................................................................................................ 21
Comparisons of results ..................................................................................................................................... 22
Relationship between methodologies of LCAs for ICT goods, networks and services .................................... 22

Methodological framework ....................................................................................................................23

6.1
General requirements ....................................................................................................................................... 23
6.1.1
Life cycle stages ......................................................................................................................................... 23
6.1.2
The goods, networks and services Product System .................................................................................... 24
6.1.2.1
ICT goods.............................................................................................................................................. 24
6.1.2.2
ICT networks......................................................................................................................................... 24
6.1.2.3
ICT services .......................................................................................................................................... 25
6.1.3
Handling of software .................................................................................................................................. 25
6.1.3.1
General .................................................................................................................................................. 25
6.1.3.2
Assessment of software ......................................................................................................................... 26
6.1.4
Operating lifetime ....................................................................................................................................... 26
6.2
Goal and scope definition ................................................................................................................................. 27
6.2.1
Goal and scope of the study ........................................................................................................................ 27
6.2.2
Functional unit ............................................................................................................................................ 28
6.2.2.1
General .................................................................................................................................................. 28
6.2.2.2
ICT goods.............................................................................................................................................. 29
6.2.2.3
ICT networks......................................................................................................................................... 29
6.2.2.4
ICT services .......................................................................................................................................... 30
6.2.3
System boundaries ...................................................................................................................................... 30
6.2.3.1
General .................................................................................................................................................. 30
6.2.3.2
The use of unit processes ...................................................................................................................... 33
6.2.3.3
ICT goods.............................................................................................................................................. 33
6.2.3.3.1
General ............................................................................................................................................ 33
6.2.3.3.2
Goods Raw materials acquisition .................................................................................................... 34
6.2.3.3.3
Production ....................................................................................................................................... 34
6.2.3.3.4
Use ................................................................................................................................................... 36
6.2.3.3.5
End-of-life treatment (EoLT) .......................................................................................................... 37
6.2.3.4
ICT Networks ........................................................................................................................................ 38
6.2.3.5
ICT Services .......................................................................................................................................... 39
6.2.3.5.1
General ............................................................................................................................................ 39
6.2.3.5.2
Eight items to consider .................................................................................................................... 39
6.2.4
Cut-off rules ................................................................................................................................................ 41
6.2.5
Data quality requirements ........................................................................................................................... 42

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6.2.5.1
General .................................................................................................................................................. 42
6.2.5.2
Specific requirements on data and data sources .................................................................................... 43
6.3Life cycle inventory (LCI)................................................................................................................................ 45
6.3.1
Data collection ............................................................................................................................................ 45
6.3.1.1
General .................................................................................................................................................. 45
6.3.1.2
ICT goods.............................................................................................................................................. 45
6.3.1.2.1
Use stage energy consumption of ICT goods .................................................................................. 46
6.3.1.2.2
ICT goods data for other life cycle stages ....................................................................................... 46
6.3.1.2.3
Energy mixes ................................................................................................................................... 46
6.3.1.2.4
Handling of LCI results for electricity and energy .......................................................................... 46
6.3.1.3
ICT networks......................................................................................................................................... 47
6.3.1.4
ICT services .......................................................................................................................................... 47
6.3.2
Data calculation .......................................................................................................................................... 47
6.3.2.1
General .................................................................................................................................................. 47
6.3.2.2
ICT goods.............................................................................................................................................. 47
6.3.2.3
ICT networks......................................................................................................................................... 48
6.3.2.4
ICT services .......................................................................................................................................... 49
6.3.3
Allocation procedure/Allocation of data ..................................................................................................... 49
6.3.3.1
General .................................................................................................................................................. 49
6.3.3.2
Allocation rules for generic processes................................................................................................... 49
6.3.3.3
Allocation rules for allocation of support activities between projects/product systems ........................ 50
6.3.3.4
Allocation rules for facility data............................................................................................................ 50
6.3.3.5
Allocation rules for transports ............................................................................................................... 50
6.3.3.6
Allocation rules for recycling................................................................................................................ 50
6.3.3.7
ICT goods.............................................................................................................................................. 50
6.3.3.8
ICT networks......................................................................................................................................... 51
6.3.3.9
ICT services .......................................................................................................................................... 51

7Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) ....................................................................................................52

7.1

8Impact categories .............................................................................................................................................. 52

Life cycle interpretation .........................................................................................................................56

8.1
8.2
8.3

9

General ............................................................................................................................................................. 56
Uncertainty analysis ......................................................................................................................................... 56
Sensitivity analysis ........................................................................................................................................... 56

Reporting ................................................................................................................................................56

9.1
9.2
9.2.1
9.2.2
9.2.2.1
9.2.2.2
9.2.2.3
9.2.2.3.1
9.2.2.4
9.2.2.4.1
9.2.2.4.2
9.2.2.5
9.2.3
9.3
9.3.1
9.4
9.4.1

10

General ............................................................................................................................................................. 56
ICT goods ......................................................................................................................................................... 58
Total results ................................................................................................................................................ 58
System boundaries ...................................................................................................................................... 60
Life cycle stages, unit processes and generic processes ........................................................................ 60
Raw material acquisition ....................................................................................................................... 60
Production ............................................................................................................................................. 61
Parts production ............................................................................................................................... 61
Use ........................................................................................................................................................ 61
ICT goods use .................................................................................................................................. 61
Support goods use............................................................................................................................ 61
EoLT ..................................................................................................................................................... 61
LCI results .................................................................................................................................................. 61
ICT Network .................................................................................................................................................... 61
Total results ................................................................................................................................................ 62
ICT services...................................................................................................................................................... 64
Total results ................................................................................................................................................ 65

Critical review ........................................................................................................................................67

Part II: Comparative analysis/LCA between ICT and reference product system (baseline scenario):
framework and guidance ........................................................................................................................68
11

General description of comparative analysis ..........................................................................................68

11.1
11.2
11.3

Need for comparative analysis ......................................................................................................................... 68
Target systems for comparative analysis .......................................................................................................... 69
Principles of comparisons between systems (comparative analysis) ................................................................ 69

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11.3.1
11.3.211.3.3
11.4

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First case: comparison between a reference product system and an ICT service ....................................... 69
Second case: comparison between two ICT goods or two ICT networks or two ICT services .................. 70
Common principles ..................................................................................................................................... 70
Procedures of comparisons between systems (comparative analysis) .............................................................. 70

Methodological framework of comparative analysis .............................................................................71

12.1
12.2
12.2.112.2.212.2.312.2.3.1
12.2.3.2
12.2.412.2.5
12.3
12.4
12.5
12.5.1
12.5.212.5.3General requirements ....................................................................................................................................... 71
Goal and scope definition ................................................................................................................................. 71
Functional unit ............................................................................................................................................ 71
System boundaries ...................................................................................................................................... 71
Cut-off ........................................................................................................................................................ 72
General .................................................................................................................................................. 72
Identification of life cycle stages and items important for comparison................................................. 72
Allocation ................................................................................................................................................... 72
Data quality requirements ........................................................................................................................... 72
Life cycle inventory.......................................................................................................................................... 72
Life cycle impact assessment ........................................................................................................................... 72
Life cycle interpretation ................................................................................................................................... 72
General........................................................................................................................................................ 72
Sensitivity analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 73
Uncertainty analysis .................................................................................................................................... 73

13

Reporting ................................................................................................................................................74

14

Critical review ........................................................................................................................................75

Annex A (normative):

Details regarding the handling of software .................................................76

Annex B (normative):

Modelling of unit processes ...........................................................................78

Annex C (normative):

Support activities ...........................................................................................80

Annex D (normative):

Generic processes ...........................................................................................81

Annex E (normative):

Part types of ICT goods .................................................................................83

Annex F (normative):

EoLT processes ..............................................................................................86

Annex G (normative):

Elementary flows (emissions and resources) ...............................................87

Annex H (normative):

List of Raw materials.....................................................................................90

Annex I:

Void .................................................................................................................92

Annex J (normative):

ICT network overview ...................................................................................93

Annex K (normative):

A method for assessing the environmental load of the working
environment....................................................................................................95

K.1

Purpose of targeting the working environment in the assessment of ICT goods, networks andservices ...................................................................................................................................................95

K.2

Functional unit........................................................................................................................................95

K.3

System boundary ....................................................................................................................................95

K.4

Life cycle inventory (LCI) .....................................................................................................................96

K.4.1
K.4.2
K.4.3

Data collection.................................................................................................................................................. 96
Data calculation ................................................................................................................................................ 96
Allocation procedure ........................................................................................................................................ 96

Annex L (normative):

Reporting formats ..........................................................................................98

Annex M (informative):

Example of an LCA of a Mobile Phone fully compliant with thepresent document .........................................................................................105

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Annex N (informative):

Life cycle stages overview............................................................................137

Annex O (informative):

Examples of goods and black box modules................................................138

O.1

End-user goods .....................................................................................................................................138

O.2

CPE.......................................................................................................................................................138

O.3

Network site goods (from base station sites to data centres)................................................................138

O.4

Examples of ICT specific black box modules ......................................................................................139

O.5

Site support goods ................................................................................................................................139

Annex P (informative):

Examples of Networks and Network goods ...............................................140

Annex Q (informative):

Energy mix ...................................................................................................141

Annex R (informative):

Examples of Allocation Procedures............................................................142

R.1

Allocation examples for Recycling of Materials ..................................................................................142

R.1.1
R.1.2

Example of the 100/0 and 0/100 methods ...................................................................................................... 142
Example of the 50/50 method and combination of 100/0 and 50/50 .............................................................. 143

Annex S (informative):

Example of data quality indicators ............................................................145

Annex T (informative):

Uncertainties of life cycle assessments for ICT goods, networks andservices ..........................................................................................................147

Annex U (informative):

Opportunities and limitations in the use of LCAs for ICT goods,
networks and services ..................................................................................149

Annex V (informative):

Examples for calculating second order effects ..........................................151

Annex W (informative):

GWP values 100 year time frame (informative) .......................................154

Annex X (informative):

Summary of requirements ..........................................................................155

History ............................................................................................................................................................167

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Intellectual Property Rights
IPRs essential or potentially essential to the present document may have been declared to ETSI. The information
pertaining to these essential IPRs, if any, is publicly available for ETSI members and non-members, and can be foundin ETSI SR 000 314: "Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs); Essential, or potentially Essential, IPRs notified to ETSI in
respect of ETSI standards", which is available from the ETSI Secretariat. Latest updates are available on the ETSI Web
server (http://ipr.etsi.org).
Pursuant to the ETSI IPR Policy, no investigation, including IPR searches, has been carried out by ETSI. No guarantee
can be given as to the existence of other IPRs not referenced in ETSI SR 000 314 (or the updates on the ETSI Web
server) which are, or may be, or may become, essential to the present document.

Foreword
This ETSI Standard (ES) has been produced by ETSI Technical Committee Environmental Engineering (EE).
The present document was developed jointly by ETSI TC EE and ITU-T Study Group 5. It will be publishedrespectively by ITU and ETSI as Recommendation ITU-T L.1410 and ETSI Standard ETSI ES 203 199, which aretechnically-equivalent.

Modal verbs terminology
In the present document "shall", "shall not", "should", "should not", "may", "need not", "will", "will not", "can" and"cannot" are to be interpreted as described in clause 3.2 of the ETSI Drafting Rules (Verbal forms for the expression ofprovisions).
"must" and "must not" are NOT allowed in ETSI deliverables except when used in direct citation.

Introduction
The present document has been developed to complement ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2] for the environmental
assessment of the life cycle impact of ICT goods, networks and services.
The present document defines a set of requirements to reflect the quality that practitioners should strive for. At thisstage some of the requirements put forward here are considered as challenging due to life cycle assessment (LCA) tool
limitations, a lack of data, limitations in data granularity, etc. It is thus recognized that compliance to all requirements inthe present document may not be possible at the time the present document is published. However, to foster results of
LCAs becoming more transparent and, for the quality of data and LCA tools to improve over time, the present
document is defining the requirements outlined in the following pages. The present document requires that deviation(s)from the requirements are clearly motivated and reported. For further details regarding compliance refer to clause 5.2.
The development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has led to concerns regarding its
environmental impact. Taking into consideration the ongoing efforts within the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change [b-UNFCCC] to combat climate change, ITU-T and ETSI decided to enhance their previous workby jointly developing an internationally agreed methodology to help the ICT sector to assess the environmental impact
of ICT goods, networks and services. The present document also gives guidance to the assessment of software.
Unlike many products and services sold in the world today, ICT distinguishes itself by its double-edged nature. On the
one hand, ICTs have an environmental impact at each stage of its life cycle, e.g. from energy and natural resource
consumption to e-waste. On the other hand, ICTs can enable vast efficiencies in lifestyle and in all sectors of theeconomy by the provision of digital solutions that can improve energy efficiency, inventory management and businessefficiency by reducing travel and transportation, e.g. tele-working and video conferencing and by substituting physicalproducts for digital information, e.g. e-commerce.

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These different levels of impact are acknowledged in some academic literature as the three order effects of ICTs:•

First order effects (or the environmental load of ICTs): the impacts created by the physical existence of ICTs
and the processes involved, e.g. energy consumption and GHG emissions, e-waste, use of hazardous
substances and use of scarce, non-renewable resources.

•

Second order effects (or the environmental load reduction achieved by ICTs): the impacts and opportunities
created by the use and application of ICTs. This includes environmental load reduction effects which can beeither actual or potential, such as travel substitution, transportation optimization, working environmentchanges, use of environmental control systems, use of e-business, e-government, etc.

NOTE:

E.g. if an ICT service offers a reduced need for transport, the travel substitution replacing transportation
by car is actual - the car does not run - whereas the reduced need for travel by public transport ispotential - the plane, train or metro is still running if the timetable has not changed. However, the large
scale deployment of video conferencing and tele-working (telecommuting) in the future will likely change
lifestyles and impact on social structure and while it is expected to substantially reduce traffic volume,
further research is required to assess what the full impact (including rebound effects) will be.

Other effects:•

include the impacts and opportunities created by the aggregated effects on societal structural changes by using
ICTs;

•

particularly include, for some ICT services such as tele-working or video conferencing, the time gained by an
end user using an ICT service which then may cause additional impact e.g. a leisurely drive and economic
activities, which are difficult to track. Such additional impacts are often defined as "rebound effects".

Most of the benefits of ICTs lie in the second order effects via increased efficiency, transparency, speed of transactions,rapid market-clearing, long-tail effects and so on. There are environmental impacts associated with the first order:
environmental impact of ICT goods, networks and services such as resource consumption and carbon emissions during
manufacturing and the disposal of hardware. Other effects await further exploration due to the many uncertainties
involved. While these other effects may be critical in constructing a more sustainable society, much more research on
this remains to be done. Thus, the present document focuses on the first and second order effects. Further research in thearea of other effects is encouraged.
In constructing a sustainable society from an environmental viewpoint, the negative aspects of ICTs should be
minimized and the positive ones should be maximized, as summarized in figure 1.

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Figure 1: Schematic model for the environmental assessmentof ICT goods, networks and services
The first order effect (or environmental load caused by ICT) can be quantified by performing a life cycle assessment(LCA). The second order effect (or environmental load reduction achieved by ICT) can be quantified by the comparisonof LCA results between the ICT goods, networks and services product system and the reference product system
performing the same function.
To reflect the first two order effects, the present document describes environmental assessments through Life Cycle
Assessment (LCA) which is a systematic analytical method and model by which the potential environmental effects
related to ICT goods, Networks and Services can be estimated. The present document also gives guidance to theassessment of software. LCAs have a cradle-to-grave scope where the life cycle stages, i.e. raw material acquisition,
production, use and end-of-life are included. Transports and energy supply are moreover included in each life-cycle
stage.
ISO has standardized the LCA methodology. In the present document, ICT specific additions to the ISO 14040 [1] andISO 14044 [2] standards will be described. As addition to the ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2] standards, the European
Commission has published a handbook that gives detailed guidance on all the steps required to conduct an LCA [i.2].
This handbook will also be referred to with special ICT considerations in mind.
The standard is divided into two parts:
Part I (clauses 5-10) - ICT life cycle assessment: framework and guidance. This part deals with the LCA
methodology applied to ICT goods, networks and services.

Part II (clauses 11-14) - Comparative analysis between an ICT product system and a reference product system(baseline scenario): framework and guidance. This part deals with comparative analysis based on LCA resultsof the ICT goods, networks and services product system and the reference product system.

The structure of this LCA methodology specification for ICT goods, Networks and Services is shown in figure 2. The
figure indicates where specific requirements and considerations apply for ICT goods, networks and services
respectively and where the same requirements and considerations apply for all of those product systems.

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ReportingComparative assertion between
ICT and non-ICT services

Life Cycle Interpretation

Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)

Goal and scope definition

General requirements

Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA)

Services

Network

Equipment

Figure 2: Structure of LCA methodology specification
for ICT goods, Networks and Services
The structure of part I and part II is based on ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2] in order to support the practitioner andthus each part is structured in accordance with:•

General requirements: high level requirements of assessment.

•

Goal and scope definition: requirements of the functional unit, system boundaries and data quality.

•

Life cycle inventory (LCI): requirements for data collection, calculation and allocation.

•

Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA): requirements for impact assessment.

•Life cycle interpretation: requirements for the interpretation of results and calculation of second order effects.

•

Reporting: requirements for reporting.

Both parts are then divided into applicable clauses and Part I is additionally structured into the three product system
types, i.e. ICT goods, networks and services as appropriate.
The present document is intended for LCA practitioners wanting to assess ICT goods, networks and services impacts
and it will help them to perform and report their LCAs of ICT goods, Networks and Services in a uniform andtransparent manner. It is possible to use the present document to get guidance on what to consider in an LCA on threelevels: ICT goods, Networks and Services.
The following uses of ICT LCA applications are the most frequently used ones, but others may be identified and used as
well:•

Evaluation of product system environmental impact, such as climate change.

•

Assessment of primary energy consumption.

•

Identification of life cycle stages and activities with high significance.

•

Comparisons of specific ICT goods, Networks, or Services under the conditions described in clause 5.3(Comparisons of results).

•

Comparative analysis between an ICT product system and reference product system.

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Scope

The present document aims to provide a methodology for evaluating the environmental impact of ICTs objectively andtransparently and is based upon the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology standardized in ISO 14040 [1] andISO 14044 [2].
The present document can be read by anyone aiming for a better understanding of the specific conditions andrequirements applicable to the LCA of ICT goods, networks and services. However, the present document is especiallyintended for LCA practitioners with a prior knowledge of LCA standards, i.e. ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2].
The purpose of the present document is to:•provide ICT-specific requirements, in addition to those of ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2], to ensure asufficient quality of LCA studies of ICT goods, networks and services; increase the quality of the LCA byadding ICT specific requirements to those of ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2];•harmonize the LCAs of ICT goods, Networks and Services;•increase the credibility of LCAs of ICT goods, networks and services;•increase the transparency and facilitate the interpretation of LCA studies of ICT goods, networks and services;•

facilitate the communication of LCA studies of ICT goods, networks and services; and•provide a methodology for telecommunication operators and service providers to assess the environmentalload of one or more Services carried by their ICT Networks.

While recognizing ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2], including annex A of ISO 14040 [1] "Application of LCA", asnormative references, the present document will give generic and specific requirements for the LCA of ICT goods,
networks and services. The present document is valid for all types of ICT goods including end-user goods and also for
ICT networks and services. The present document also gives guidance to the assessment of software. Practitioners areencouraged to also consider other environmental aspects in accordance with ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2].
The present document defines a set of requirements which reflect the quality that practitioners should strive for. At thisstage some of the requirements put forward here are considered as challenging due to LCA tool limitations, a lack ofdata, limitations in data granularity, etc. It is thus recognized that compliance to all requirements in the present
document may not be possible at the time the present document is published. However, to foster results of LCAs
becoming more transparent and, for the quality of data and LCA tools to improve over time, the present document
defines the requirements outlined in the following pages. The present document requires that deviation(s) from therequirements are clearly motivated and reported. For further details regarding compliance refer to clause 5.2.
Comparisons of results from environmental assessments of ICT goods, networks and services, assessments which havebeen performed by different organizations are beyond the scope of the present document, as such comparisons would
require that the assumptions and context of each study are exactly equivalent.

2

References

2.1

Normative references

References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of thereference document (including any amendments) applies.
Referenced documents which are not found to be publicly available in the expected location might be found at
http://docbox.etsi.org/Reference.
NOTE:

While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long term validity.

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The following referenced documents are necessary for the application of the present document.
[1]

ISO 14040 (2006): "Environmental management -- Life cycle assessment -- Principles andframework".

[2]

ISO 14044 (2006): "Environmental management -- Life cycle assessment -- Requirements andguidelines".

2.2

Informative references

References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of thereference document (including any amendments) applies.
NOTE:

While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long term validity.

The following referenced documents are not necessary for the application of the present document but they assist theuser with regard to a particular subject area.
[i.1]

ETSI TS 102 706 (V1.3.1): "Environmental Engineering (EE); Measurement method for energy
efficiency of wireless access network equipment".

[i.2]

European Commission - Joint Research Centre - Institute for Environment and Sustainability:"International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook - General guide for Life
Cycle Assessment - Detailed guidance". First edition March 2010. EUR 24708 EN. Luxembourg.
Publications Office of the European Union; 2010.

[i.3]

European Commission - Joint Research Centre - Institute for Environment and Sustainability:"International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook - Framework andRequirements for Life Cycle Impact Assessment Models and Indicators". First edition
March 2010. EUR 24586 EN. Luxembourg. Publications Office of the European Union; 2010.

[i.4]

ETSI ES 202 336-1: "Environmental Engineering (EE); Monitoring and Control Interface forInfrastructure Equipment (Power, Cooling and Building Environment Systems used in
Telecommunication Networks) Part 1: Generic Interface".

[i.5]

Recommendation ITU-T L.1310 (11/2012): "Energy efficiency metrics and measurement methods
for telecommunication equipment".

[i.6]

European Commission - Joint Research Centre: "Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) Guide.
Deliverable 2 and 4A of the Administrative Arrangement between DG Environment and the Joint
Research Centre No N 070307/2009/552517, including Amendment No 1 from December 2010",
Ispra, Italy, 2012.

[i.7]

European Commission - Joint Research Centre: "Characterisation factors of the ILCD
Recommended Life Cycle Impact Assessment methods" EUR 25167 EN - 2012 (20/02/2013
updated).

[i.8]

Green House Gas Protocol Corporate Standard, 2006.

[i.9]

ISO 14046 (2013): "Environmental management -- Water footprint -- Principles, requirements andguidelines".

[i.10]

IPCC (2013): "Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Clause 8 Anthropogenic andNatural Radiative Forcing, Appendix 8. A: Lifetimes, Radiative Efficiencies and Metric Values",
Table 8.A.1 p 731-738.

[i.11]

Recommendation ITU-T L.1400 (2011): "Overview and general principles of methodologies forassessing the environmental impact of information and communication technologies".

[i.12]ETSI TS 103 199: "Environmental Engineering [EE]; Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of ICT
equipment, networks and services; General methodology and common requirements".

ETSI

13

3

Definitions and abbreviations

3.1

Definitions

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

For the purposes of the present document, the following terms and definitions apply:
active area: area of the display or touch panel which is useful for touch or viewing
activity data: quantitative measure of a level of activity that results in GHG emissions
NOTE:

See Green House Gas Protocol Corporate Standard [i.8], clause 2.2.

black box module: device, system or object which can be viewed solely in terms of its input, output and transfer
characteristics without any knowledge of its internal workings
NOTE:

In this context the black box module may consist of several part categories such as integrated circuits,mechanics, cables, etc., e.g. a power module on a PCBA.

CO2 equivalent (CO2 e): universal unit of measurement to indicate the global warming potential (GWP) of each of theseven greenhouse gases, expressed in terms of the GWP of one unit of carbon dioxide. It is used to evaluate releasing(or avoiding releasing) different greenhouse gases against a common basis
NOTE:

See Green House Gas Protocol Corporate Standard [i.8], clause 2.2.

commercial lifetime: length of time that a good is owned for before a new one is bought to replace it (often used toestimate the lifetime for consumer products)
comparative assertion: See ISO 14040 [1], clause 3.6.
comparative analysis: analysis aiming to compare two different product systems based on the same functional unit
Customer-Premises Equipment (CPE): any terminal and associated ICT goods located at a subscriber's premises andconnected with a carrier's telecommunication channel(s) at the NTPs CPE covers also home office goods
cut-off: amount of energy or material flow or the level of environmental significance associated with unit processes or
product system excluded from the study
NOTE:

Unit processes excluded from the studied product system in an LCA.

data gap: LCI flows excluded from a unit process within the studied product systemdepreciation time: time during which a (new) revenue-generating asset reaches its residual economic value
NOTE:

The depreciation time is sometimes referred to as the legal lifetime.

Economic Input-Output approach (EIO): method using tables, called input-output (IO) tables, that describe financialtransactions between economic sectors in a national economy, to approximate environmental impacts
emission factor: factor allowing GHG emissions to be estimated from a unit of available activity data (e.g. tonnes offuel consumed, kWh of electricity, tonnes of product produced) and absolute GHG emissions
NOTE 1: See Green House Gas Protocol Corporate Standard [i.8], clause 2.2.
NOTE 2: E.g. kgCO2e/kWh electricity, kgCO2e/(tonne×km).
end-user goods: any device that can connect to CPE or Networks
EXAMPLE:NOTE:

Laptop, mobile phone.

See annex O for examples.

environmental impact: impact including positive and negative aspects on the environment
environmental impact through the introduction of ICTs: difference between the environmental load reduction effectfrom the use of ICTs and the environmental load of ICTs

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

environmental load: environmental aspect which potentially causes interference with environmental conservation
environmental load intensity: numerical value of environmental load per unit
environmental load of ICTs: ICT environmental loads over its life cycle
NOTE:

These include the environmental loads of ICT goods, networks and services in the processes of raw
material acquisition, production, use and end of life treatment.

environmental load reduction effect from using ICTs: effect that noticeably reduces the environmental load of ICTs
NOTE:

The effects of "improving energy efficiency", "improving the efficiency of and reducing the production
and consumption of goods" and "reducing the movement of people and goods" are brought about by using
ICTs.

extended operating lifetime: aggregated duration of the actual use periods of the first user and consecutive use periods
associated with reuse
first order effects: impact created by the physical existence of ICTs and the processes involved, e.g. GHG emissions,e-waste, use of hazardous substances and use of scarce, non-renewable resources
fresh water: water from river, lakes or subsoil water
functional unit: See ISO 14040 [1], clause 3.20.
generic operating system: commercially available software that handles the basic hardware operations such as
memory allocation, handling of processes and disk access, as well as the user interface
GHG emission intensity: numerical value of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit
Global Warming Potential (GWP): ratio of the warming of the atmosphere caused by one green house gas to thatcaused by a similar mass of carbon dioxide. GWP is calculated over a specific time frame generally 100 years
NOTE:

See Green House Gas Protocol Corporate Standard [i.8], clause 2.2.

Green House Gases (GHG): for the purposes of this methodology, GHGs are the seven gases listed in the Kyoto
Protocol:•carbon dioxide (CO2); methane (CH4);•

nitrous oxide (N2O);•

hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs);•

perfluorocarbons (PFCs);•

sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

•

Nitrogen Triflouride (NF3).

NOTE:

See Green House Gas Protocol Corporate Standard [i.8], clause 2.2.

hybrid LCAs: method that combines the approach of process-sum and economic input-output LCAs
NOTE:

Different models exist, prioritizing data from either process-sum or input-output data

ICT goods: tangible goods deriving from or making use of technologies devoted to or concerned with:•the acquisition, storage, manipulation (including transformation), management, movement, control, display,switching, interchange, transmission or reception of a diversity of data;•

the development and use of the hardware, software and procedures associated with this delivery; and•the representation, transfer, interpretation and processing of data among persons, places and machines, notingthat the meaning assigned to the data is preserved during these operations.

NOTE:ETSI TS 103 199 [i.12] instead used the word "equipment".

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

ICT manufacturer: organization which has the financial and organizational control of the design and production of
ICT goods
ICT network: set of nodes and links that provide physical or over the air information and communication connections
between two or more defined points
EXAMPLE:

Wireless network, fixed network, local area network (LAN), home network and server network,
access networks, core networks, cloud computing networks.

ICT service (application): use of ICT goods and/or Networks to provide value to one or more users
EXAMPLE:

Teleconferencing, teleworking, e-ticketing, e-learning, e-healthcare, smart transport and logistics,
procurement systems, supply chain management systems, music/film distribution over Internet or
voice over IP, machine-to-machine systems.

ICT specific data: data emerging from ICT specific applications and processes
NOTE:

This data could be either primary or secondary.

ICT specific EoLT: any disassembly/dismantling/shredding/recycling process which needs special adaptation forhandling of ICT goods
ICT specific infrastructure: basic structures needed for the operation of the goods, Network or Service
EXAMPLE:

Antenna towers, cabling systems.

infrastructure: basic structures needed for the operation of the society
EXAMPLE:Transportation systems, buildings and power plants.

land use: human exploitation of land for agricultural, industrial, residential and recreational purposes
LCA practitioner: person(s) or organization(s) performing an LCA
life cycle: See ISO 14040 [1], clause 3.1.
life cycle stage: one of several consecutive and interlinked stages of a product system
lifetime: duration which may correspond to commercial lifetime, operating lifetime, extended operating lifetime ordepreciation lifetime
mandatory activity: unit process which is significant to the result and therefore needs to be included
modelled data: assumption-driven estimates, such as estimates resulting from scenarios, which are forward looking or
scaled up from smaller pilot studies
natural resource: material source, such as wood, water, or a mineral deposit, that occurs in a natural state
Network Termination Points (NTP): point established in a building or complex to separate CPE from telephonecompany goods
node: point in a Network topology at which lines intersect or branch
operating lifetime: duration of the actual use period (consisting of both active and non-active periods) for the first user
NOTE:

Storage time is not included in operating lifetime.

operator: organization operating Networks and ICT goods and Services
optional activity: unit process which can be left out of the LCA because of low significance, low precision, generallack of data or other practical reasonsorganizational data: data that describe central characteristics of organizations, their internal structures and processes aswell as their behaviour as corporate actors in different social and economic contexts
other effects: effects that are not first or second order effects

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

other EoLT: any disassembly/dismantling/shredding/recycling process which does not need special adaptation forhandling of ICT goods but could be used for any kind of good
part: constituent of ICT goods and Support goods
EXAMPLE:

Cable.

part category: classification of a part e.g. by its type
EXAMPLE:

Fibre cable.

potential environmental load reduction effect: potential environmental load reduction which is expected due to theprogress of ICTs throughout society, but which is not expected to take place immediately
primary data: See ISO 14046 [i.9], clause 3.6.1.
NOTE 1: In practice, primary data may be emission factors and/or activity data.
NOTE 2: Primary data includes site-specific data, i.e. data from one specific unit process within a site; andsite-average data, i.e. representative averages of site-specific data collected from organizations within the
product system which operate equivalent processes.
primary energy: the energy content of natural resources which can be used for energy production
primary raw material: material which origins from natural resources
process category: classification of a process type
EXAMPLE:

Landfill, Air, Ship and Train.

processed materials: raw materials which have been physically and/or chemically changed by humans
process-sum approach: method using facility-level data describing processes in terms of the inputs of materials andenergy, outputs of products and waste and emissions
product system: See ISO 14040 [1], clause 3.28.
public data: data which is available to the public without access being restricted by requirements on membership,none-disclosure agreements, or similarratio of recycled raw material content: amount of recycled raw material in relation to the amount of primary raw
material used as input to production
raw material: See ISO 14040 [1], clause 3.15.
raw material extraction: production of extracted raw materials used in raw material processing
raw material processing: production of processed raw materials used in Part production
raw material recycling: production of raw materials from recycled products
recommended activity: unit process potentially significant to the result and which should be included in the LCA
recycling rate of disposed raw material: rate with which disposed goods ends up in a recycling process is part of thescope of the LCA
reference product system: (basically non-ICT but can also be ICT) system which is replaced by ICT
EXAMPLE:

Traditional Service which is replaced by an ICT Service.

re-use: goods used again partially or as a whole by a new user or in a new context potentially involving refurbishing in
the EoLT stage
second order effects: impact and opportunities created by the use and application of ICTsNOTE:This includes environmental load reduction effects which can be either actual or potential.

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

secondary data: See ISO 14046 [i.9], clause 3.6.2.
NOTE:

Such sources can include databases (a list of LCA databases (publicly available and licence based)
provided by the EU, published literature, national inventories and other generic sources.

secondary raw material: material which origins from recycled primary raw materials
service provider: organization operating a service (could be the same organization as the operator organization)
storage time: length of time for which the goods are stored, including both the before and after its use stage
support activity: activities supporting unit processes associated with the function of the goods, Network or Service
NOTE:

Examples of support activities are activities directly associated with the product system such as
marketing, development and sales and also more general activities of the organization such as data
support, communication and financial support.

support goods: device, system or object needed to realize the function of support the use of ICT goods
EXAMPLE:
NOTE:

Goods for power supply and temperature regulation.

See ETSI ES 202 336-1 [i.4] for explanation which defines support goods for networks as infrastructure
goods.

the 100/0 method: allocation method that allocates the primary Raw Material Acquisition processes fully to the studied
product system, i.e. no recycled Raw Material is assumed as input to the studied life cycle
NOTE:

No recycling is assumed to occur at End-of-Life.

the 0/100 method: allocation method that allocates 0 % of the primary Raw Material Acquisition processes to thestudied product system, i.e. 100 % recycled Raw Material is assumed as input to the studied life cycle
the 50/50 method: allocation method that allocates the primary Raw Material Acquisition processes equally to theintroducer (initial life cycle that introduces the primary Raw Material) and the "depleter" (the last lifecycle in which the
Raw Material is not recycled) i.e. the recycling of Raw Materials is allocated equally to the studied life cycle and the
product system losing/introducing the material
traffic: total volume of cells, blocks, frames, packets, calls, messages, or other units of data carried over a circuit or
Network, or processed through a switch, router or other system
unit process: smallest element considered in the life cycle inventory analysis for which input and output data arequantified
NOTE:

See also [1] and [2].

EXAMPLE:Part unit process such as IC Encapsulation and Display module assembly.

waste: See ISO 14040 [1], clause 3.35.

3.2

Abbreviations

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:
3G
4G
ABS
AC/DC
ADSL
AM
BAT
BGA
BOD
BOM
BS
BSC

Third generation telecom networks
Fourth generation telecom networks
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
Alternating Current Direct Current
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
Acquisition Method
Best Available Technology
Ball Grid Array
Biochemical Oxygen DemandBill of Materials
Base Station
Base Station Control site

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18

CAS
CATV
CC
CD
CDMA
CED
CFC
CO
CO2
CO2e
COD
CPE
DALY
DR
DSL
DSLAM
DVD
EA
EHW
EI
EIICT
EIO
eNB
EOL
EoLT
EPC
ET
ETFW
E-UTRAN
FAN
FWT
GB
GC
GGSN
GHG
GPRS
GPS
GSM
GWP
GWY
HD
HFC
HLR
HTC
HTNC
HW
IC
ICT
ILCD
IP
IPCC
IPTV
IRE
IRH
LAN
LCA
LCD
LCI
LCIA
LD
LED
LNG

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Chemical Abstracts Service
Cable Access Television
Climate Change
Compact Disc
Code Division Multiple AccessCumulative Energy Demand
Chloro Fluoro Carbons
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Dioxide EquivalentChemical Oxygen Demand
Customer Premises Equipment
Disability Adjusted Life Years
Data Representativeness
Digital Subscriber Line
Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer
Digital Versatile Disc
Eutrophication Aquatic
Environmentally Hazardous Waste
Environmental Impact
Environmental Impact of ICT
Economic Input-Output
evolved Node B
End Of LifeEnd of Life Treatment
Evolved Packet Core
Eutrophication Terrestrial
Ecotoxicity Freshwater
Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access Network
Fixed Access Node
Fixed Wireless Terminal
GigaByte
Geographical Correlation
Gateway GPRS Support Node
Green House Gas
General Packet Radio Service
Global Positioning System
Global System for Mobile Communications
Global Warming Potential
GatewayHigh Density
Hydro Fluoro Carbons
Home Location Record
Human Toxicity Cancer effects
Human Toxicity Non-Cancer effects
HardwareIntegrated Circuit
Information and Communication Technology
International Reference Life Cycle Data System
Internet Protocol
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate ChangeInternet Protocol Television
Ionizing Radiation Ecosystems
Ionizing Radiation Human health
Local Area Network
Life Cycle Assessment
Liquid Crystal Display
Life Cycle Inventory
Life Cycle Impact Assessment
Low Density
Light Emitting Devices
Liquified Natural Gas

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19

LPG
LR
LTE
LU
MC
MGW
MJ
MMC
MME
MS
MSC
NMHC
NMVOC
NOX
OD
ODP
OLED
OLT
OM
ONU
OTN
PA
PAH
PBA
PBX
PC
PCB
PCBA
PDH
PDP
PE
PEF
PET
P-GW
Pkt sw
PMMA
POF
PP
PS
PTFE
PUR
PVC
RAN
RBS
RDMR
RDW
RI/PM
RIE
RMA
RNC
ROADM
RSS
SAC
SAN
SDH
Secur. GW
SGSN
S-GW
SI
SMS
SOHO
SPLT

Liquified Petroleum Gas
Location Register
Long Term Evolution
Land Use
Methodological Consistency
Media Gateway
Megajoule
Multimedia Messaging Centre
Mobility Management Entity
Mobile Station
Mobile Switching Center
Non Methane Hydrocarbons
Non-methane Volatile Organic Compounds
Nitrogen Oxides
Ozone Depletion
Ozone Depletion Potential Indicator
Organic Light Emitting Diodes
Optical Line Terminal
Operational Maintenance
Optical Network Unit
Optical Transport Network
Polyamide
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon
Printed Board AssemblyPrivate Branch Exchange
Personal Computer
Printed Circuit Boards
Printed Circuit Board Assembly
Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy
Plasma Display Panel
PolyEthylene
Product Environmental Footprint
Polyethylene Terephthalate
Packet Data Network Gateway
Packet Switch
Polymethyl-Methacrylate
Photochemical Ozone Formation
Polyproylene
Polystyrene
PolyTetraFluoroEthylene
Polyurethane
PolyVinyl Chloride
Radio Access Networks
Radio Base Station
Resource Depletion Mineral Resources
Resource Depletion Water
Respiratory Inorganics/Particulate Matter
Rule Inclusion Exclusion
Raw Material Acquisition
Radio Network Controller
Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer
Remote Subscriber Switch
Sn/Ag/Cu alloys
Styrene Acrylonitrile
Synchronous Digital Hierarchy
Secure Gateway
Serving GPRS Support Node
Serving Gateway
Supplier Independence
Short Messaging Service
Small Offices Home Offices
SplitterETSIETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

20

STB
STM
SW
TC
TOE
TV
UE
UMTS
UN
UPS
USGS
UV-B
VDSL
VLR
VOC
VoIP
WAN
W-CDMA
WDM
WE
WEEE
WLAN

4

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Set Top Box
Synchronous Transport Module
SoftwareTechnological Correlation
Total Oil Equivalent
Television
User Equipment
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
United Nations
Uninterruptable Power Supply
United States Geological Survey
Ultraviolet B
Very-high-bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line
Visitor Location Register
Volatile Organic Compounds
Voice over Internet Protocol
Wide Area Network
Wideband Code Division Multiple AccessWavelength Division Multiplexer
Water Eutrophication Indicator
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Wireless Local Area Network

Void

Part I: ICT life cycle assessment - framework and guidance
5

General description

5.1

General description of an LCA

An environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) is a systematic analytical method by which the potential environmental
effects related to ICT goods, networks and services can be estimated. LCAs have a cradle-to-grave scope where all thelife cycle stages (raw material acquisition, production, use and end-of-life treatment) are included. Moreover, transportand energy supplies are included at each stage of the life cycle assessment.
LCA became internationally standardized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) with the
publication of the ISO 14040 [1] series of life cycle assessment standards representing an important step to consolidate
procedures and methods of LCAs.
As an addition to ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2], the European Commission has published a handbook [i.2] thatgives detailed guidance on all the steps required to conduct an LCA.
ICT goods, networks and services are associated with the environmental load emerging from different processes overthe life cycle. The environmental impact caused by this environmental load is sometimes referred to as first ordereffects.
By definition, LCA considers the full life cycle, i.e. no life cycle stages should be excluded a priori. However, if a life
cycle stage is found to have a limited impact on the results and conclusions of an LCA, the corresponding life cycle
stage or items in the life cycle stage may be excluded in accordance with applicable rules for cut-off.
The present document shall also apply to studies not covering the full life cycle. In this case, please refer to clause A.1.2
in ISO 14040 [1].

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

ICT goods, networks and services have the potential to reduce the environmental load and impact by reducing theamount of energy consumption and materials used in society. This potential of reducing the environmental impact isreferred to as second order effects and is covered by Part II (clauses 11-14).
Often the impact from second order effects outweighs the first order effects, leading to a net positive environmental
impact when systems of ICT goods, networks and services are applied.
The ISO LCA standards define four phases of an LCA study:•

goal and scope definition;•

life cycle inventory (LCI);•

life cycle impact assessment (LCIA);•

life cycle interpretation.

To report the results of an LCA study, ISO also defines a critical review and reporting as additional steps in addition tothese phases.
LCA is by nature an iterative technique, where each phase or step is dependent on the results or methodologies used inanother (previous or subsequent) phase or step. For example, defining the studied product system is a step that directly
impacts on the subsequent steps of boundary setting, data collection and allocation. When performing an LCA of ICT
goods, networks and services, the eight checklist items specified in clause 6.2.3.5.2 should be considered in the systemboundary setting to identify activities associated with the ICT goods, networks and services life cycle for which data
will be collected. Other items may also exist.
Figure 3 shows the framework of Part I which is based on figure 1 of ISO 14040 [1].

Goal andscope
definition

Checklist items:
1. ICT hardware
2. ICT software
3. Consumables and othersupportive products
4. Site infrastructure
5. Office working environment(work processes)
6. Transport (movement ofgoods)
7. Travel (movement of people)
8. Storage of goods

Interpretation

Inventory analysis

Impact assessment
L.1410(12)_F02

Figure 3: Framework of Part I of the present document

5.2

Compliance to the present document

The present document contains requirements (denoted as mandatory or by the use of the word shall), recommendations(denoted by the use of the word should) and options (denoted as optional or by the use of the word may).
Requirements are summarized in annex X.
In addition the present document contains numerous Recommendations which also need consideration.
Full compliance towards the present document can be claimed if all mandatory requirements are fulfilled.
LCAs can also partially comply to the present document by complying to the majority of mandatory shall requirements;
however, they are unable to fulfil all of them due to data gaps, a lack of transparency in databases and so forth.

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

In both cases the fundamental LCA principles of relevance, completeness, consistency, accuracy and transparency shallguide the practitioner.
As stated in the scope, clause 1 it is acknowledged that full compliance to the present document may not be possible atthis stage, especially at the Network and Service level, where some data may be based on already published LCAs of
ICT goods, which, especially initially, may not be in accordance with the present document.
The compliance statement contained in the report should disclose and explain any deviations from the requirements andthe use of non-compliant data.

5.3

Comparisons of results

It is important to realize that comparisons of results (absolute and relative values) between LCAs are beyond the scopeof the present document, as such comparisons would require that the assumptions and context of each LCA are exactly
equivalent.
LCA can be performed and presented by different individuals/organizations or by the same individual/organization.
However, comparisons of LCA results obtained by the same individual/organization who/which uses:1)

the present document;2)

the same LCA tool; and3)

the same LCI databases for all comparables are supported by the present document. A third-party review isalso needed if the comparison result is to be externally communicated.

In case of comparative assessment between ICT goods LCAs, the operating lifetime shall be set to equal. Differences inlifetime could only be accepted if they reflect differences in actual characteristics.

5.4

Relationship between methodologies of LCAs for ICT
goods, networks and services

Figure 4 shows the product systems targeted by the impact assessment methodologies of ICT goods, ICT networks and
ICT services. In this context, ICT networks and ICT services can be seen as logical structures, which are physicallymade up by ICT goods, including hardware and software, but also rely for instance on building premises, civil works tocreate cable ways, air conditioning, power generators and power storage such as UPS.
ICT services
ICT networks
ICT goods

L.1410(12)_F03

Figure 4: Relationship between ICT goods, networks and services
As ICT networks are composed of ICT goods and as ICT services utilize ICT networks, the methodology for ICT goods
is the basis for the methodologies for ICT networks and ICT services. In other words, the methodology for ICT
networks is based on the methodology for ICT goods and the methodology for ICT services accommodates bothmethodologies for ICT goods and networks. Consequently, the environmental impact assessment of ICT networks
reflects the environmental impact of ICT goods employed in the ICT networks and the environmental impact
assessment of ICT services reflects the environmental impact assessments of ICT goods and ICT networks employed in
the ICT services.
ICT networks and ICT services are not physical entities but logical concepts which are built upon ICT goods. For thisreason, it could be difficult to define their assessment boundaries in detail. Consequently, it is important that theirboundaries do not overlap to avoid any double counting effect when an ICT service is assessed with both ICT goods
and networks.
Due to the use of ICT goods, networks and services in projects, organizations, cities and countries, the present
document may form a basis for the environmental impact assessment methodologies for those assessment
purposes [i.11].

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6

Methodological framework

6.1

General requirementsETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

When performing an ICT related LCA, the requirements of the present document shall apply as well as those of
ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2]. I.e. all three standards have to be taken into account.

6.1.1

Life cycle stages

The following four high-level life cycle stages shall apply to ICT goods, Networks and Services and shall be assessed as
applicable in LCAs which are based on the present document in accordance with the goal and scope:
•

•

•

•

Goods Raw material acquisition which is composed of:-Raw material extraction.

-

Raw material processing.

Production which is composed of:-

ICT goods production.

-

Support goods production.

Use which is composed of:-

ICT goods Use.

-

Support goods Use.

-

Operator support Activities.

-

Service Provider support Activities.

Goods End of Life Treatment (EoLT) which is composed of:-Re-use.

-ICT specific EoLT.

-

Other EoLT.

NOTE 1: Production waste is allocated to the production stage see clause 6.3.3.2.
If all these life cycle stages have not been assessed, this should be stated when reporting.
For guidance on software refer to clause 6.1.3.
Impacts from transports and energy supplies shall be included in all life cycle stages. Deviation(s) from this requirement
shall be clearly motivated and reported.
NOTE 2: The assessment of the raw material acquisition stage is generally based on secondary data fromdatabases. At the time of publication, to collect appropriate data related to raw materials transport and to
separate data related to raw material acquisition stage and production stage is considered challenging due
to LCA tool limitations, lack of data, limitations in data granularity and the nature of ICT supply chains.
It is important that all transports within and between life cycle stages are included in the assessment, for instancetransports of goods between production and use stages shall be taken into account. The data collected shall be structured
in such a way that the GHG emissions and energy consumption/environmental impact arising from the transport
processes could be reported transparently as far as possible.
It is optional to include the construction of plants in which ICT or Support goods are manufactured.

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Table 2 in clause 6.2.3.1 defines the detailed life cycle stages which further defines the system boundary and which are
to be considered when assessing the life cycle impact of ICT goods, networks and services. In particular, it is important
to cover all processes which are marked as mandatory in that table.
The system boundaries outline the life cycle activities that are of relevance to define the life cycle of the ICT goods,
Networks and Services to be assessed. Within these system boundaries, the cut-off rules according to clause 6.2.4 shallapply. This means that activities that are found negligible may be cut-off although they are within the system boundary.
The study report should transparently show and justify whenever processes marked with Mandatory are not taken into
account.
Throughout the life cycle some processes will reoccur several times, e.g. unit processes associated with the life cycle
impact of electricity use, transports and travel. These processes are referred to as generic processes and are further
described in annex D.
Also annex M gives additional information on the different stages and on the interfaces between the processes.

6.1.2

The goods, networks and services Product System

The ICT goods, networks and services product system to be assessed shall be clearly described as well as relevant
functions and characteristics.

6.1.2.1

ICT goods

For the ICT good under study, applicable types of parts, as well as the amounts of these, shall be defined.
In-depth information about the product composition is required before setting the system boundary of the product.
Often, bill of material (BOM) data (where parts information including mass and material composition is listed) is
necessary to understand the full product composition. Table E.1 provides generic information about the composition of
ICT goods. A process tree showing the interconnectivity among parts and various items in each life cycle of ICT goods
can be developed using the product composition information. By arranging parts in descending order of mass and by
calculating the cumulative mass of each part, a basis is given for a cut-off of insignificant parts from the productsystem. Note however that other cut-off criteria shall apply as well.

6.1.2.2

ICT networks

An ICT network is an ICT based infrastructure which offers the possibility to transfer voice and/or data between
different access points, usually referred to as nodes and also further on to the end users (e.g. represented by a mobile
phone or a PC).
ICT networks are often grouped into fixed and wireless networks. Each ICT network consists of:a)customer premises (e.g. terminal, terminating goods and protectors);b)

access network goods (e.g. telephone poles, conduits, changers, local switches and base stations); andc)core networks (e.g. routers and transmitters).

Figure 5 gives an example of the physical layer of a fixed network.

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Cable

Protector

Local modem
Terminal
equipment

Terminating
seta) Customer premises

Telephonepole

ConduitRouterb) Access network equipmentc) Core network
L.1410(12)_F05

Figure 5: Fixed telecommunication network - simplified physical view
Ultimately the total network may be studied, taking into account both fixed and wireless networks and the connection
between them. However, a study may also focus on just a part of the network. In the goal and scope phase it shall beoutlined which network building blocks are covered.
For the ICT network under study, applicable types of nodes and infrastructure, as well as amounts of these, shall bedefined.
Annex J details the most frequently adopted ICT networks in use today. However, the present document is not restricted
to these networks but shall also apply when assessing any existing or future networks.
Examples of how the functional unit, system boundaries and the data to be gathered may be defined are given inannex K.

6.1.2.3

ICT services

For the ICT service under study, applicable types of ICT network elements and infrastructure, as well as the amounts ofthese, shall be defined.

6.1.3
6.1.3.1

Handling of software
GeneralSoftware shall be considered as well as hardware.
Any ICT good, network or service consists of both hardware and software which both impacts, e.g. the production anduse stages. Moreover, software may also be an assessment target in itself. For the production stage softwaredevelopment impacts on the number of people involved in the development work and thus impacts on the amount ofbuildings and travel associated with the development of the ICT good or Network, in the same way as hardware
development. For the use stage the software impacts, e.g. maintenance and energy use. In general it is not relevant todistinguish between software and hardware impact for the use stage but rather to focus on the impact from the ICT
goods or Network or Service as such.
For specific software applications, such as music distribution applications, the software is to be seen as an ICT service
and shall be assessed according to the requirements outlined for services. In these cases the hardware needed to operate
the software shall be considered as well. This development is either within B1.3 or B1.1.11 (see figure 9) depending on
where the software is developed.
Due to the uncertainties of allocation it is optional to consider the embedded impact from use of generic operating
systems and other widely spread software (e.g. simulation tools) when assessing the software impact, also the life cycle
impact of this software may be considered negligible for the users of the operating systems.
However, for the developer of this software the impact of the usage of this software shall be taken into account.

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6.1.3.2

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Assessment of software

Many software products are used in ICT goods, Networks and Services. The software categories include, but are notlimited to, operating systems, middleware (information system management, databases, etc.), application software(software for electronic applications, etc.) and software customized for specific users, according to the structure shownin figure 6.
Customized software
Application software
Middleware...

Middleware

Operating system (OS)L.1410(12)_F04

Figure 6: Software structure of an ICT system (example)
A user, e.g. an operator, often designs or purchases customized software and also purchases other shared software.
Table 1 goes further than figure 6 and provides the corresponding allocation principles.
Table 1: Classification and allocation principles for ICT software
Type

Classification

Allocation embedded ofenvironmental impact

Category

1

Customized softwaredeveloped specifically for or by
the user

2

Application software (e.g. system software
1/L (see note)for electronic application)
1/M (see note)
Shared software developed for Middleware(e.g. information system management,
general purposes
database and others)
Operating system
1/N (see note)
L = sales volume of Application software (e.g. system software for electronic application)
M = sales volume of Middleware
N = sales volume of Operating system.

3

4
NOTE:

Customized software1

It is not necessary to report the sales volumes L, M and N.
As stated in clause 6.1.3.1, generic operating systems should not be included in assessments performed by its user as theuncertainty of allocation is high.
For details on assessment of software, refer to annex A.

6.1.4

Operating lifetime

Operating lifetime is critical for the interpretation of the results of LCAs and shall therefore always be reported whenpresenting LCA results. Operating lifetime estimates and assumptions shall also be clearly described in the reporting.
Operating lifetime can only be defined for goods. In general the lifetime of an ICT network cannot be defined as a
network lifetime with one start date and one end date, instead the network is continuously built out, upgraded etc. andthe associated operating lifetimes are therefore the lifetimes of the individual nodes. The same is valid for ICT services.
However, in some cases temporary networks could be established for a limited amount of time. For such networks an
operating lifetime is applicable.

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Operating lifetime should be based on available information on actual goods use (e.g. statistics for similar goods,
networks and services or information on commercial lifetime) and should model a real operating lifetime as closely as
possible. If information on actual use of goods, networks and services cannot be found, economical statistics may be
used to estimate operating lifetime, e.g. depreciation time. However, such estimates are considered as less accurate andshould be avoided.
NOTE:

If the LCA is used to estimate historic environmental impact, actual use time may be available and canthen be used. In most cases an actual operating lifetime is not available and estimates are needed.

Storage time is not included in operating lifetime.
When available, results for a known extended operating lifetime, taking into account also any reuse should be reported
together with any corresponding information about the first use. Extended operating lifetime is estimated according to
the same principles as the (first) operating lifetime.

6.2

Goal and scope definition

6.2.1

Goal and scope of the study

In accordance with ISO 14040 [1], the goal of an LCA states:•

the intended application;•

the reasons for carrying out the study;•

the intended audience, i.e. those to whom the results of the study are intended to be communicated;•

whether the results are intended to be used in comparative assertions intended to be disclosed to the public.

During the LCA scoping phase the building blocks of the ICT goods, Networks or Services shall be identified including
software.
NOTE:

These building blocks are preferably identified from functional block diagrams provided, e.g. by systemengineers/architects.

Schematically three main levels of targeted product systems exist:•

Goods (ICT goods and Support goods).

•

Network (ICT Network).

•

Services (ICT Service).

In addition software may be assessed according to clause 6.1.3.
All these product systems use ICT goods which follow the life cycle stages introduced in clause 6.1.1 and further
described in this clause.
Goods refer to the different physical products, with associated software, constituting the Network. ICT and Support
goods consist of, e.g. Electronic Parts, Mechanical Parts, Cooling Parts and Cables.
Printed circuit board assemblies (PCBA) and shelves are examples of included Parts. The PCBAs consist of printed
circuit boards, integrated circuits and other parts.
In summary, any ICT goods, including end-user ICT goods, which can be part of a Network delivering voice and/or
data lies within the scope of the present document. A hierarchical view is suitable for describing Networks. At the top
level different types of ICT goods can be identified, e.g. Network nodes, End-user goods and Services such as videoconferencing.

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6.2.2
6.2.2.1

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Functional unit
GeneralIt is required to define a functional unit for the LCA. The functional unit shall be chosen in accordance with the goaland scope of the LCA. An ICT goods, Network or Service has a number of possible functions and the one(s) selected
for an LCA depend(s) on the goal and scope of the specific LCA. e.g. a mobile phone/device may have several
functions: phone calls, text messaging, emailing, use the internet, camera, music player, etc.
The functional unit defines the performance characteristics delivered by the ICT goods, networks and services being
studied. The functional unit shall have a function and a quantifiable unit measuring the performance of that function.
The functional unit requires inclusion of the relevant quantifiable properties and the technical/functional performance ofthe system. This means that the operating lifetime of all included ICT goods shall be specified and also the number ofusers/subscribers supported by the Network and the traffic profile shall be included where applicable.
The primary purpose of a functional unit is to provide a reference to which the inputs and outputs are related or
normalized (in a mathematical sense). Such a reference is necessary to ensure comparability of LCA results.
Comparability of LCA results is particularly critical when different systems are being assessed, to ensure that suchcomparisons are made on a common basis Equivalency between two systems shall be ensured by selection of a relevant
function and functional unit.
NOTE 1: Comparisons are only possible if assumptions and other conditions are equivalent.
NOTE 2: The identification of the common basis could be challenging for comparisons of ICT Services andreference product systems. It is important to determine the reference flow in each product system, in orderto fulfil the intended function, i.e. the amount of products needed to fulfil the function.
The functional unit shall be clearly defined and measurable.
Based on the functional unit, the reference flow (amount of ICT goods, ICT network or ICT service needed to fulfil thefunction) is determined. The reference flow shall reflect the chosen functional unit.
Example (laptop):
The function experienced by a user of an (offline) laptop is the ability to handle documents, use multimedia, etc. The
corresponding functional unit could then be usage of laptop applications, ten hours per week during an operating
lifetime (e.g. 4 years). The corresponding reference flow is defined as one laptop sales package.
Comparing LCAs and tracking performance changes over time require that the assessments are based on the samefunction and functional unit. Therefore, selecting the right function(s) of the studied product is crucial to track emission
reductions over time.
Quantitative and qualitative aspects needed to define the function should be considered when defining the functional
unit, e.g. data transmitting speed for a certain quality level, the number of users/subscribers supported and the traffic
profile.
A well-defined functional unit thus considers the following aspects:•

the magnitude of the function or service;•

the duration or operating lifetime of that function or service;•

the expected level of quality.

Specific attention on selection of the functional unit for goods is needed if the goal of the result from the LCA study is
to communicate the results to the public in order to enable a correct interpretation of the results.
NOTE 3: Comparisons are only possible if assumptions and other conditions are equivalent.
The explanation of the common basis could be challenging for comparisons of ICT Services and reference productsystems. It is important to determine the reference flow in each product system, in order to fulfil the intended function,i.e. the amount of products needed to fulfil the function.

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6.2.2.2

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

ICT goods

The functional unit shall be chosen in the context of goal and scope of the LCA and shall be further clarified by systemboundary and cut-off rules. ICT goods LCA results may be further used as basis for Networks and Services LCA.
To comply with the present document, the following functional unit shall be applied where applicable:•annual ICT goods use (per one year of ICT good use); or•

total ICT good use per lifetime of ICT good.

For relevant LCA results realistic use scenarios shall be captured. Additionally, other more specific functional units
may be applied as well based on the scope and purpose of the LCA.
For ICT goods, additional more specific functional units may also be considered when the result is presented, e.g. thetime during which one uses a phone and the number of e-mails sent. The reference flow could be one sales package ofan ICT good (e.g. one server, one PC or one phone), including all inbox materials package may vary from one package
to another package or from company to company, the content considered should be described in the assessment together
with the results.
Example (mobile phone):
The function of overall usage of a mobile phone is studied from cradle to grave. The mobile phone provides several
sub-functions, e.g. phone calls, text messages, e-mails, use of Internet, camera and music player, but in this case theaggregated use of the phone is the focus. The function is thus the provision of smart phone capabilities. The functional
unit is then "the use of a model X smartphone during an operating lifetime of three years". The reference flow is one
sales package of the model X smartphone.
Example (software):
The function experienced by a user of a word processor program is to deliver word processing of documents
electronically. The corresponding functional unit could then be the number of pages processed per time unit (e.g. onehour) during the operating lifetime (e.g. three years). Further, the reference flow is defined as one unit of word
processing software (distributed e.g. in a CD with packaging).

6.2.2.3

ICT networks

ICT networks can be seen as a system composed of different types of ICT goods. For the purpose of the present
document the following functional unit shall be applied where applicable for ICT networks used during at least one
year:•

annual network use.

For relevant LCA results realistic use scenarios shall be captured.
Additionally, other more specific functional units may be applied as well based on the scope and purpose of the LCA,
for instance: Annual Network use per amount of users, or per transmitted data, or coverage area (if applicable).
The annual network use should be defined with respect to a traffic scenario to make it possible to define the reference
flow, i.e. the number of different node types needed to perform the intended function.
If using more specific functional units it is recommended to base them on data which is easily understood by the users,
e.g. the functional unit of the circuit switching type and the packet switching type should be expressed in terms ofcommunication time and amount of information, respectively.
To achieve consistency between LCAs for ICT, it is recommended to always use the basic functional unit and then to
add others as needed.
It shall be noted that comparison between different systems shall reflect the information flow as well. Furthermore,
ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2] standards state that comparison between results from different studies is not allowed
unless the studies are based on the same assumptions. The conclusion is that great care shall be taken before using suchstudies for any kind of comparison to other systems.

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Example (ICT network):
A mobile telecommunication system has a large number of different functions working on different system levels. Froman end-user customer point of view the basic function of a mobile communication system is to be able to communicate.
The basic functionality of a mobile communication system is thus the possibility to communicate with speech and data
"anywhere, anytime".
The functional unit is "one year of operation of a mobile communication system". To be able to make comparisons
between different systems and to make the functional unit unambiguous, it shall be noted that the mobile
communication system shall be defined further, with a number of factors such as the number of subscribers and thecoverage area. A traffic model shall also be defined. It is possible also to relate the results of one system to the numberof subscribers it supports. The functional unit may then be expressed as "one year of operation of a mobile
communication system per subscriber".
The reference flow is the number of goods needed to perform the requested function.

6.2.2.4

ICT services

For the purpose of the present document, the following functional unit shall be applied where applicable:•annual Service use.

For relevant LCA results realistic use scenarios shall be captured.
Additionally, other more specific functional units may be applied as well based on the scope and purpose of the LCA.
Corresponding realistic use scenarios shall be defined. The annual Service use shall be defined with respect to the usage
scenario to make it possible to define the reference flow, i.e. a series of ICT goods involved with an ICT service toperform the functional unit. Generally these amounts are based on an allocation of network capacity between the service
under study and other services.

6.2.3
6.2.3.1

System boundaries
GeneralNOTE 1: Clause 4.2.3.3 of ISO 14044 [2] also applies.
The system boundaries define the unit processes across the life cycle of the studied ICT goods, networks and services
that are to be assessed in terms of data collection and calculation of environmental load.
The life cycle stages and the unit processes that shall apply to the analysed product system are those required forproviding its function as defined by its functional unit. The selection of the system boundary shall be consistent with thegoal of the study. Consequently, the system boundaries here define the life cycle stages and the unit processes that shallbe taken into account in an LCA of an ICT product system.
Figure 7 shows the system boundary of an LCA of ICT goods, Networks and Services. The boxes A to D denote the life
cycle stages of the ICT product system. The boxes for G1 to G7 in figure 7 denote generic processes that reoccur
several times during these life cycle stages. These processes are further defined in annex D.

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G1.
TRANSPORTS&TRAVELETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

A: GOOD RAW MATERIALACQUISITION
A1. Raw material extraction
A2. Raw material processing

G2. ELECTRICITYSUPPLYG3. FUEL SUPPLY

G4. OTHER ENERGYSUPPLY

G5. RAW MATERIALAQUISITION
G5.1. Raw material
extraction
G5.2. Raw material
processing

G6. END-OF-LIFE
TREATMENT
G6.1 EHW treatment
G6.2 Other waste
treatment

B: PRODUCTION
B1. ICT goods production
B1.1 Parts production
B1.2 Assembly
B1.3 ICT manufacturer support activities
B2. Support goods production
B2.1 Support goods manufacturing
B3 ICT specific site construction

C: USE
C1. ICT goods use
C2. Support goods use
C3. Operator support activities

C4. Service provider support activities

D: GOOD END-OF-LIFE TREATMENT
D1.Preparation for Re–use of ICT Good
D2. ICT specific EoLT
D2.1
Storage/Disassembly/Dismantling/Shredding
D2.2 Recycling
D3. Other EoLT

G7. RAW MATERIALRECYCLING
System boundary

Figure 7: The system boundary of the product system for LCA of ICT goods, Networks or Services

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Table 2 further details the life cycle stages to be included in LCAs of ICT goods, Networks and Services. The different
life cycle stages are further described in clauses 6.2.3.3.2 to 6.2.3.3.5. Mandatory life cycle stages or unit processes
shall not be cut-off before considered for inclusion by using alternate data. However, on a more detailed level, not alllife cycle processes shall apply to all product systems, e.g. even if Parts production (B1.1, figure 9) is mandatory not all
Parts given in annex E are applicable to all studied product systems.
Table 2: Classification of life cycle stages/unit processes
Tag

Life cycle
stage/Process

Unit process

Class

Good Raw Material Acquisition
Raw
A1material
extraction
Raw
A2material
processing
B
Production
B1
ICT goods production
Parts production (for further details refer to
B1.1
annex E)
B1.2
Assembly (see note 2)
B1.3
ICT manufacturer support activities
B2
Support goods production

ICT goods

Network

Service

Mandatory

Mandatory

Mandatory

Mandatory

Mandatory

Mandatory

Mandatory

Mandatory

Mandatory

A

B2.1

B3

C1

C2

C3

C4

Mandatory if
Support goods
is included in
Mandatory
the studied
product system

Support goods manufacturing

Mandatory

ICT specific Site construction
Mandatory if
Site
construction is
included in thestudied productsystem.
Recommended Recommended
Recommended
if Support
goods isincluded in thestudied productsystemConstruction of ICT specific Site(see notes 1 and 3)

B3.1

C

Mandatory
Mandatory
Mandatory
Recommended Recommended Recommended

Use
ICT goods
use

Mandatory

Mandatory

Mandatory

Supportgoods use

Mandatory if
Support goods
is included in
Mandatory
the studied
product system

Mandatory

Operator
supportactivities(see
note 3)Serviceprovidersupportactivities(see
note 3)

ETSI

Optional

Recommended Recommended

Not applicable

Optional

Recommended

33Life cycle
Unit process
stage/Process
D
Goods End of Life Treatment
Preparationof ICT
D1
Mandatory
goods forRe-useICT
D2
specific
EoLT
D2.1
Storage/Disassembly/Dismantling/Shredding Mandatory
D2.2
Recycling
Mandatory
D3
Other EoLT
Mandatory
NOTE 1: Include both construction of site for Support goods and ICT goods.
NOTE 2: Includes soldering of PCBAs.
NOTE 3: Not applicable for End-user goods.
Tag

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Class

Mandatory

Mandatory

Mandatory
Mandatory
Mandatory

Mandatory
Mandatory
Mandatory

In table 2 "Mandatory" means that the life cycle stage, if applicable to the studied product system, shall always be taken
into account in an LCA for ICT.
A more detailed overview (figure N.1), showing the detailed content and connection between all life cycle stages, isshown in annex N. Guidance on how to interpret table 2 for different stakeholders is given in clause 6.2.5.2.
All stages in the life cycle are associated with various kinds of organizational activities, in the present document
referred to as support activities. The term support activities include the activities directly associated with thedeliverables of the organization, e.g. development, marketing and sales. Additionally it also covers all other activities
needed for the organization to function, e.g. researchers, human resources staff, educational staff, etc. allocated to thereference flow. All these different categories involve the use of buildings and travelling. For the ICT manufacturer,
Operator and Service providers the support activities are indicated explicitly in table 2 (B1.3, C.3 and C.4) and specified
in clauses 6.2.3.3.3 to 4. For all other activities of table 2 support activities are seen as an integrated part of the activity.
It is recommended to include impact from support activities wherever possible. See annex C.
NOTE 2: It could be argued that support activities representing processes under the financial or operational controlof the organization undertaking the LCA should be mandatory to include whereas others are seen as
optional. In the present document all support activities are handled in the same way as that approach
would give better figures for companies with higher degree of outsourcing.

6.2.3.2

The use of unit processes

Each life cycle stage (A to D) is further refined into activities, referred to as unit processes, which represent the basic
physical flows (materials and energy) of the life cycle.
A unit process typically represents a production facility but can also model an office or even a vehicle. Annexes B, G
and N give more details on modelling of unit processes and applicable inputs and outputs.

6.2.3.3

ICT goods

6.2.3.3.1

GeneralThe system boundary of the ICT goods should encompass all life cycle stages specified in clause 6.1.1 and in table 2.
In order to set the system boundary of ICT goods the life cycle stages listed in clause 6.1.1 shall be detailed. Further
guidance is given in table 2, annex D, annex E, annex F and annex N. As stated in clause 6.1.3, the environmental
impact from both hardware and software shall be considered, if applicable.
For the ICT good under study, applicable types of parts, as well as amounts of these, shall be defined.
In-depth information about the product composition is required before setting the system boundary of the product as
described in clause 6.1.2.1.

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6.2.3.3.2

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Goods Raw materials acquisition

Goods Raw Material Acquisition (A) starts with the extraction (A1) of natural resources (e.g. iron ore, crude oil, etc.)
and ends with the transport of Raw Materials from Raw materials processing (A2) to Part Production facilities.
A2 deals with the processing of extracted Raw Materials (e.g. iron ore pellets) into processed Raw Materials (e.g. steel
sheet, copper wire, etc.). Goods Raw Material Acquisition is the life cycle stage for ICT goods as defined in figure 8.
As Raw Materials are used as additives in every life cycle stage, Raw Material acquisition can additionally be regarded
as a generic process (G5).
Annex H (table H.1) provides a mandatory set of Raw Materials (both ICT specific and generic) which shall be
included in the LCA of ICT goods.
As shown in figure 8, Raw Material Extraction and Raw Material Processing are within the system boundary of Raw
Materials Acquisition.

A1. Raw material
extraction
B.
PRODUCTION

A2. Raw material
processing

G7. RAW MATERIALRECYCLING

System boundary

Figure 8: The system boundary of goods Raw material acquisition
in LCA of ICT goods

6.2.3.3.3

Production

The Production (B) starts with the Parts Production and ends with the transport of ICT goods and Support goods to Use(C). The system boundary for Production, shown in figure 9, includes ICT goods Production and Support goods
Production.
NOTE 1: Detailed flow chart figures are provided in each unique LCA project.
It is optional to include the construction of plants in which the ICT goods are assembled.
In case Support goods is part of the studied product system, Support goods Production (B2) is mandatory.
It is optional to include the construction of plants in which the Support goods are assembled.
As a starting point B2 and B3 are optional for ICT goods LCAs as the variance in solution may vary significantly bothfor B2.1 and B3.1 between markets and operators.
NOTE 2: However, for LCAs referring to specific conditions it is encouraged to include also B2 and B3 in thestudied ICT product system as Support goods can have a significant impact on the use stage for an ICT
solution.

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B1.1 Parts production
B1.1.1 Batteries
B1.1.2 Cables
B1.1.3 Electro-mechanics
B1.1.4 Integrated circuits
B1.1.5 Mechanics / Materials
B1.1.6 Displays
B1.1.7 PCBs
B1.1.8 Other PCBA
components
B1.1.9 Packaging materials
B1.1.10 Black box modules
B1.1.11 Software

B1.2 Assembly
C. USE
B1.3 ICT manufacturer support
activities

B2.1 Support equipment
manufacturing

B3 ICT specific site
construction

A. GOOD RAW
MATERIAL
AQUISITION
Systemboundary
Figure 9: The system boundary of Production in LCA of ICT goods
The ICT goods Production (B1) consists of Parts Production (B1.1) and Assembly (B1.2) and ICT manufacturer
support Activities (B1.3).
Annex E lists a mandatory set of Parts to be included where applicable to the studied ICT product system, when
performing an LCA of ICT goods, as well as mandatory Part unit processes which shall be included for each Part.
As an example, if batteries are part of the studied ICT goods product system they shall be included in within the systemboundary and for every battery the Battery Cell manufacturing and Battery module manufacturing shall be included.
Except for Parts listed in annex E, other Parts may be as important and should be considered as well.
Note that Parts can be complex modules themselves consisting of several other Part types as building blocks.
The Assembly (B1.2) shall include as minimum PCBA Module Assembly, Final Assembly, Warehousing andPackaging.
For B1.2 it is optional to include Testing and Repair.
NOTE 3: Production yields may have an influence on the final results.

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If included, for ICT manufacturer support activities (B1.3) see general guidance on support activities annex C.
Support goods (B2.1) which shall be included if applicable to the studied product system include at least air
conditioners, cables and power supply systems.
As stated in table 2 Construction of ICT specific Site (B3) is mandatory if the ICT specific site is included in the studied
product system. Depending on the specific case at hand, a site can be pre-produced or constructed on place. Sitebuilding blocks needed for B3.1, which at least shall be included if applicable to the studied product system, are antenna
towers, fences and shelters.
Support activities for ICT manufacturer (B1.3) are specifically indicated in figure 9. Regarding other support activities
for Support goods production and Parts Production, please refer to the general principles in clause 6.2.3.1.

6.2.3.3.4

Use

The Use stage starts with the Installation of ICT goods and Support goods and ends with the de-installation just before
the transport to EoLT. As shown in figure 10, the use stage includes ICT goods Use (C1), Support goods Use (C2),
Operator support activities (C3) and Service provider support activities (C4).
(C1) and (C2) include energy supply during the operating lifetime of the ICT goods.
Operator support activities (C3) which should at least be included are installation and de-installation of ICT goods andoperation and maintenance of the ICT goods and Support goods, including associated transports and travel. The
maintenance includes replacing, e.g. PCBAs. The Raw Material Acquisition and Production for the additional PCBAs
and other goods used during the operating lifetime of the ICT goods are mandatory. The additional Raw Material
Acquisition and Production impacts from spare parts and Support goods are reported in Raw Material Acquisition and
Production and EoLT results. The spare parts management is typically shared between ICT goods manufacturer andOperator and should be considered if applicable to the studied system.
Service provider support activities (C4) see general guidance on support activities annex C.
NOTE:

An example of a Service provider support activity is the development of an "app" for smart phones.

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

C1. ICT Goods use
C2. Support Goods Use

D.
EoLT

C3. Operator support
activities
C3.1 Installation
C3.2
Operation&MaintenanceC3.3 De-installation

C4. Service provider support
activities

Systemboundary

B. PRODUCTION

Figure 10: The system boundary of Use in LCA of ICT goods

6.2.3.3.5

End-of-life treatment (EoLT)

EoLT starts with the transport of de-installed ICT goods and/or Support goods to
Storage/Disassembly/Dismantling/Shredding facilities and ends with the waste treatment of ICT goods and Support
goods.
NOTE 1: The first destination for the de-installed ICT goods depends on the goal and scope of the specific LCA
study (studied ICT product system).
Raw Material Recycling (G7) starts after the EoLT.
As shown in figure 11, Preparation of ICT goods for Re-use of ICT goods (D1), ICT specific EoLT (D2) and Other
EoLT (D3) are within the mandatory system boundary for EoLT.
NOTE 2: Refurbishing and remanufacturing are applications of Re-use.
ICT specific EoLT is applicable to the ICT goods itself and also applies to ICT based Support goods.
Other EoLT mainly deals with non-ICT based Support goods.

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D1 Preparation of ICT Goods for
Re–useD2 ICT specific EoLT
D2.1
Storage/Disassembly/Dismantling/
ShreddingD2.2 Recycling
D2.2.1 Battery recycling
ICT specific metal/mechanicalparts/fractions EoLT
D2.2.2 PCBA recycling
D2.2.3 Cable recycling
D2.2.4 Mechanics recycling
D2.2.5 Other ICT Part recycling

G7. RAW
MATERIAL
RECYCLING

D3. Other EoLT

System boundary
C. USE
Figure 11: The system boundary of goods EoLT in LCA of ICT goods
The ICT specific EoLT (D2) in LCA of ICT goods includes Transport from Use to
Storage/Disassembly/Dismantling/Shredding processes (D2.1) and Recycling Processes D2.2.1-5 for Batteries, PCBAs,
Cables, Mechanics and other ICT Parts.
The output from these Recycling Processes is not Raw Materials but rather products which the Raw Material Recycling(G7) can use (e.g. Lead anode from D2.2.1, Copper wire from D2.2.3, Aluminium frame from D2.2.4, Plastic
constituent of Cartridge from D2.2.5).
It has to be judged from case to case which treatments (PCBA, recycling, etc.) shall apply to ICT goods and Support
goods, respectively.
Annex F lists a mandatory set of EoLT processes to be included where applicable when performing an LCA of ICT
goods which includes the EoLT stage.

6.2.3.4

ICT Networks

The aggregated impact of an ICT network equals the sum of the impact from the different goods constituting the ICT
network. When aggregating results, data should be based on equivalent assumptions or use scenarios.
As the ICT network operation depends on several types of software, including the software program needed to run the
primary subscription service, as outlined in applicable standards (e.g. 3GPP for LTE), the impact from the developmentof such software should be included in the assessment.
For each type of ICT good constituting the ICT Network, the rules defined for ICT goods in the present document shallapply.
Though it is acknowledged that LCA results for ICT goods that comply with the present document may not be available
for all ICT goods, such data takes precedence over other data.

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The Network shall be defined in terms of ICT goods, Support goods and ICT infrastructure (e.g. cables duct). For each
included product types number of units shall be defined as well as corresponding lifetime. For each type of ICT goods
the rules defined for ICT goods in the present document applies for the assessment. For the reporting the same reporting
rules applies but it is also allowed to aggregate the results to network level.
Annex P shows typical ICT goods of which the Network consists.
As stated before, each of these goods is associated with Support goods for powering and cooling, as well as the ICT
specific Site infrastructure.
For assessment of Networks, operator activities shall be included.
Services provider activities and data centres are to be seen as recommended activities.

6.2.3.5

ICT Services

6.2.3.5.1

GeneralThe operation of an ICT Network could be described as the operation of several ICT services working in parallel,
among which there is the primary subscription service which allows transfer of voice and data, but also different
applications. Thus, to calculate the impact of an ICT service, it is generally necessary to assess the ICT network, as
outlined in the previous clause and if necessary (i.e. in a multi-service situation) allocate an appropriate amount of this
impact to the ICT service under study. For details on allocations refer to clause 6.3.3.9.
The system boundary requirements defined for ICT networks shall apply also to ICT services but with some additions,listed below.
In addition to the use of ICT goods and networks, an ICT service may also have additional impacts associated withapplication software development, use of consumables, infrastructure for sales and logistics, associated travel andtransport (in addition to those already included for the ICT goods and networks) which shall also be included whenapplicable. Often these activities are part of the overall service provider activities.
The impact of the data centres where the service is operated shall be assessed. The associated activities of the service
provider should also be considered. Service provider support activities consist of, e.g. offices and business travel, like
operator support activities and may also include the activities listed above.
Important data that defines the hardware associated with the service is the number of servers, storage and network
goods units, their energy consumption and the data centre overhead energy consumption for cooling and power systems(including back-up power).
The data centre shall be studied and assessed in the same way as other ICT goods and support goods.
The usage of the ICT services provided by the ICT network shall be established based on the actual use scenario of the
ICT services.
If the actual scenario is unavailable an estimated use scenario can be used which e.g. cover the energy consumption, any
waste disposal or emissions due to the services during the period which the services are provided.
It is optional to include the production/realization of the data centre infrastructure, e.g. the construction of the data
centre building and cooling and power infrastructure.
NOTE:

6.2.3.5.2

If the ICT Service offers the possibility to replace an already existing Service reference product system(i.e. an e-health solution replacing hospital visits), a comparative study that includes the reduced impact
from this change has to be carried out to get a more complete understanding of impact of the Service. For
further details refer to Part II.

Eight items to consider

The following eight checklist items should be considered in the system boundary setting of ICT Services, including
their associated goods and Networks, to identify activities associated with their life cycle and usage.
These checklist items may then also be used to structure data and reporting but other structures are also possible.
NOTE 1: It is important to avoid that double-accounting takes place between the eight checklist items.

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1)

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

ICT hardware

This checklist item refers to the life cycle impact of ICT goods and Networks, for instance PCs, printers, base stations
or core nodes. The use of materials and the energy consumption should be considered at each life cycle stage. See
previous clauses (6.2.3.3 ICT goods and 6.2.3.4 ICT networks) for details.
2)

ICT softwareThis checklist item refers to the life cycle impact (including design, development and use) of ICT software(e.g. individual software, packages, middleware and operating systems). Examples of software impact are the use ofelectricity and paper by the designers. See previous clause (6.2.3.5.1 ICT service - General) for details.
NOTE 2: In practice it may be hard to assess use of SW and HW separately.
3)

Consumables and other supportive productsThis checklist item refers to life cycle impact of consumables and other supportive products needed for the utilization of
the ICT product system. The supportive products include for instance, information printouts, information media(e.g. CDs and DVDs) and printer cartridges.
4)

Site infrastructureThis checklist item refers to life cycle impact of facilities providing ICT-related services for the assessed ICT (ICTsites) and associated goods, e.g. cooling and power supply. Depending on the scope of the assessment, buildings could
also be considered. Examples of sites are base station sites and data centres.
5)

Transport (movement of goods)

This checklist item refers to the impact from transportation of all the goods within the ICT product system boundary
except ones included in 1) 'ICT hardware' or 'ICT software'. Examples of such goods are courier of documents anddelivery of newspaper. This includes use of fuels as well as fuel supply chains of trucks, trains, planes, etc.
NOTE 3: Except for fuel supply chain, only use stage need to be considered for transport.
6)

Travel (movement of people)

This checklist item refers to the impact from travel, not related to ICT hardware and software. This checklist item
includes commuting, professional travel and travel by customers depending on scope and purpose of the study. It
includes the use of fuels as well as fuel supply chains of cars, trains, buses, etc.
7)

Storage of goods

This checklist item refers to the storage of products not related in ICT hardware and software such as ICT goods,
document archives, etc., in an applicable storage place. This implies in particular that the energy consumption forcooling and lighting should be considered.
8)

Working environment

This checklist item refers to the use of working environments by the personnel of an organization for business purposes,
not related to ICT hardware and software. This checklist item mainly deals with the use of buildings but tentatively thebuilding life cycle could also be considered. The associated impact includes the energy consumption from cooling or
heating systems, lighting, PCs, etc. This checklist item includes all utilization of the working environment applicable toall the other checklist items.
NOTE 4: The office could sometime be located in a factory or a home. Production areas of factories belong tochecklist item 1.
Annex K defines a method which shall be considered for assessing the environmental impact of the working
environment.
The intention of the eight checklist items above is to ensure that all relevant impacts are considered for all life cycle
stages when defining the impact from a product system viewpoint. These are typical items to be often considered, butother items may be considered as well depending on study.

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For example, the assessment of a telepresence service may include ICT hardware (telepresence audio sets, networks andservers), ICT software (telepresence software), site infrastructure (facility for servers), travel (business trip for setting
telepresence system and having meetings) and working environment (cooling and lightning of the meeting room) may
be needed to consider.
Table 3 illustrates the relationships between the checklist items and the life cycle stages.
Table 3: Mapping of checklist items on life cycle stages
Life cycle stage/Category

Raw material
acquisition

Production

Use

EoLT

ICT hardware
ICT software
Consumables and other supportive
products
Site infrastructure
Transport (movement of goods)
Travel (movement of people)
Storage of goods
Working environment

The purpose of table 3 is to check whether all relevant items for data collection are included, it may not be part of theoverall assessment reporting.
Energy consumption, material inputs and environmental releases shall be assessed in accordance with the systemboundary. The checklist items above should be considered to structure energy and material inputs and environmental
releases.
In terms of assessment, the checklist items may be considered separately or together depending on the purpose andscope of the study. Also whether this table is for internal purpose or for public disclosure depends on studies.

6.2.4

Cut-off rules

NOTE 1: Clause 4.2.3.3.3 of ISO 14044 [2] also applies.
Cut-off in an LCA is defined as the process for the exclusion of input and output flows associated with unit processes
from the product system. Several cut-off criteria exist and are further outlined below. By invoking cut-off, theassessment can be simplified by excluding processes that will not significantly change the overall conclusions of thestudy, as long as the intended application is met.
Cut-offs shall be avoided as far as possible. An alternative to cut-off is often to model unavailable data based on known
data. However, if cut-offs are performed, careful considerations are required.
ISO 14044 [2], clause 4.2.3.3 gives general guidance, especially with regard to mass, energy and environmental
significance and cumulative considerations. ISO 14044 [2], clause 4.2.3.3 recommendations shall be used as closely as
possible.
All cut-off criteria stated by ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2] are to be considered before cut-off of a certain process and the process shall be included if significant to at least one criterion. The cut-off criteria include mass, energy andenvironmental significance. Regarding the environmental significance criteria, a qualitative approach can be accepted,
as the estimate of the total impact is often not possible at an early stage. Cut-off is only acceptable if allowed by all theabove-mentioned criteria.
NOTE 2: Environmental significance refers to contribution of for instance GHG emissions.
Irrespective of the cut-off method applied, the accumulated effects need careful consideration, to prevent the sum of
cut-offs exceeding the targeted share of the total impact which is acceptable for cut-off.
As a basis for cut-off either modelled, secondary or primary data can be used.
The cut-off is strongly connected to clause 6.2.3 about System boundaries, as system boundary setting can be seen as aqualitative cut-off. Cut-off of processes or input/output data within the system boundaries requires careful considerationand should be avoided.

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An alternative to cut off is often to model unavailable data based on known data. LCA modelling of an ICT good,
network or service involves Mandatory, Recommended and Optional life cycle stages, unit processes and activities.
Obviously 100 % of the environmental impacts of any studied product system are never known a priori. However, thelife cycle stages, unit processes and activities of table 2 together constitute a significant share for typical productsystems in ICT LCAs. The intention of the present document is to include all mandatory activities of table 2. If these
activities are not included such cut-offs shall be clearly motivated.
As the total values of environmental impacts can be difficult to calculate, another alternative cut-off method would be tocreate a reference value based on important activities and to use this reference value to cut-off processes having anegligible contribution compared to that value. Such an approach is especially appropriate when a limited number ofprocesses or phases of a single aspect of the life cycle, contribute by a disproportionate amount to the overall impact. To
establish the reference value, secondary data is considered sufficient.
Any cut-off made shall be clearly described and documented. Activities, processes and flows that have been cut-off
should be included in the sensitivity analysis.
For practical examples on cut-off refer to annex M.

6.2.5
6.2.5.1

Data quality requirements
GeneralIn general, data used should reduce bias and uncertainty as far as practicable by using the best quality data achievable.
Also data that is more specific with respect to time, geography and technology takes precedence over data which is lessspecific. Consequently, primary data is generally preferred to secondary data.
NOTE 1: In some cases secondary data may have lower uncertainty than primary data available.
In addition, highly accurate and precise data is preferred.
If data developed in accordance with the present document is available it takes precedence over other data.
For all data categories the data quality requirements from ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2], clause 4.2.3.6 shall apply.
A qualitative description of the data quality and any efforts taken to improve it shall be disclosed while considering thefollowing data quality indicators:•

Methodological appropriateness and consistency.

•

Completeness (total LCA level).

•

Uncertainty.

•

Data representativeness.

•

Data age (timeliness).

•

Acquisition method.

•

Supplier independence.

•

Geographical correlation.

•

Technological correlation.

•

Cut-off rules (rules of inclusion/exclusion).

NOTE 2: As an example the level of supplier independence could range from "verified data from independentsource" to "unverified information from enterprise interested in the LCA".
For further information on the data quality indicators please refer to annex S.
In the LCA context, data refer to activity data, emission factors and, in some cases, direct emissions.

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In selecting emission factors for use in calculating GHG emissions under this methodology the following guidance shallbe followed.
Emission factors used should be the most up to date from publicly available sources. Where emission factors are
sourced from non public sources, or are not the most up to date ones, a justification for their use shall be provided.
In addition distribution and transport losses from electricity generation should be included.
NOTE 3: While LCA results that comply with the present document take precedence over the other data it may at
the same time lead to situations where in the reuse of previous studies the most up to date emission
factors are not used.
The specific GWP values used shall be those taken from the latest UN IPCC reports. For further guidance see annex W,
table W.1. See also clause 6.3.1.2.3 regarding energy mixes.

6.2.5.2

Specific requirements on data and data sources

In general data age and technological correlation are especially important in LCAs for ICT goods, Networks andServices due to the fast technology evolution and the growth in network traffic. E.g. for data traffic, up-to-date data
shall always be used, e.g. for allocation between Services, as data traffic grows considerably year by year. Older data
therefore tend to give overestimated results for energy use and related emissions per amount of data. The availability of
most recent data may vary from one organization to another.
For support activities (e.g. ICT manufacturer support activities and operator support activities) primary data shall be
used for all individual processes under the financial or operational control of the organization undertaking the LCA anddata shall be representative of the processes for which they are collected.
When available, data compliant with the present document takes precedence before other secondary data sources.
The following requirements (table 4) on data quality shall apply for the different life cycle stages and unit processes.
In general ICT specific data are required for ICT specific processes. However, the complexity of the supply chain is
acknowledged and a representative approach for data are considered as enough for most LCA purposes, i.e. thepractitioner needs not collect data from all suppliers but can focus on a number of representative suppliers whose data
are extrapolated to represent all similar products.
Moreover, it is acknowledged that practitioners from different parts of the value chain have various possibilities to gethold of primary data. One way to handle this situation is the reuse of published data. (e.g. the operator can refer toprevious LCAs of ICT goods but have to ensure that the LCA in question is in compliance with the present document).
Likewise, an operator can use previous LCAs for Networks but has to ensure that these LCA are in compliance with thepresent document. Data have to be collected (or modelled) at least one step up in the value chain. For further guidance
see annex M.
NOTE:This data could be either primary or secondary.
Table 4: Applicable data types per life cycle stage/unit processes

Tag

A
A1

A2

Life cycle
stage

Unit process

Goods Raw Material AcquisitionRawmaterial
extractionRawmaterial
processing

Type of data
Goods

Network

ServiceSecondary data

Secondary data

Secondary data

Secondary data

Secondary data

Secondary data

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Tag

Life cycle
Unit process
stage
B
Production
B1
ICT goods production
B1.1
Parts production (for further
details refer to annex E)
B1.2

Assembly

B1.3

ICT manufacturer support
activities

B2
B2.1

Support goods production
Support goods manufacturing

Type of data

Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata
Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata
Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata

Primary data or
ICT SpecificSecondary data
Primary data or
ICT SpecificSecondary data
Primary data or
ICT SpecificSecondary data

Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondary
data: Amounts, etc.

Primary data or Primary data or ICT
ICT Specific
Specific Secondary
Secondary data: data: Amounts, etc.
Amounts, etc.
Secondary data:
Secondary data: processes
processes

Secondary data:processes
B3
ICT specific site construction
B3.1
ICT specific site construction

Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondary
data: Amounts, etc.
Secondary data:processes

C
C1

Use
ICT goods
use

C2

Supportgoods use

C3

Operator
supportactivities
C4
Serviceprovidersupportactivities
D
Goods End of Life Treatment
D1
Preparation
for Re-useof ICT
goods
D2
ICT
specific
EoLT
D2.1
Storage/Disassembly/Dismantling/
ShreddingETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata
Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata
Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata

Primary data or Primary data or ICT
ICT Specific
Specific Secondary
Secondary data: data: Amounts, etc.
Amounts, etc.
Secondary data:
Secondary data: processes
processes

Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata
Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata
Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata
Not applicablePrimary data or
ICT SpecificSecondary data
Primary data or
ICT SpecificSecondary data
Primary data or
ICT SpecificSecondary data
Primary data or
ICT SpecificSecondary data

Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata
Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata
Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata
Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata

Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata

Primary data or
ICT SpecificSecondary data

Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondarydata

Primary data or ICT Primary data or Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondary
ICT Specific
Specific Secondarydata
Secondary data data
Primary data or ICT Primary data or Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondary
ICT Specific
Specific Secondarydata
Secondary data data
D2.2
Recycling
Primary data or ICT Primary data or Primary data or ICTSpecific Secondary
ICT Specific
Specific Secondarydata
Secondary data data
D3
Other EoLT
Secondary data
Secondary data Secondary data
NOTE 1: For end of life treatment, the term ICT-specific should be interpreted as processes applicable to relevant endof life treatment procedures which may also be used for other electronic goods.
NOTE 2: For the unit processes for which secondary data is recommended, primary data may be used if available.
NOTE 3: In case the impact of ICT specific data and other data do not differ substantially other data sources may be
acceptable.

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6.3

Life cycle inventory (LCI)

6.3.1

Data collection

6.3.1.1

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

GeneralFor data collection, requirements according to ISO 14040 [1], clause 5.3.2 and ISO 14044 [2], clause 4.3.2 shall apply.
Data shall be collected for all mandatory processes outlined in table 2. Further, data shall be collected, for each unit
process that is included within the system boundary, in accordance with annex B for unit processes listed withinannexes D to F. The collected data, whether measured, calculated or estimated, are utilized to quantify the inputs andoutputs of a unit process.
The major headings under which data may be classified are listed in ISO 14044 [2], clause 4.3.2.3.
For specific unit process data, measurements at the operated processes are the preferred option (examples are energy
consumption, area for multilayer printed circuit boards, good die area for integrated circuits (ICs), mass of materials,etc.). In practice other data sources are helpful (e.g. for cross-checks) or even necessary (e.g. in the case of missingdata). This includes but is not limited to, process engineering models, process and product specifications and testing
reports, legal limits, data of similar processes and best available technology (BAT) reference documents.
Before the collection of data can be made, each life cycle stage needs to be refined into items, also referred to as unit
processes, which represent the basic physical flows (materials and energy) of the life cycle. For details on applicable
unit processes for ICT goods, networks and services, refer to clause 6.2.3 "System boundaries".
A unit process typically represents a production facility but can also model an office or even a vehicle. Annexes B and
G as well as annex N give more details on modelling of unit processes and applicable inputs and outputs.
In general, data collected should be as accurate as possible in relation to the purpose of the study, the amount of workneeded, etc. In particular, primary data based on measurements are considered as more accurate than secondary data.
Practically, when working with certain LCA tool and LCI database, e.g. Transports and Travel (G1) and energy supplies(G2-G4) could be included in larger data sets, whereas other LCA tools/LCI databases provide transports/energy supply
separately. The LCA practitioner should report for which processes transports/energy supplies have been added
separately and for which they are "hidden".
The data collection process should be reviewed during the inventory reporting process. It is recognized that there arevarious potential sources for errors that are inherent to studies that encompass a large number of sites and volumes ofseparate data.
The LCA approaches used to date include process sum and economic input/output tables. Both approaches haveadvantages and disadvantages. In the case of ICT goods, networks and services, a process sum approach is generally thepreferred option for evaluating the environmental load. However, situations exist where the process sum may not be thebest approach. This could be the case when the scale and complexity of the material inputs and the dynamic nature of
the supply chains, where assessments based only on process sum could narrow the system boundary (due to a lack ofavailable data or the time and resources required to capture it) to such an extent that the results will not fully capture theenvironmental load. In this case, a hybrid approach may be applied where both process sum and economic input output(EIO) are used for the assessment so as to overcome these barriers. In these cases, the approach used should be fully
documented and all assumptions made fully disclosed.
When data have been collected from public sources, the source shall be referenced. For data that may be significant forthe conclusions of the study, details about the relevant data collection process, the time when data has been collected
and further information about data quality indicators shall be referenced. If such data do not meet the data quality
requirements, this shall be stated. In these cases the approach used should be fully documented and all assumptions
made fully disclosed.

6.3.1.2

ICT goods

Data shall be collected at least for the processes marked with mandatory in table 2, unless these are found negligible inaccordance with the cut-off rules.

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The use stage of ICT goods can show variations depending on operational conditions and therefore needs special
consideration when modelling.
For LCAs of ICT goods, data from representative suppliers, rather than collection of data from all suppliers in thecomplex and dynamic supply chain is considered sufficient.

6.3.1.2.1

Use stage energy consumption of ICT goods

From a data quality perspective, the best way to determine the energy consumption of ICT goods during the use stageis, whenever possible, to measure a large number of ICT goods operating in a live network/ products in real live
operating environments over a long period of time (e.g. a year to capture all aspects of variations in traffic,
temperatures, different use behaviour, climate, etc.). This is facilitated if network goods are equipped with remotely
accessible energy meters. Many network goods are installed in sites with energy meters.
If obtaining data from such measurements is not technically or economically feasible/available, the second bestalternative would be to estimate energy consumption based on available standards for laboratory measurements ofenergy consumption. E.g. for Radio Base Stations, ETSI TS 102 706 [i.1] and Recommendation ITU-T L.1310 [i.5]apply, for estimation of the energy consumption based on available data measured in a laboratory context. This method
will however only give a snapshot of real energy consumption and is considered as less accurate.
The third alternative would be to use estimated or measured energy consumption for a certain traffic profile and user
behaviour. In this case, it should be noted that, for many products (especially end-user goods), periods of idling andpower off may be significant and are important to consider when modelling the traffic profile/model the usage profileand shall be included if applicable.
The Network energy consumption is calculated as the sum of all ICT goods and Support goods energy consumption
values obtained as described above.

6.3.1.2.2

ICT goods data for other life cycle stages

In the absence of primary or ICT specific secondary data for the production stage of ICT goods, use stage to embodied
ratios (i.e. ratio of environmental loads resulting from use stage and those resulting from all life cycle stages other thanthe use-stage) could be used to estimate this data. The LCA results could then be updated based on more detailed data
once available. The method adopted for different data sets should be documented.

6.3.1.2.3

Energy mixes

When calculating the potential environmental impact the LCA practitioner is encouraged to use the most accurate data
for the energy mix that is applicable to the ICT goods under assessment. Particularly the use stage shall use theapplicable electricity mix to calculate the potential environmental impact from the use stage more exactly.
When known, location-specific data on energy mixes for a given locality or region gives the most accurate results.
NOTE:

The electricity mix ought to closely reflect the intended use place for the goods. For further guidance seeannex Q.

For other life cycle stages, representative energy mixes are preferred in accordance with the goal and scope of theassessment.
It is observed that different emission factors for electricity may or may not consider the energy supply and distribution.
As complete emission factors as possible should be used and the comprehensiveness of those should be transparently
reported.
See clause 6.2.5.1 for further guidance on emission factors.
Also, annexes D and M give guidance on how to consider energy mix related matters.

6.3.1.2.4

Handling of LCI results for electricity and energy

During the assessment and when reporting energy consumption, the following inputs should be considered:•electricity (with use stage separated from the other stages);

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)•

other forms of delivered energies (for example district heating and cooling);•

fuels (typically indicates the fuels are combusted on-site or in a vehicle connected to the site).

When reporting both total primary energy and electricity, it is important to note that these two cannot be summarized
because electricity is contributing to the total primary energy.
NOTE:

Primary energy usage, assessed with methods such as Cumulative Energy Demand (CED), is to bereported as LCI result appropriately according to table L.9.

Annex G contains important life cycle inventory (LCI) elementary flows (emissions and resources) and fuels that shallbe considered be taken into account in LCA studies for ICT.

6.3.1.3

ICT networks

As ICT networks consist of ICT goods, the principles in clause 6.3.1.2 shall also apply for data collection of ICT
networks.
Particularly the Network energy consumption is calculated as the sum of all ICT goods and Support goods energy
consumption values obtained as described above.
Often Network LCAs are very challenging and may need to rely on previous LCA results for the different ICT goods. If
so data from studies that are compliant with the present document takes precedence if available.

6.3.1.4

ICT services

Often Service LCAs are very challenging and may need to rely on previous LCA results for the different ICT goods. If
so data from studies that are compliant with this standard takes precedence if available. Use time, goods type, data
traffic and network access type give important statistical data that needs to be collected in order to quantify the use of
ICT systems.

6.3.2
6.3.2.1

Data calculation
GeneralThe general requirements for data calculations in ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2] shall be applied.
NOTE 1: ISO 14044 [2], clause 4.3.3 applies as well.
Several operational steps are needed for data calculation. These are described in ISO 14044 [2], clauses 4.3.3.2 to
4.3.3.4 and 4.3.4 and ILCD Handbook [i.2], clause 7.10. All calculation procedures shall be explicitly documented andthe assumptions made shall be clearly stated and explained. The same calculation procedures shall be consistently
applied throughout the study. Practically, when working with certain LCA tools and LCI databases, calculation
procedures could be included in larger data sets, whereas other LCA tools/LCI databases provide each procedure
separately.
NOTE 2: It may be possible to derive the calculation procedures from the LCI databases, e.g. for Raw Materials.
A check on data validity shall be conducted during the process of data collection to confirm that the data quality
requirements for the intended application have been fulfilled.
Validation involves establishing, e.g. mass balances.

6.3.2.2

ICT goods

ICT goods consist of hardware and software. For both hardware and software, design, development, production,
procurement and operation and maintenance activities are of interest and should be considered in accordance withclause 6.2.3, "System boundaries".

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In terms of life cycle stages, most of these activities can be seen as support activities as detailed in clause 6.2.3 and theassociated environmental impact emerges from the use of buildings, office goods and consumables, from travel andtransport and from the generation of waste. All of these should be assessed as fully as possible, but it is not necessary to
make a distinction between them, i.e. the total energy consumption of the office of the designers should be allocatedbetween the designers, but it is not necessary to make a distinction between energy for heating and energy for office
goods associated with each designer.
For applicable allocation rules, refer to clause 6.3.3, "Allocation procedure".
Similar conditions shall also apply for software being procured from a supplier and integrated into the product.
With regard to the use stage, for example, the environmental load of BSs should consider constant and variable parts ofthe two main activities of the BS, namely:•

to handle basic network signalling such as monitoring of the subscriber location. For instance, the wirelessnetwork needs to determine to which BS a mobile station (MS) belongs. To achieve this each MS is registeredin the location register (LR) database at different fixed times, when it is turned on or it moves to a newlocation area, or periodically;•

to transfer data between the terminal/user-goods and the core network. For instance, data is transferred for
wireless communication after the LR registration of the MS.

Therefore, the environmental load of a BS consists of two parts:
The environmental load associated with basic signalling is constant regardless of the traffic.

•

The environmental load associated with data transfer (i.e. payload and dedicated signalling) is proportional tothe usage time and amount of data. Therefore, as shown in figure 12, the evaluation of the environmental load
shall consider both a fixed part which is independent of the usage and a variable part which correlates to theusage.

Environmental load of BS•

Environmental load per channel(variable)
Environmental load per subscriber(constant)
L.1410(12)_F06

Communication time or amount of information

Figure 12: Environmental load from BS

6.3.2.3

ICT networks

It is necessary to consider the functional unit of an ICT network when performing data calculation. The following data
calculation method should be performed in order to take into account the functional unit of the assessed ICT network.
First, the functional unit is established in accordance with clause 6.2.2 and then the corresponding environmental load isestimated. Since each ICT network is continuously evolving, the life cycle of an ICT network cannot be generalizedwith terms such as "from cradle to grave". Instead, each ICT good, which is part of the considered ICT network, isregarded as a product system and is assessed separately.
The total environmental load of each ICT good should be divided by the operating lifetime of each ICT good in order tocalculate the annual environmental load of each considered ICT good. If the actual operating lifetime is not available, astatistically, economically or legally defined lifetime may be used instead. See clause 6.1.4 for details.
In the next step, the annual environmental loads of the ICT goods belonging to the considered ICT network are added inorder to calculate the total annual ICT network environmental load.

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For instance, for a theoretical mobile access network composed by 1 000 identical base stations and 10 identical radio
network controllers, the annual environmental load of this mobile access network is calculated as 1 000 times theindividual annual environmental load of one base station plus 10 times the individual annual environmental load of theradio network controller.
For the following described kinds of ICT networks, the environmental load of the use stage should be calculated asfollows:•

For the assessment of fixed access networks, a constant value is generally applicable for the use stage energyrelated environmental load (e.g. per subscriber), as the goods are connected to the access network whether or
not the subscriber is using it. However, when power-saving features are used, a fixed value may not beapplicable.

•

For the mobile access network, the environmental load of BSs should consider constant and variable parts ofthe two main activities of the BS, namely:-

6.3.2.4

to handle basic network signalling such as monitoring of the subscriber location and to transfer data
between the terminal/user-goods and the core network. For further details refer to clause 6.3.2.2.

ICT services

Data calculation for services is to a large extent related to the allocation of an appropriate amount of network data to thetargeted service. For further details refer to clause 6.3.3.

6.3.3

Allocation procedure/Allocation of data

6.3.3.1

GeneralNOTE:

ISO 14044 [2], clauses 4.3.3 and 4.3.4 apply as well.

During the boundary setting phase, practitioners may identify processes that have inputs and/or outputs that are shared
between different product systems. In these situations, data collected on emissions needs to be shared between thestudied ICT goods, networks and services product system and the other products systems. This apportioning is referred
to as allocation and is often considered one of the most challenging issues in LCAs. This clause provides requirements
and guidance to help practitioners to choose the most appropriate method to address this allocation issue.
The same allocation method shall be used for all environmental loads for all products from a common process.
The study shall identify the processes shared with other product systems and deal with them according to the stepwise
procedure presented below:•

Step 1: Wherever possible, allocation should be avoided by dividing the unit process to be allocated into two
or more sub-processes and collecting the input and output data related to these sub-processes, or expanding the
product system to include the additional functions related to the co-products.

•

Step 2: Where allocation cannot be avoided, the inputs and outputs of the system should be partitioned basedon the underlying physical relationships between them (e.g. mass).

•

Step 3: If step 2 is not feasible, the inputs should be allocated between the products and functions reflecting
other relationships between them. For example, input and output data might be allocated between co-products
in proportion to the economic value of each product (e.g. market value of the scrap material or recycledmaterial in relation to the market value of primary material).

If alternative allocation processes are applied the different options should be tested in the sensitivity analysis.
More specific guidance is given in the following clauses.

6.3.3.2

Allocation rules for generic processes

Data for generic processes (G1 to G7) shall be allocated as a whole (i.e. for the full lifecycle for the generic process) tothe associated life cycle stage of the product system.
However all Raw Material Acquisition (G5) shall be allocated to the life cycle stage Raw Material Acquisition (A).

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Allocation rules for allocation of support activities between projects/productsystems

Data for relevant part of the organization/operation shall be allocated to the relevant part of the product system life
cycle. If no detailed information on organization/operation is available the allocation shall be based onorganizational/economic data.
NOTE:

6.3.3.4

Previous studies indicate that results may be sensitive to different allocation methods.

Allocation rules for facility data

Facility data for production facilities shall preferably be allocated to product systems based on relevant physical data
(i.e. area for printed circuit boards, good die area for ICs, mass for other components according to table E.1). If
information regarding physical parameters is insufficient economical allocation may be used.
NOTE:

Other relevant physical data are indicated in annex E.

For software design the "facility" is usually an office. In that case the allocation rules in clause 6.3.3.3 shall apply.

6.3.3.5

Allocation rules for transports

Transports should be allocated based on chargeable mass or volume whichever limits the transport capacity. Empty
return trips need also to be considered if applicable.

6.3.3.6

Allocation rules for recycling

The impacts of Raw Material Recycling (G7) should be allocated between life cycles, in practice between Raw Material
Acquisition (A1-A2) and EoLT (D), according to the following principles:•

All elementary flows and consequently all environmental impacts of Landfill shall be fully allocated to the life
cycle that puts the material on a landfill, or other types of residual waste storage.

•

The material resource depletion impact and related elementary flow shall be fully allocated to the life cyclethat depletes the material resource (e.g. put the material on landfill). Consequently, if the assessed ICT productsystem is wasting materials it shall carry this burden fully and could not share it with other product systems.

NOTE 1: See annex M for example of fulfilment.
•

The 100/0 allocation method should be used for calculating primary Raw Material Acquisition impact.

•

The 50/50 allocation method should be applied when possible to allocate both the use of recycled input
material in the raw material acquisition stage and the recycling of materials in the EoLT stage. USGS yearlymineral report can be used to estimate the ratio of recycled material content for input material if primary data
are not accessible.

NOTE 2: US geological survey USGS available (http://www.usgs.gov/).
If available input LCI data does not distinguish between primary Raw Material Acquisition and Raw Material
Recycling, the 100/0 method can be used as a fall-back alternative (see examples in annex R).

6.3.3.7

ICT goods

Allocation principles stated in clause 6.3.3.1 shall apply to allocations for ICT.

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ICT networks

Allocation principles stated in clause 6.3.3.1 shall apply to allocations for ICT networks.
To calculate the total impact of a network, a top-down approach is recommended, i.e. it is in most cases morepracticable to assess the overall energy consumption of a network than to assess the energy consumption per service andadd it up to a total value.
Support activities and, when applicable, Support goods which is shared between several nodes or all Network goods
need not be allocated to the different ICT goods but can be presented without being distributed.
End-user goods (e.g. PCs, smart phones) which are accessing more than one ICT Network (e.g. 3G, WLAN) shall beallocated to these ICT Networks based on use time. The assumptions regarding use time for access to different ICT
Networks and off line work shall be described and motivated.
NOTE:

Preferably usage studies can be used as a source but if such studies are not available estimates need to be
done.

Impact from shared Network resources (e.g. transmission goods, core nodes and data centres) shall be allocated to anaccess Network based on data traffic. The assumptions regarding data traffic shall be described and motivated.

6.3.3.9

ICT services

The allocation procedure for ICT services should comply with the allocation procedure used for the ICT networks andgoods supporting these ICT services.
If an ICT goods is shared among several ICT services, the environmental load should be allocated according to theestimated usage of these various ICT services, as illustrated in figure 13.
ICT services

Service A

ICT networks
ICT goods
L.1410(12)_F07

Figure 13: Allocation procedure for ICT services
The environmental load of an ICT service should then be calculated as follows:First, the ICT networks, which are allowing the service to be operated and the additional ICT goods, which are not partof networks and which are used by the service, should be identified. Then, the environmental load of each ICT network
supporting the service and each additional ICT good using the service, should be assessed. After that, the impact fromeach ICT goods used should be allocated to the service based on either estimated or measured use time or amount ofdata traffic. The impact from each ICT network supporting the service should be allocated to the service based onaccess use time or data traffic.
More specifically, in alignment with clause 6.3.3.8, the following allocation principle of ICT Network data to an ICT
Service shall be used:
Data for End-users goods:•

to be allocated based on active use time of the ICT Service.

NOTE:

In certain cases the above rule provides unreasonable results and other allocation bases may then be more
appropriate.

Data for CPE:•

to be allocated based on active use time of the Service or data traffic or data rate/allocated bandwidth.

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Data for access networks, control and core nodes and operator activities:•

to be allocated based on active use time of the service unless there is a substantial dependency between data
traffic and energy consumption. Thus, access/active use time is preferred for circuit-switched networks anddata traffic is preferred for packet-switched networks. Data traffic is also preferred for e.g. mobile accessnetworks as mobile access networks show a large dependency between data traffic and energy consumption
and need a traffic model that takes data traffic into account. However, also in this case the load independent
part of the energy consumption can be allocated based on active use time.

Data for transport goods:•

to be allocated based on data traffic.

Data for data centres and Service provider activities:•

The data centre(s) where the ICT Service is operated as well as the service provider activities shall be allocatedbased on number of subscriptions and service users or amount of data/transactions.

Note that average figures for energy use and related emissions per amount of data reflect average traffic. Thus, for low
and high data traffic scenarios, average figures may give unrealistic results and results that do not reflect the actual
impact of the service data traffic.
The following example shows the estimation of CO2 emissions of PCs included in customer premises when theenvironmental load item is CO2 emissions:[Annual environmental load per PC [kg-CO2/(unit･year)] × [Number of units used (unit)] × [Operational hours of the
ICT service (hours/service)] × [Frequency of use of the ICT service (times/year)]/[Total operation time of the PC(hours/year)]

7Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA)

For LCIA the requirements according to ISO 14044, clause 4.4 and ILCD Handbook [2], clauses 6.7 and 8 shall apply.
The life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) aims to describe and indicate the impact of the environmental loads quantified
in the inventory analysis. LCIA is a stepwise aggregation of the information given by the life cycle inventory (LCI)
results.
The LCIA aims to evaluate the significance of potential environmental impacts using the LCI results. In general, thisprocess involves associating inventory data with specific environmental impact categories and category indicators,
thereby attempting to understand these impacts.

7.1

Impact categories

In general, one single impact category cannot solely evaluate the environmental impact of a product. Instead, multiple
impact categories are needed.
See ISO 14044 [2], clause 4.4.2.2.1.
Of various impact categories, an important impact category to the ICT goods, networks and services is climate change(global warming), which results to a large extent from energy consumption.
In the LCA it shall be ensured that the inventory elementary flows (see annex G are correctly linked with appropriate
LCIA characterization factors).
The link to end-point categories (e.g. infectious diseases and plant damage) is optional.
The mid-point category Climate Change is mandatory.
For climate change, the most recent global warming characterization factors from the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change [i.10], annex W, for each GHG shall be used and the timeframe should be 100 years.

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For other impact categories there is no methodological consensus in the LCA community, thus the practitioner shalldecide which impact categories to consider and how to calculate them, based on the studied ICT product system andpurpose of the LCA study. In general, a broad approach in terms of environmental impacts is recommended to give a
broad understanding of the environmental impact of the studied ICT product system.
All impact categories and category indicators included shall be disclosed (table L.10) and justified.
Table 5 shows examples of impact categories.

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Table 5: Examples of environmental impact categories and indicators (note 7)
Mid-point Impact Categories

Climate Change(CC) (mandatory)

Ozone Depletion(OD)

Human Toxicity (HTC), Cancer effects

Human Toxicity (HTNC), non-cancer effects

Respiratory inorganics/Particulate Matter(RI/PM)
Ionizing Radiation (IRH), human health
Ionizing Radiation (IRE), ecosystems

Eutrophication (EA), aquatic

Eutrophication (ET), terrestrial

Photochemical Ozone Formation (POF)

Acidification (A)Mid-point Category
indicator

End-point
End-point
ImpactCategory
Categories
indicator
Mass CO2 equivalent
Infectious
DALY,(Infrared forcing as GWP100- diseases,
Extinction ofyear)
Land loss
species,Resource cost
Mass CFC-11 equivalent
Plant
Net Primary(see note 1)
damage,Production,(UV-B radiation as Ozone
Skin cancer DALY
Depletion Potential)
Comparative Toxic Unit forCancerDALY
humans (CTUh)(Concentration at humanuptake level)
Comparative Toxic Unit for
MemoryDALY
humans (CTUh)loss(Concentration at humanuptake level)
Mass PM2.5 equivalent
Bronchitis, DALY
(see note 2)
Asthmaattacks
Mass U235 equivalent
CancerDALY
Comparative Toxic Unit forecosystems(CTUe)×volume×time
Freshwater:
Fish
Resource cost
Mass P-equivalents
population
Marine water:
Mass N-equivalents
Mole N-equivalents
Herbivore
Resource cost,
population Extinction of
species
Mass C2H4-equivalents
Asthma,DALY, Net
Plant
Primary(Tropospheric O3
damageProduction
concentration increase)+
Mole H -equivalent
Plant
Net PrimarydamageProduction

ETSI

Recommended
Level (Mid-point End-point) (note 6)

Reference

IPCC [i.10]
I - Interim
ILCD [i.3]I - Interim[i.3]
II/III - II/interim[i.3]
II/III - Interim[i.3]
II/III - II (see note 3)
II - Interim[i.3]

Interim - No methods
recommended[i.3]
II - Interim

II - No methods
recommended

[i.3]

[i.3]
II - II

II - Interim

[i.3]

55
Mid-point Impact Categories

Ecotoxicity (ETFW), freshwater (note 4)

Land use (LU)

Mid-point Category
indicator
Comparative Toxic Unit forecosystems(CTUe)×volume×time(Concentration at aquatic
ecosystem species uptake
level)
Mass deficit of Soil Organic
MatterResource Depletion (RDW), Water

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End-point
End-point
ImpactCategory
Categories
indicator
Aquatic
Extinction of
ecosystem species
population

Land loss

Extinction of
species,Resource cost
Resource cost

Recommended
Level (Mid-point End-point) (note 6)

Reference[i.3]
II/III - No methods
recommended[i.3]
III - Interim

Water amount as Water use User cost[i.3]
III - No methods
related torecommended
local scarcity of water
Resource Depletion (RDMR), mineral, fossil,
Minerals as Mass
User cost
Resource cost[i.3]
(note 5)
Sb-equivalent and fossil fuels
as MJ
II - Interim(Resource amount as
scarcity)
NOTE 1: CFC-11 = Trichlorofluoromethane, also called freon-11 or R-11, is a chlorofluorocarbon.
NOTE 2: PM2,5 = Particulate Matter with a diameter of 2,5 μm or less.
NOTE 3: These recommended levels are taken from ILCD guideline [i.7] clause 3.3. The same guideline has different recommended levels for
Respiratory inorganics/Particulate Matter in clause 1.1, where the levels are I - I/II.
NOTE 4: There are currently no recommended methods for Ecotoxicity, marine water and terrestrial.
NOTE 5: There are currently no recommended methods for Resource depletion, renewable.
NOTE 6: At the time of publication of the present document, the recommended levels are taken from the most recent ILCD guideline [i.7]. Refer to
ILCD guideline for most up to date information and the explanation of the different recommended levels.
NOTE 7: The mid-point impact assessment categories are suggested by the IL [i.3] CD [i.3] and PEF [i.6]. For other impact categories beyond
Climate Change, the scientists are still debating on the suitable methodology and the Category indicators referred in this table may change
in the future. Especially Land use methodology is still very open. Refer to ILCD and other documents for up to date methodology to use foreach impact category.

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Life cycle interpretation
NOTE:

8.1

ISO 14044 [2], clause 4.5 also applies.

GeneralInterpretation is the phase of LCA in which the findings from the life cycle inventory (LCI) analysis and the life cycle
impact assessment (LCIA) are considered together. In the life cycle interpretation, the results of the LCA are evaluatedin order to answer questions raised in the goal definition (clause 6.2). The steps of the interpretation shall ensure therobustness of the conclusions from the LCA.
During the iterative steps of the LCA the interpretation phase serves to improve the LCI model.
In the end the interpretation relates to the intended applications of the LCI/LCA study and is used to draw conclusions,
identify limitations and produce recommendations.
The life cycle interpretation shall include an analysis of the results and the consistency, a completeness check and asensitivity check of the significant issues and methodological choices as to understand the uncertainty of the results.
The challenge of the completeness check is to overcome the paradox of evaluating the degree of completeness of the
product system when not knowing 100 % of its environmental impacts.
If two or more ICT goods, Networks or Services LCA results do not differ significantly, there is a risk of erroneousinterpretations. I.e. there is a risk of inappropriately claiming equality/superiority of one or several comparedalternatives, based on poor data quality that results in underestimations/overestimations of differences. This risk could
lead to bad general conclusions and recommendations.
NOTE:

8.2

The significance is determined for instance by magnitude in difference, modelling assumptions and LCA
tool calculation algorithm.

Uncertainty analysis

The uncertainty of the results of an LCA study shall be assessed in accordance with ISO 14044 [2] to the extent needed
to understand the study results. Also the sources of uncertainty and methodological choices made shall be assessed anddisclosed. Annex T gives more information regarding uncertainty categories and important uncertainty sources for thedifferent life cycle stages of ICT goods, networks and services. Annex U gives more information regarding
opportunities and limitations in the use of LCA for ICT goods, networks and services.

8.3

Sensitivity analysis

The results of the LCI or LCIA phases shall be interpreted according to the goal and scope of the study. Theinterpretation shall include a sensitivity check of the significant inputs, outputs and methodological choices and defineduse scenarios, in order to understand the uncertainty of the results. Especially when modelled data are used, different
scenarios should be assessed to establish a range of potential outcomes to limit the uncertainty. For requirements on
sensitivity analysis refers to ISO 14044 [2], clause 4.5.5.3.

9Reporting

9.1

GeneralReporting is essential to ensure accountability and effective engagement with stakeholders. The purpose of this clause isto summarize the various reporting requirements and to identify additional reporting considerations that together
provide a credible reporting framework and enable users of reported data to make informed decisions.

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The reporting of ICT product systems shall fulfil the reporting rules as defined by ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2]. In
the case of reporting, a public GHG inventory report, the key accounting principles (relevance, accuracy, completeness,consistency and transparency) shall be met.
For LCA results to be credible, a level of transparency in the reporting of how the data has been collected, to an extent
that does not conflict with confidentiality considerations, is recommended.
In addition to the reporting obligations outlined by ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2], the report shall include thefollowing information:•

contact information;•

studied goods, networks and services product system name and description;•

type of inventory (i.e. final product cradle-to-grave or intermediate product cradle-to-gate inventory);•

goals of the study.

The reporting of results shall include:•

total GHG emissions reported as amount of CO2e per functional unit for ICT good, network and service thathave been assessed;•

percentage for each life cycle stage contributing to the total results;•

electricity (with use stage separated from the other stages);•

primary energy;

NOTE:

Primary energy and electricity cannot be summarized because electricity is contributing to the total
primary energy.

•

fuels;•

value and sources of emission factors , clearly indicating their use, for CO2 and CO2e and Global Warming
Potential (GWP) metric used, for generic processes G1 to G4 described in annex D. For further details seeannex L;•other data, justifications and explanations as stated throughout this report.

The emission factors used shall be stated. The source used and the year they represent shall be stated.
In the case of emission factors for grid electricity also the location (specific, country, global average) shall be stated.
Where emission factors are sourced from non public sources, or are not the most up to date ones, a justification for theiruse shall be provided.
Generally, in addition to the rules outlined in this clause, what is stated in annex L shall be followed for reporting ofstudies claiming compliance with the present document.
The report shall contain a compliance statement saying either that the LCA fully complies with the present document(in case of full compliance) or that the LCA partially complies with the present document with the exceptionstransparently listed and justified (partial compliance). See clause 5.2 for details.
The extent in which Support activities and other optional/recommended activities are excluded for different parts of thelife cycle shall be clearly described and for recommendations also motivated in the study report.
The intention of having common ways of reporting is to increase transparency and provide the reader with a properbasis for interpretation of results.
Optionally other data, graphs, statements, etc. may be added to the report based on the scope and purpose of the LCA.

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For each product system (including ICT goods, Network and Service) the following aspects, being of special importanceto ICT applications, shall be transparently motivated and described in accordance with the principles defined in thisclause:•Operating lifetime: All lifetime assumptions shall be stated and motivated.

•

Cut-off: Any cut-off made shall be clearly stated and motivated.

•

Allocations: Basis for allocations made shall be described, especially for recycling, use of recycled materials,
distribution of facility data and support activities.

•

Data sources: Data sources (i.e. primary/secondary) shall be clearly stated and deviations towards table 2 shallbe motivated.

•

For each product system (including ICT goods, Network and Service) an additional diagram shall be presented
whenever optional activities in table 2 have been included. I.e. one diagram is presented with the mandatory
activities/processes and one with both the mandatory and the optional activities included for transparent
reporting.

9.2

ICT goods

9.2.1

Total results

For each impact category studied, diagrams corresponding to figures 14a and 14b shall be reported for thecorresponding category indicator result.
Due to the importance of operating lifetime to results, information regarding this shall always be present in the diagram,
together with some other basic modelling statements including total result for the indicator, LCA study year operating
lifetime, etc. as shown below. Figure 14a shows an example of the results corresponding to the Mandatory section oftable 2 whereas figure 14b shows an example of the results for the Mandatory/Recommended/Optional section oftable 2.
NOTE 1: Other diagram styles are allowed as long the content equals that of figures 14a and 14b.
NOTE 2: It is recognized that due to LCA tools/LCI databases limitations it may be difficult to have a full split
between life cycle stages (A-D).

80

Total result: <X kg CO2e/year>
Study year: <20##>
Operating lifetime: <# years>

kgCO2e/year

60

Production:
Assembly location: <global average>
Transports: <included>

40
20

Use:
Use location: <global average>

0-20

Raw Material Production (B)*
Acquisition (A)*Use (C)

EoLT (D)**this value has been divided by operating lifetime to produce an annual value

Figure 14a: Environmental impact category indicator result diagram example for
Mandatory processes/activities (diagram for Global Warming Potential (GWP100) (CO2e))
Figure 14a shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the result of another LCA
unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal". See further explanation in the scope and clause 5.3.
Figure 14b shall be presented whenever optional activities/processes from table 2 have been included in the studied
product system.

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150

Total result: <X kg CO2e/year>
Study year: <20##>
Operating lifetime: <# years>

kgCO2e/year

100

Production:
Assembly location: <global average>
Transports: <included>

50
0
-50

Raw Material
Acquisition (A)*Production (B)*Use (C)

EoLT (D)*Use:
Use location: <global average>
Transports: <included>
Support activities: <included>
Infrastructure: <include*this value has been divided by operating lifetime to produce an annual value

Figure 14b: Environmental impact category indicator result diagram example for
Mandatory/Recommended/Optional processes/activities(diagram for Global Warming Potential (GWP100) (CO2e))
For transports, the total result including all transports throughout the life cycle annex L (table L.4) shall be stated in theimmediate proximity of the diagram (figures 14a and 14b). If used data sets do not report transports separately any
missing transport shall be listed and motivated.
Optionally, a diagram showing transport and other sub-unit processes within each life cycle stage should also bereported (figure 15). Such transparency is encouraged.
Figure 15 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the result of another LCA
unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal". See further explanation in the scope and clause 5.3.
kgCO2e/year
80
Metal recycling
70

Transports

60

Other EoLT50

ICT specific EoLTICT equipment use

40

Transports
30

Assembly

20

Parts production

10

Transports
Raw material processing

0-10

Raw Material
Acquisition (A)*Production (B)*Use (C)

EoLT (D)*Raw material extraction*this value has been divided by operating lifetime to produce an annual value

Figure 15: Environmental impact category indicator result: distribution
between sub-unit processes within each life cycle stage
A diagram summarizing distribution of selected environmental impact category indicators between life cycle stages
shall be prepared together with absolute figures as shown in the annex L (table L.10). The diagram may be presented
according to figure 16.

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RDMR [unit] Total score
RDW [unit] Total score
LU [unit] Total score
ETFW [unit] Total score
A [unit] Total score
POF [unit] Total score
Raw Material Acquisition (A)* and EoLT (D)*ET [unit] Total score
EA [unit] Total score

Production (B)*IRE [unit] Total score
Use (C)IRH [unit] Total score
RI/PM [unit] Total score
HTNC [unit] Total score
HTC [unit] Total score
OD [unit] Total score
CC [unit] Total score
0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Figure 16: Environmental impact category indicators overview for ICT goods
Figure 16 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the result of another LCA
unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal". See further explanation in the scope and clause 5.3.

9.2.2
9.2.2.1

System boundaries
Life cycle stages, unit processes and generic processes

Any deviation to table 2 and clause 6.2.3 with respect to mandatory life cycle stages/unit processes shall be clearlystated and motivated.
Also handling of optional stages/activities shall be clearly reported as well as electricity mix applied and handling of
support activities and transports.
For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.2).
Especially for transports it is acknowledged that there is a lack of transparent secondary data for many unit processes.
Additionally, inclusion of generic processes for the different life cycle stages shall be clearly stated and reported. Thismay be shown in a flow diagram.
Deviations for Generic processes shall be reported according to annex L, table L.3.
For reporting of transports and travel refer to annex L (table L.4).
State if data are missing or is included in, e.g. support activity data are included but could not be reported separately.

9.2.2.2

Raw material acquisition

The use of raw materials shall be transparently reported as outlined below. The most important metals from recycling
point of view shall always be stated.
Other materials can be shown as well but such reporting is optional.
For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.5).
NOTE:

At the time of publication, some of the requirements in table L.5 are considered as challenging due to
LCA tool limitations, lack of data, limitations in data granularity, etc. It is thus recognized thatcompliance to these requirements may not be possible at the time the present document is published.

Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported.

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9.2.2.3
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Production
Parts production

Compliance to annex E (table E.1) shall be reported according to below and any deviation shall be described andmotivated.
For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.6).

9.2.2.4
9.2.2.4.1

Use
ICT goods use

The basis and rationale for the energy consumption values for the ICT goods use stage shall be reported together withthe annual value of the energy consumption. For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.7).
The model of distribution over time of different usage modes including power off and idle and the rationale for thoseshall be transparently reported.
For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.7).

9.2.2.4.2

Support goods use

The basis and rationale for the energy consumption values for the Support goods use shall be transparently described
and motivated. For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.7).

9.2.2.5

EoLT

If EoLT is included any deviations towards annex D shall be transparently reported and motivated. For appropriate
reporting format refer to annex L (table L.8).

9.2.3

LCI results

For LCI the following items shall be reported transparently: total use of primary energy and electricity.
NOTE:

The Cumulative Energy Demand method is appropriate to express Primary Energy Usage.

It is further recommended to report land use and water use when applicable to the selected impact categories.
Additionally, results for elementary flows according to annex G (table G.1) could be transparently reported on an
optional basis. If such reporting is not made it is mandatory to describe unexpected results, lack of data and otherfindings associated with the elementary flows.
For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.9).

9.3

ICT Network

Figure 17 illustrates how network-level LCA reporting can be built up by the goods level LCA data, using a typical
wireless network as an example. The same principle applies for other types of networks, e.g. broadband, traditional
fixed voice, IP-voice, LAN and IPTV networks.

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Goodslevel LCA

Raw material
acquisition

Production

Use

EoLT

Network level LCA
GHG emissions[kg CO2e per subscriber per year]

End-user
goods

CPE

Accessnetwork

Operator support activities

C&C
network

ICT goods use

Operator
activities

Data
transport

Datacentre(s)Raw material acquisition,
production, and EoLT

Serviceprovideractivities
L.1410(12)_F09

Figure 17: Example of a reporting structure for a Network LCA
Additionally, the proposed network structure can also be used to report important high-level parameters such as
quantities and energy consumption of included goods (see table 6).
Table 6: Example of reporting structure

End-user goods
Home goods
Access network
Service provider(s)Data transport/transmission
Data centres/data rooms

9.3.1

Studied network(Example of wireless network)
Mobile phone (UE)
Fixed Wireless Terminal (FWT)RBS sites, control & core network sites
Wireless network operator
business and O&M activities
Allocation of shared data transport/transmission
Allocation of shared data centres/data rooms

Quantity

Energyconsumption

Total results

For each environmental impact category studied, a diagram should be prepared splitting the impact of different parts of
the network. Figures 17 and 18 show examples of Network LCA reporting.
Operating lifetime is important also for Networks, but is associated with the lifetime of the different nodes, which shallbe reported. It shall be reported following the format of annex L (table L.11) which also describes the studied Network.

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kg CO2e/year30

25

Total result: <# kg CO2e/year>
Study year: <20##>

20
Operator support activities

15

ICT Goods Use
Raw Material Acquisition, Production, and EoLT

10

5

0
End-user
Goods

CPE

Accessnetwork

C&C
Network

Operator
activities

Data
transport

Data
center(s)Serviceprovideractivities

Figure 18: Environmental impact category indicator result diagram example for Network(diagram for Global Warming Potential (GWP100) (CO2e))
Figure 18 shows an example of Network LCA with a wide scope and it is not applicable to all studied product systems.
Figure 18 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the result of another LCA
unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal". See further explanation the scope of the present document.
Optionally, a diagram showing the distribution of impacts between sub-activities within each life cycle stage could also
be reported in the same way as for ICT goods (see clause 9.2.1).
Additionally a diagram summarizing distribution of environmental impact category indicators between life cycle stages
shall be prepared together with absolute figures as shown in the annex L (table L.10). The diagram may be presented
according to figure 19.

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Raw Material Acquisition (A)*, Production (B)*, and EoLT (D)* End user Goods/CPE
Use (C) End user Goods/CPE
Raw Material Acquisition (A)*, Production (B)*, and EoLT (D)* Network use/Operator activities'
Use (C) Network use/Operator activities'
Raw Material Acquisition (A)*, Production (B)*, and EoLT (D)* Data services'
Use (C) Data services'

RDMR [unit] Total score
RDW [unit] Total score
LU [unit] Total score
ETFW [unit] Total score
A [unit] Total score
POF [unit] Total score
ET [unit] Total score
EA [unit] Total score
IRE [unit] Total score
IRH [unit] Total score
RI/PM [unit] Total score
HTNC [unit] Total score
HTC [unit] Total score
OD [unit] Total score
CC [unit] Total score
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Figure 19: Environmental impact category indicators overview for Networks
Figure 19 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the result of another LCA
unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal". See further explanation in the scope.
Details of network energy consumption shall be reported with a split of different elements of the network. An exampleof table for Reporting is provided in table L.12.

9.4

ICT services

Reporting at the service level may be structured based on the various network parts used by the ICT service, in the same
way as networks are reported. Each bar should then show the relation between the dedicated impact of the ICT service
under study and the impact associated with all other ICT services (see figure 20), in order to illustrate the relative
contribution of each activity to the total amount of environmental load.
GHG emissions[kg CO2e per subscriber per year]

End-usergoods

Services

CPE

Accessnetwork

C&C
network

Operator
activities

Data
transport

Datacentre(s)Other services

Serviceprovideractivities
L.1410(12)_F10

Figure 20: Example of a reporting structure for ICT services

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If the eight checklist items outlined in clause 6.2.3.1 are kept apart in the assessment and in the reporting then figure 21
shows an example of a possible reporting format.

Amount of environmental load

ICT hardware
ICT software
Consumables and other supportive
products
Site infrastructure
Office working environment(work processes)
Transport (movement of goods)
Travel (movement of people)
Storage of goods
L.1410(12)_F11

Targeted ICT goods, networks or services

Figure 21: Example of results of an LCA per functional unit separating checklist items

9.4.1

Total results

For each environmental impact category studied, a diagram should be prepared splitting the impact of different parts of
the network. Figures 22a and 22b show examples of ICT Service LCA reporting.
Operating lifetime is important also for Services, but it is associated with the lifetime of the different nodes, which shallbe reported. Reporting should be made in accordance with annex L (table L.11) which also describes the studied
Network(s).
kg CO2e/year30

25

Total result: <# kg CO2e/year>
Study year: <20##>

20

Other Services provided by the Network

15

Service (product system under study all life
cycle stages )

10

5

0
End-user
Goods

CPE

Accessnetwork

C&C
Network

Operator
activities

Data
transport

Data
center(s)Serviceprovideractivities

Figure 22a: Environmental impact category indicator result diagram example for Services(diagram for Global Warming Potential (GWP100) (CO2e))

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kg CO2e/year
3

Total result: <# kg CO2e/year>
Study year: <20##>22Service (product system under study all life
cycle stages )1

1

0
End-user
Goods

CPE

Accessnetwork

C&C
Network

Operator
activities

Data
transport

Data
center(s)Serviceprovideractivities

Figure 22b: Environmental impact category indicator result diagram example for Services(diagram for Global Warming Potential (GWP100) (CO2e))
Figures 22a and 22b should be used alternatively depending on the scope of the assessment. Figures 22a and 22b shallbe accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the result of another LCA unless all
assumptions and modelling choices are equal". See further explanation in the scope and clause 5.3.
Allocation of Network data to the Service shall be reported. It should be reported according to annex L (table L.13).
Additionally a diagram summarizing distribution of impact category indicators between life cycle stages for the Service
product system under study shall be presented together with absolute figures as shown in the table L.10 in annex L.
Figure 23 provides an example.

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Raw Material Acquisition (A)*, Production (B)*, and EoLT (D)* End user Goods/CPE
Use (C) End user Goods/CPE
Raw Material Acquisition (A)*, Production (B)*, and EoLT (D)* Network use/Operator activities'
Use (C) Network use/Operator activities'
Raw Material Acquisition (A)*, Production (B)*, and EoLT (D)* Data services'
Use (C) Data services'

RDMR [unit] Total score
RDW [unit] Total score
LU [unit] Total score
ETFW [unit] Total score
A [unit] Total score
POF [unit] Total score
ET [unit] Total score
EA [unit] Total score
IRE [unit] Total score
IRH [unit] Total score
RI/PM [unit] Total score
HTNC [unit] Total score
HTC [unit] Total score
OD [unit] Total score
CC [unit] Total score
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Figure 23: Environmental impact category indicators examples overview for Services
Figure 23 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the result of another LCA
unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal". See further explanation in the scope and clause 5.3.
In addition to the Service reporting described above, the general reporting principles for Networks shall apply.

10

Critical review

Critical review is a process to verify whether an LCA has met the requirements for methodology, data, interpretation
and reporting and whether it is consistent with the main principles (relevance, completeness, consistency, accuracy andtransparency). Any critical review shall be performed according to the requirements of ISO 14040 [1] andISO 14044 [2] and in the present document. The scope and type of critical review desired shall be defined in accordancewith ISO 14044 [2], clauses 4.2.3.8 and 6.
In case of comparative assertions intended for public disclosure, the report of the LCA should be reviewed by a panel ofinterested external parties. In this case, the practitioner should refer to ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2] for further
details.

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Part II: Comparative analysis/LCA between ICT andreference product system (baseline scenario):
framework and guidance
11

General description of comparative analysis

11.1

Need for comparative analysis

With the growth of ICT, the use of ICT goods, networks and service will continue to increase as will the associatedenvironmental load, also referred to as the first order effect. This effect represents the life cycle environmental load
emerging from processes such as design, production and installation of software and hardware, installation of ICT
goods and networks and from disposal and recycling, as well as from the use stage. However, by its second ordereffects, ICT offers the potential to replace or rationalize more energy and resource intensive processes and is in manycases expected to deliver a net positive impact on the environment.
The above could be illustrated by video conferencing, which offers the potential for reducing the environmental load by
reducing the need for travelling. It should, however, be noted that the actual load may not be reduced if buses and trains
operate according to unchanged timetables. Still, it is reasonable to assume that a wide spread of video conferencing
systems will reduce traffic volume and impact timetables in the long-term. Based on this assumption, it can be justified
that such environmental load reduction potentials can be considered even when the reduction is not immediately
achievable, as long as it is made clear what is the immediate potential impact if a service is applied and what depends
on other factors.
Comparative LCAs between an ICT based system and a reference product system (e.g. comparison between aface-to-face business meeting including air transport and the ICT Service video conference) aim to compare LCA
results for different products, systems, or services that offer the same or similar functions.
In general the time perspective applied as well as the scale of introducing the ICT based product system is crucial to themodelling. These perspectives may vary with study scope and purpose, e.g. a small-scale application of a videoconferencing system will not in the near future impact the amount of air-planes used, while a large-scale application
may have a considerable impact in a medium time frame.
Infrastructure, e.g. highways for transportation, is generally assumed to exist independently of introduction of newservices and shall be excluded. However in some LCAs focusing on large scale effects of Services, infrastructure effects
may be applicable to the studied product system (i.e. for an LCA trying to examine the effects of large-scale, long-term
implications of a wide application of video conferencing). In those cases infrastructure associated impacts should bereported separately.
The handling of time perspective and scale shall be disclosed and motivated in the report.
To be able to quantify the net environmental impact when introducing an ICT based Service the environmental impact
of both the ICT Service itself and of the reference product system shall be assessed from a life cycle perspective. For
further guidance refer to Part I. Potentially the reference product system could be any product system including another
ICT based system.
The net environmental impact resulting from the introduction of ICTs is calculated as the difference between theenvironmental load of the reference product system which could be avoided by introducing the ICT based system andthe environmental load of the ICT based system itself.
To make sure that the comparative assessment gives a relevant result, the full life cycle of both systems shall always be
considered. However, cut-off may be performed according to clause 12.2.3.
Correct comparisons also require that the same goal, scope, system boundaries and functional unit are used for bothproduct systems.

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From an LCA perspective the reference product system and the ICT service based system shall mimic each other as far
as possible and the practitioner shall model both systems in an unbiased way. In reality the two product systems may
differ with respect to quality, e.g. the experience of a face-to-face meeting is different from that of a video conference
meeting.
Usually, the most challenging part for a comparative assessment is to collect real-world data for the use stage both forthe reference system and for the ICT based system. Lack of real-world data can be bridged by scenarios. The impact
from the scenarios on the results is preferably evaluated by the use of sensitivity analysis, where parameters for
scenarios/assumptions made are varied to track their importance for results and conclusions.
Considering the complexities associated with comparative assessments, restrictions as to the interpretation of the results
and the equivalence of the ICT and reference product systems are to be carefully observed, to avoid misinterpretation of
results.

11.2

Target systems for comparative analysis

Two different applications for comparative assessment are targeted by the present document.
First case: comparison between a reference product system (non ICT) and an ICT Good, Network or Service
product system".
In this case, the product systems are the reference product system (non ICT) and the ICT good, Network or Service
product system. The former is the business-as-usual case (so called baseline case) where no ICT good, Network
or Service is applied. The latter is the case where the ICT goods Networks and Services is applied. The purpose of thiscomparison is to understand the second order effects when introducing an ICT good, Network or Service productsystem as a replacement for a reference product system. Such effects include a reduction in environmental impact interms of GHG emission savings in for instance, commuting, air flights, hotel stays, etc.
Second case: comparison between two ICT goods or two ICT networks or two ICT services.
In this case, the two target systems are different ICT goods or ICT networks or ICT services. One may be an older ICT
good, ICT network or ICT service, the other a newer one. Goods shall be compared with other goods, ICT networks
shall be compared between themselves and ICT services shall be compared between themselves.

11.3

Principles of comparisons between systems (comparative
analysis)11.3.1First case: comparison between a reference product system and an
ICT service

In this case, in order to assess the second order effects of the ICT service a comparative study between the reference
product system (non ICT) and the ICT service is conducted. In this comparative LCA study, the scope of the LCA study
shall be defined in such a way that the two systems can be compared. Systems shall be compared using the samefunctional unit and equivalent methodological considerations, such as performance, system boundary, data quality,
allocation procedures and cut-off rules. Any differences between systems regarding these parameters shall be identified
and reported.
Both first order and second order effects should be considered when comparing a scenario based on the use of areference product system and the situation after adoption of ICT goods, networks and services.
Using ICTs has the potential to enhance energy efficiency and reduce the need, for instance, for transport and travel,
etc. To assess the impact on the second order effects, it is important to consider environmental load reduction effects byusing ICT. The most important effects are listed in clause 12.5 and annex V. In addition, other load reduction effects
may also be relevant and should then be considered as well.

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Second case: comparison between two ICT goods or two ICT
networks or two ICT services

Also in this case, the scope of the LCA study shall be defined in such a way that the two systems can be compared.
Both systems shall be assessed using the same functional unit and equivalent methodological considerations, such as
performance, system boundary, data quality, allocation procedures and cut-off rules. Any differences between systems
regarding these parameters shall be identified and reported.

11.3.3

Common principles

In the case of comparative analysis, if the purpose is to assess the difference of impact between the two productsystems, rather than the total impact of each product system, processes or input/output data may be excluded if they are
the same in both product systems.
A schematic illustration of a comparative assessment is shown in figure 24. Figure 24 indicates that the reference
product system and the ICT goods, networks and services product system are assessed separately and then compared.
The assessment of the ICT based system shall be performed in accordance with Part I.
When making comparisons, it is important to keep in mind that the functional unit used shall be applicable to both thereference product system and the system of ICT goods, networks and services.
For the reference product system applicable requirements in the present document shall be applied, e.g. requirements
regarding data quality, cut-off, etc. To get further guidance on system boundaries and other product system specificconsiderations (for the reference product system) sector specific standards should be used if available.

Goal and scope definition

Inventory analysis

Inventory analysis
Interpretation

Interpretation

Impact assessment

Impact assessment

Target ICT goods/NW/services

Reference product system

Environmental load

Comparative analysis

Target ICT
goods/NW/services

Reference
product system

L.1410(12)_F12

Figure 24: Comparative assessment of a reference product system
and an ICT goods, networks and services product system

11.4

Procedures of comparisons between systems (comparative
analysis)

As indicated above the assessment procedure contains several steps:•

Definition of goal, functional unit and scenarios.

•

Definition of system boundaries for each product system.

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•

Life Cycle Inventory including data collection for each product system.

•

Life Cycle Impact Assessment for each product system.

•

Life Cycle Interpretation including comparison.

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12

Methodological framework of comparative analysis

12.1

General requirements

In the comparative situation, the full life cycle applies to both the ICT product system and the baseline system, unless
cut-off is allowed in accordance with the cut-off rules outlined in clause 12.2.3.

12.2

Goal and scope definition

Goal definition includes defining the reason for conducting the comparative analysis, the target audiences and theintended use of the results.
Defining the scope includes defining the system boundaries of the ICT goods, networks and services product systemand the reference product system.
All the requirements stipulated in Part I for a system boundary definition shall be applied.

12.2.1

Functional unit

The functional unit shall take into account the general rules outlined in Part I, clause 6.2.2 "Functional unit" andISO 14044 [2], clause 4.2.3.2.
Additionally, the functional unit shall be defined so that it is applicable both to the ICT goods, networks and services
product system and the reference product system. E.g. when comparing a video conferencing system with a travellingbased reference product system, an appropriate functional unit may be one meeting or the total number of meetings
during one year.
The reference flow shall be defined to quantify the functional unit. In other words, for the functional unit of one
meeting, for instance, the reference flow for the systems of ICT goods, networks and services and the reference productsystem shall be defined.

12.2.2

System boundaries

Two different system boundaries shall be defined which are applicable for the ICT goods, networks and services
product system and for the reference product systems respectively.
The use stage scenarios need to model the user and the user profile for both systems. Key parameters for the systems of
ICT goods, networks and services could include e.g. number of users and amount of data traffic. For the reference
product system parameters such as distance travelled, average number of participants and, building area may be
relevant.
A meeting can for example be characterized by the required energy consumption integrated over the average meeting
duration, the average number of participants and the cumulative distance travelled.
As the electricity mix differs between different regions, countries and world average, considerations shall be paid towhich electricity is used when assessing the environmental impact of the ICT goods, networks and services productsystem and the reference product systems.
For the ICT goods, networks and services product system the system boundaries outlined in Part I, clause 6.2.3 applies.

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Cut-off
GeneralGenerally, the cut-off rules in Part I (see clause 6.2.4 for details) shall apply for both ICT goods, networks and services
and the reference product system.
If a reference value is introduced for cut-off in accordance with clause 6.2.4 and is based on the reference productsystem, it could be referred to as the cut-off value of the reference product system.

12.2.3.2

Identification of life cycle stages and items important for comparison

Using ICTs has the potential to enhance the energy efficiency and reduce the need for transport and travel, etc. One
important consideration for the cut-off therefore concerns the handling of second order effects. In addition toconsidering the first order effects in the cut-off as outlined in Part I, second order effects need also be considered before
cut-off. Both for the reference product system and for the ICT goods, networks and services, these effects are important
to consider to avoid cut-off of processes within the life cycle which significantly impacts difference in environmentalload between the scenarios related to such effects.
In the case of comparative analysis, if the purpose is to assess the difference of impacts between the two productsystems, rather than the total impact of each product system, processes or input/output data may be excluded if they are
the same in both product systems.

12.2.4

Allocation

Generally, the allocation rules in Part I shall apply for ICT goods, networks and services.

12.2.5

Data quality requirements

The data quality requirements in Part I, clause 6.2.5, are applicable to both systems compared.
Applicable data sources may be databases, field studies, published LCA results and relevant statistics.

12.3

Life cycle inventory

The calculation for the inventory analysis shall be performed in accordance with Part I, clause 6.3.

12.4

Life cycle impact assessment

The life cycle impact assessment is to be performed in accordance with Part I, clause 7.

12.5

Life cycle interpretation

12.5.1

GeneralThe interpretation of results includes analysis of how the methodology was applied and should be performed in linewith ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2] and includes e.g. conclusions, assumptions, limitations, uncertainty and data
quality.
The impact of scenarios as well as of assumptions related to allocation should also be analysed. For example,
interpretation should include whether the allocation of data is based on primary or secondary data, if models are used
and across which life cycle processes of an ICT product they have been applied.
Results of a comparative analysis between a reference product system and systems of an ICT goods, networks andservices product system can be obtained by calculating the difference in environmental impact between the reference
product system and the systems of ICT goods, networks and services. The difference is termed second order effect.
Equation (1) shows the calculation formula.

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EIdifference,i = EIreference,i - EIICT goods, networks, and services,i(1)where:
EI=

environmental impact;i=i-th comparison category;EIdifference,i=i-th second order effect;

EIreference,i=i-th EI of the reference product system;EIICT goods, networks, and services,i =

i-th EI of the systems of ICT goods, networks and services.

Summing up EIdifference,i over i gives total EIdifference or the second order effect of the systems of ICT goods, networks andservices over the reference product system. Equation 2 shows the formula for calculating the second order effect.

Total EI difference = ∑ EI difference ,i(2)

A positive result (Total EIdifference is positive) indicates a positive impact on the environment and a negative value (Total
EIdifference is negative) represents a negative impact. A positive second order effect indicates the reduction of theenvironmental impact due to the introduction of the ICT service system. A negative second order effect indicates the
opposite.
The number of comparison items are up to the discretion of the practitioner and the structuring of data may vary
between LCAs.
Table 7 shows an example of comparison categories, based on six comparison items and the potential corresponding
second order effects. Depending on the type of ICT services and corresponding reference product system, thesecategories may not be used and other categories may be added. Additionally, the practitioner may choose to structure
the data based on other factors, e.g. per sub-network type.
Table 7: Comparison category and its second order effects
Comparison categories
Consumption of goods
Energy consumption
Movement of people
Movement and storage of goods
Improved work efficiency
Waste

Second order effects
By reducing goods consumption (paper, etc.), EI related to goods can be
reduced.
By enhancing the efficiency of power and energy use, EI related to power. can be
reduced.
By reducing the movement of people, EI required for transportation can be
reduced.
By reducing the movement of goods, EI required for transportation can be
reduced.
By using office space efficiently, power consumption for lighting, air conditioning,
etc. can be reduced, thus reducing EI.
By reducing waste emissions, EI for waste disposal, etc. can be reduced.

Annex V lists examples for calculating second order effects for the six comparison categories.

12.5.2

Sensitivity analysis

For the handling of sensitivity analysis refer to Part I, clause 8.3.
Especially when modelled data is used, different scenarios should be assessed to establish a range of potential outcomesto limit the uncertainty. For instance, to understand the impact of an ICT service, it is advisable to assess how its impact
varies with the scale of adoption, considering different relevant scenarios.

12.5.3

Uncertainty analysis

For the handling of uncertainty analysis refer to Part I, clause 8.2.

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ReportingIn addition to general reporting rules outlined in Part I, clause 9, the following specific consideration applies forcomparative assessment.
When the result of a comparative analysis between an ICT system and a reference product system (another ICT systemor a non-ICT system) is reported as an environmental impact assessment, the environmental impact should detail thelife cycle stages. It may be detailed according to checklist items if assessed in an LCA of ICT goods, networks andservices product system, in accordance with the goal and scope of the LCA.
Any cut-off made during a study shall be clearly stated in the study report, e.g. the exclusion of life cycle processes
which are considered insignificant should be justified.
The results may either be given as absolute amounts or as a relative difference between the systems. Thus, instead ofreporting the calculated absolute amount of environmental impact, a relative difference (possibly as a percentage)
between the impact from the ICT system and the impact from the reference product system may be presented.
Some examples are shown below.
The percentage of change in environmental impact through the introduction of ICTs may be calculated as a result of thefollowing equation.
Percentage change in environmental impact through the introduction of ICT systems is given by Equation (3):
ICT goods, networks and services = EIdifference/EIreference × 100(3)

where EI is the assessed environmental impact.
The calculation result shown by figure 25 indicates a positive impact on the environment when the percentage change
value is positive and a negative impact on the environment when it is negative.
ICT hardware

GHG emissions (kg-CO2e)

ICT software
Percentage of change inenvironmental load throughintroduction of ICTs: X%

Consumables and other supportive
products
Site infrastructure
Office working environment(work processes)
Transport (movement of goods)
Travel (movement of people)
Storage of goods

Reference product system

Targeted ICT

OthersL.1410(12)_F13

Figure 25: Example of comparative analysis between an ICT goods, networks and services productsystem and a reference product system with checklist items

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Figure 26: Example of comparative analysis between an ICT product system
and a reference product system with stages of a life cycle

14

Critical review

The critical review should be performed in accordance with principles outlined in Part I, clause10 for the ICT productsystem, the reference product system and the comparison between them.

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Annex A (normative):
Details regarding the handling of softwareThis annex details some central aspects which shall be considered when assessing the environmental impacts ofsoftware.
Life cycle stages and allocation principles for software.
For each of the software categories described in the main text its intended use and sales volumes (i.e. number oflicences/packages) need to be considered.
Design, development and production stages should be considered in LCAs of ICT goods, networks and services.
Moreover, for commercial software products the environmental impact of the procurement stage should also be
considered.
Activities associated with the use of software.
The following items are examples of activities related to software design and production that cause an environmental
impact and which shall be considered:•Electricity consumption of ICT goods such as computers, communication goods and printers.

•

Electricity consumption of offices such as air conditioning and illumination.

•

Consumption of the consumables such as paper or printer toner.

•

Recycling and disposal of waste.

The above activities are applicable both to purchased software and software developed in-house.
Procedures for data collection.
The preferred choice for data collection is to use primary data from the supplier.
For software made by the organization using it, primary data as outlined above (e.g. electricity consumption, etc.), isavailable to the user for design and development stages.
In this case, the environmental impact for these activities may be calculated using the below formula (Equation A.1) byadding up the different environmental impact for different activities:
Ea=E1+E2+E3+ --------- +En(A.1)

Ea: Quantity of environmental load for software design and production
E1, E2, E3, En: Quantity of environmental load for each activity
For procured software, the following method based on addition of environmental load per software can be applied(Equation A.2):
Eb=O+B1+B2+M1+M2(A.2)

Eb: Quantity of environmental load of all software (CO2 emission, etc.)
O, B1, B2, M1, M2: Quantity of environmental load of the individual software to be procured (CO2 emission, etc.)
However, if such data is not available, the procedures below can be applied.
If GHG emission data is available for some software from a supplier, the load of other software may be estimated basedon the selling prices and the known environmental load values, according to the following formula (Equation A.3):
Eb=(W/p1)×S1
Eb: Quantity of environmental load of all software (CO2 emission, etc.)

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W: Total amount of all software to be procured (selling price, etc.)
p1: Amount of software for which their environmental loads are known (CO2 emission, etc.)
S1: Quantity of the environmental load of software (w1) well-known quantity of environmental load (CO2 emission,etc.).
An alternative method to overcome data shortage would be to make estimates based on economical input-output tables
for environmental analysis, i.e. based on environment load emission values provided in tables of economical statistics,
also considering the cost of software to be targeted. The following formula (Equation A.4) applies:
S=w1×k
S: Environmental load with the design and production of software
w1: Price of software to be targeted
k: The emission factor in CO2 emission per price of software in currency unit

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Annex B (normative):
Modelling of unit processes
Data shall be collected, for each unit process that is included within the system boundary, in accordance with annex B.
A unit process typically represents a facility where a product is produced, but it can also represent, e.g. an office or astore - or even an activity or a place where a service is produced. A unit process can also be a vehicle or a "mobile
facility" that transports products. Non-production facilities are especially important to the ICT sector [i.3] as a large
percentage of the total work is related to research and development (including software), operation, maintenance, etc.
A unit process can be modelled as shown in figure B.1. The generic unit process model includes a number of inputs andoutputs and can be referred to as a facility LCI model or - shorter - a facility model.
NOTE:

E.g. the Part unit Processes in table E.1.

In many cases a facility handles not only the product system targeted by the LCA but also other product systems In thissituation, the facility data needs to be allocated to the studied/targeted product system in an appropriate way. For
allocation rules please refer to clause 6.3.3.
Transports&Travel
Resources input (depletion of land, water, natural resources)

Emissions to air

Energy input

Emissions to water

Product inputs (Raw materials, Parts)

Emissions to soil
Waste outputs
Product outputs

Figure B.1: The generic unit process model
Emissions to the environment and impact on or use or depletion of resource objects are referred to as elementary flows.
All other inputs and outputs are defined as product flows.
Each input of fuel and products, as well as each output of waste, may involve transportation which is then part of the
input/output data connected to the unit process.
Applicable support activities should also be considered for a production facility if applicable.
Emissions (elementary flows)
The following emissions shall be taken into account if applicable to the studied impact category(ies):•

Emissions to air.

•

Emissions to water.

•

Emissions to soil.

Non-material emissions like radiation, odour and noise are beyond scope of the present document as well as direct
impact on health.
Resource objects (elementary flows)
The following resource objects shall be taken into account if applicable to the studied impact category(ies):•

Material resource use (see RDMR, Resource Depletion Mineral Resources, table 5).

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Energy resource use (see RDMR, Resource Depletion fossil, table 5).

Additionally, the following resource objects should be taken into account if applicable to the studied impact
category(ies):•

Fresh water use (see Resource Depletion (RDW), Water).

•

Land use.

Species, biodiversity and eco-system depletion as well as aesthetical values are beyond the scope of the present
document.
A list of emissions and resource objects that shall be included, if applicable to the studied product system and impact
category(ies), can be found in annex G (table G.1).
Energy, product and services inputs
Further, the following inputs shall also be included if applicable to the studied impact category(ies):•

Electricity.

•

Other forms of delivered energy (district heating and cooling).

•

Fuels (typically indicates the fuels are incinerated on-facility or in a vehicle connected to the facility).

•

Primary products (products that are part of the final product in operation).

•

Secondary products (products that are not part of the final product in operation, e.g. 2-propanol used ascleaning agent for PCBAs).

•

Transports, travel and other services (can be seen as a special non-material secondary product input).

Product, water and waste output
Finally, the following flows shall also be included if applicable to the studied impact category(ies):•

Water discharge (to municipal sewage or recipient).

•

Waste fractions (residual waste fractions or waste fractions that need further treatment, also including material
recycling and energy recovery).

•

Product output (the main purpose with the unit process or activity).

A mandatory list of generic activities (unit processes) that have been found to be of importance for LCA of ICT goods,
Networks and Services can be found in annex D.
An informative list of typical ICT goods, Support goods and Network goods can be found in annexes O and P.

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Annex C (normative):
Support activities
Whenever support activities are included in the study scope the guidance in annex C shall be considered.
All activities during the life cycle of an ICT goods, network or service, performed by an organization, are related todifferent kinds of organizational activities which in the present document are referred to as support activities.
The term support activities refers to activities that are specific to the goods network or service, but also to other generalorganizational activities needed to operate the company. The former could be e.g. marketing, sales, research anddevelopment; the later could be data support, human resources support; communications, financial department, etc.
Both these categories are associated with the use of buildings and travelling/transports, i.e. use of energy and material
resources.
The impact from specific activities could either be estimated based on detailed knowledge of the organizational
structure (bottom-up), or by allocation from information regarding the total amount of employees in the organizationand their impact (top-down).
Optionally also impact from consultants and services used by the organization could be considered.
Any support activities included in the LCA scope shall be clearly reported in term of organization activities considered.
The support activities for ICT manufacturer, operator and service providers have been given specific names:•

ICT manufacturer support activities.

•

Operator support activities.

•

Service provider support activities.

This is to highlight their importance. They have also been structured separately in figures 2, 5 and 6. For other life cycle
activities the support activities are embedded in the activity itself.
As most activities during the life cycle are associated with support activities, the support activities could be seen as
generic activities. However, in contrast to other generic processes (like travelling, transports, etc.), the activity data forsupport activities are very much specific to the organization performing it and need to be modelled specifically for
different organizations.

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Annex D (normative):
Generic processes
Table D.1 defines the generic processes (G1 to G7) which shall be included if applicable in LCAs for ICT goods,
Networks and Services, as well as examples of categories and examples of unit processes to be included. Genericprocesses are processes that are applicable several times during the life cycle and could be used for several life cycle
stages and even several times per stage. As an example the generic raw material process G5 is applicable to any raw
material used during any life cycle stage, including the raw materials used during the Raw material acquisition stage(denoted A in table 2).
Table D.1: Generic processes for LCA of ICT goods
Generic
process
G1.
Transports
and Travel

G2.
Electricity

G3. Fuels

G4. OtherenergyG5. Raw
materialacquisition

Generic process
categories
Road
Air
Ship
Train

National, regional
and local producer
electricity mixes

Oil
DieselPetrolJet-fuel
LPG
LNG
Coal
Gas
District heating (hotwater)
District heating(steam)District cooling (coldwater) as electricity
See annex H

Unit processes (for each category)
Mandatory: Direct (during transport)
emissions,
Fuel supply chain (see note 1)
Optional: Vehicle production,
Infrastructure production
Mandatory: Fuel supply chain (see note 1),"Raw Material Acquisition++Production+Distribution" where applicablefor local renewable electricity generation,
Direct emissions (during electricity
production)
Optional: power plant production, dam
production, the grid production, nuclear
waste treatment

Product
flow unit

Important issues

tonne×km,
kg×km,
Ctonne×km

Chargeable mass =Ctonne×km (functionthat also considers
volume or density)(see note 3)

kWhThis is also applicableto local production ofelectricity e.g. off-gridsite electricity
generation using e.g.
photovoltaic modules
and wind turbines

Mandatory:
Fuel supply chain (see note 1)

mass,
energycontent

Mandatory: Fuel supply chain, Directemissions during energy/electricity
production
Optional: Power plant production,
Infrastructure production

kWh

Mandatory: Extraction
Processing

mass

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Generic process
Product
Unit processes (for each category)
Important issues
categories
flow unit
G6.1 EHW(Environmentally
Hazardous Waste)
treatment:
EHW (destructionand energy
recovery)Special EHW landfill
G6.2 Other Waste
G6. End-of- treatment:
mass,
G6.1: Recovery/treatment
life
Diverse material(energy
G6.2: Recycling/recovery/treatment
treatment
recycling
content)
Editorial:
clarification needed
to differ from G7
Energy recovery(e.g. incineration,
see note)
Landfill
See annex F forgoods EoLT
Mandatory:G7. Raw
Metal recycling
Smelting
Other material shall bematerial
Other material
Refining
considered
recycling
recycling
Optional:
Plastic, paper
NOTE 1: Extraction and Production and Distribution (transports).
NOTE 2: Energy recovery of incineration processes is optional.
NOTE 3: For each transport the LCA practitioner should assess the studied good mass or volume whichever is thelimiting factor for the transport and also the vehicle maximum payload and/or available volume respectively. In
case the limiting factor is not known both should be assessed. If mass is the limiting factor the "Product flowunit" can directly be assessed with a kg×km / tonne×km formula. Otherwise, if volume is the limiting
factor the "Product flow unit" should be assessed by adding a loading rate factor.

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Annex E (normative):
Part types of ICT goods
Table E.1 lists the applicable parts and assembly types which shall be taken into account when performing an LCA of
ICT goods, if applicable to the ICT good (not ICT network). It also lists the corresponding part and assembly categories
and unit processes. However, parts which are found insignificant according to the cut-off rules may be excluded. The
list is to be regarded as a mandatory list and additional processes and parts may be identified and included as well,e.g. fuel cells.
The intention of the list is to state what shall be considered to make sure that important parts are not forgotten.
The intention is not to put requirements on modelling. In practice, it is often convenient to model the production
processes for part categories separately but other modelling is possible as long as the impact from the part category is
included in the overall results. For raw materials acquisition it may be impractical to model goods at a part category
level.
At the time of publication, some of the requirements in annex E are considered as challenging due to LCA tool
limitations, lack of data, limitations in data granularity etc. It is thus recognized that compliance to all requirements inannex E may not be possible at the time the present document is published.
Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported.
Table E.1: Mandatory set of parts and Assembly unit processes for LCA of ICT goods

Part/Assembly

B1.1.1 Batteries(see note 8)

B1.1.2 Cables

B1.1.3 Electromechanics

Part/Assembly categories
Lead batteries
Lithium batteries
Nickel-Cadmium batteries
Nickel-metal hydride
batteries
Coaxial cables
Fibre cables
Power cables
Network/signal cables
Connectors
Connectors
Electric motors
Chargers
Speakers
Microphones
Camera objectives
Hard Disc Drives
Lighting (lamps)

Processors, DSPs
B1.1.4 Integrated ASICs
Memories
circuits (ICs)
Microprocessors
Transistors and diodes

Unit processes (for each
Part/assembly category)

Product flow unit

Importantparameterswhich influence
LCI data

Raw Material Acquisition,
Battery cell assembly(see note 1),
Battery module (pack) assembly(see note 2)

Piece (see note 7),energy content,
mass

Size

Raw Material Acquisition,
Cable final assembly

Mass, Piece(see note 7)

LengthRaw Material Acquisition,
Part final assembly

Mass, Piece(see note 7)

Piece. Front-end:
good die area
[cm2], Back-end:
Front-end:
piece package typeSpecial IC Raw Materials
Yield in chip(see note 3)
Acquisition,
production
Wafer production,
Business
Chip production ("the wafer fab")
activities
Transistors andBack-end: Raw Material
Factory anddiodes: Piece,
Acquisition,
machinerymass, or as for ICs
IC encapsulation
for front-end andback-end(see note 7)

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Part/Assembly

B1.1.5
Mechanics/
Materials

B1.1.6 Displays

B1.1.7 PCB

Part/Assembly categories
Nuts, bolts, screws
FrontsFramesRacks
Cabinets
TowersContainers
SolderPDP
LCD (see note 4)
LED
OLED

Plastic
Ceramic
Flex-film

Resistors
Capacitors
B1.1.8 Other
Inductors
PCBA
Relayscomponents
LEDs
Potentiometers
Quartz crystal oscillators
Paper
B1.1.9 Packaging Cardboard
Plastics
materials
Wood
Steel
Products, devices, modules
bought by ICT goods
producer, or other actors inthe supply chain, as
complete products (e.g.
cameras, modules,
B1.1.10 Black
memories, printer cartridges.
box modules
These products can also becomplete ICT goods such as
mobile phones and Network
equipment as well as storage
devices, disk drives or power
supply units)

Unit processes (for each
Part/assembly category)

Raw Material Acquisition,
Part final assembly

Raw Materials Acquisition
Raw Materials Acquisition for
special display panel materials,
Display module assembly,
Display panel assembly
Raw Materials Acquisition,
Raw materials Acquisition for
special PCB materials,
Raw materials Acquisition for
PCB semi-produced composite
materials,
PCB final assembly

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Product flow unit

Mass, Piece(see note 7)

Mass, active area,piece(see note 7)

Yield
Business
activities,
Factory andmachinery

Mass, area ofmultilayer PCB,
piece
(see note 7)

Yield
Business
activities,
Factory andmachinery

Raw Material Acquisition,
Part final assembly

Mass, Piece(see note 7)

Raw Material Acquisition

Mass, volume(see note 5)

Lifetime, Re-use,energy recovery"Cradle-to-gate" LCA fromsupplier (see note 6)

Mass, Piece(see note 7)

Size, mass,technology

Development: e.g. daily way towork for programmer, businesstrips for programmer, electricity
usage of ICT goods used byprogrammer, office lighting.

B1.1.11 SoftwaremoduleFor further
guidance seeannex A

SoftwareB1.2 Assembly

PCBA Module Assembly,
Final Assembly

Importantparameterswhich influence
LCI data

Megabyte
Production: e.g. manuals
production, Data medium
production, Download size if
software is available as
download.
Assembly process
Warehousing,
Packaging.

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Importantparameters
Part/AssemblyPart/Assembly categories
Product flow unit
which influence
LCI data
NOTE 1: Example: Battery cell assembly could include the cell plant production energy and the transport of cells to battery
module (pack) assembly. In the battery cell assembly usually anode, cathode, separator and electrolyte and plastic
parts are used to make the cell.
NOTE 2: Example: Battery module (pack) assembly could include assembly plant production energy, transport to B1.2. Inbattery module (pack) assembly usually the battery cell, PCBAs, cables and containers are used to make thebattery module (pack).
2
2
NOTE 3: Example: A BGA289 package. Good die area 0,166 cm . GWP per BGA289 = CO2e/good die area in cm × 0,166+ CO2e/piece BGA package type back-end process. Example 2: A "stacked chip" package. Total good die area2
2
12 cm . GWP per "stacked chip" package = CO2e/good die area in cm × 12 + CO2e/piece "stacked chip" package
type back-end process.
2
NOTE 4: Example: CO2e for an LCD Display in a mobile phone, active area 33 cm = CO2e/active area display module in
cm2 (mobile phone displays) × 33 cm2 + CO2e/piece display panel (mobile phone display panels) × 1 piece.
NOTE 5: Relates to transport.
NOTE 6: The use of black box module data for ICT goods in a study needs to be transparently motivated and reported withrespect to compliance to the present document. Example: A Network Operator may use black box module data for
a set-top-box, a mobile phone manufacturer may use black box module data for a camera, a data centre
operator may use black box module data for UPS and they need to report the compliance of this data to thepresent document and motivate any deviation.
NOTE 7: Piece as product flow unit (allocation basis) is applicable if the Part factory produces one unique Part type.
NOTE 8: It is acceptable to consider the battery as a black box.
Unit processes (for each
Part/assembly category)

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Annex F (normative):
EoLT processes
Table F.1 defines for ICT goods the different specific EoLT processes which shall be included (if applicable to the goaland scope and studied product system). Mandatory process categories and corresponding EoLT process are listed in thetable for each EoLT process. The list is to be regarded as a minimum mandatory list and more EoLT processes/process
categories/unit processes may be included. Usually D3 Other EoLT consists of combinations of G6.1 and G6.2.
NOTE:

At the time of publication, some of the requirements in annex F are considered as challenging due to LCA
tool limitations, lack of data, limitations in data granularity etc. It is thus recognized that compliance to all
requirements in annex F may not be possible at the time the present document is published.

Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported.
Table F.1: EoLT processes for LCA of ICT goods
EoLT process unit processes Goods(for each category)flow unit

Process categories

D. EoLTD1. Preparation for Re-use of ICT goods
D2. ICT specific EoLT
D2.1
Storage/Disassembly/Dismantling/Shredding
D2.2 Recycling
D2.2.1 Battery recycling
ICT specific metal/mechanical parts/fractions
EoLT
D2.2.2 PCBA recycling
D2.2.3 Cable recycling
D2.2.4 Mechanics recycling
D2.2.5 Other ICT recycling
D3. Other EoLTETSI

Recycling, recovery andtreatment

Piece/
mass

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Annex G (normative):
Elementary flows (emissions and resources)
List of elementary flows in LCA of ICT.
Table G.1 contains elementary flows which shall be taken into account in LCA analyses for ICT. More flows could be
relevant and the list refers to the mandatory LCI flows. The most commonly used name, chemical name or abbreviation
has been put first followed by other common names/abbreviations. The substance names listed in table G.1 shall be
used in the report.
For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.9).
NOTE:

At the time of publication, some of the requirements in table G.1 are considered as challenging. It is thus
recognized that compliance to these requirements may not be possible at the time the present document ispublished.

Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported.
The unit is mass (unless stated otherwise): g, kg and tonne.
Table G.1: Elementary flows in LCAs of ICTInventory
Substance

Measure unit

Aluminium (resource)
Ammonia (to air)As (to air)As (to water)
As (to soil)
Benzene (to air)
BOD (to water)
Cd (to air)Cd (to water)
Cd (to soil)
Cr (to water)
Cr (to soil)
CClF3, (CFC-13) (to air)
CCl3F, (CFC-11) (to air)
CCl2F2, (CFC-12) (to air)
Cl2FC-CClF2, (CFC-113) (to air)C2F6 (CFC-116) (to air)
C2H2F4, HFC-134a (to air)
C2H3F3, HFC-143a (to air)
C2H1F5, HFC-125 (to air)
C2H3Cl2F, HCFC-141b (to air)
CF2ClBr, Halon 1211 (to air)
CF3Br, Halon 1301 (to air)
CF4, CFC-14 (to air)
CH3Cl3, HCFC-140 (to air)
CH4, Methane (to air)
CHF2Cl, HCFC-22 (to air)
CHF3, HFC-23 (to air)Cl- (to water)Cl- (to ground)
CO, Carbon monoxide (to air)
CO2 (to air)Coal (resource)
Copper (resource)
Copper (to air)

kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg, TOE, MJ
kg
kg

ETSI

Contribution to Mid-point
Impact Assessment
Category(ies)(Table 5, clause 7)
RDMR, LUA
HTC, ETFWHTC, ETFWHTC, ETFWHTC, ETFW
EA
HTC, ETFWHTC, ETFWHTC, ETFWHTC, ETFWHTC, ETFW
OD, CC
OD, CC
OD, CC
OD, CC
OD, CC
OD, CC
OD, CC
OD, CC
OD, CC
OD, CC
OD, CC
OD, CC
OD, CCCC
OD, CC
OD, CCHTNC, ETFW, A
HTNC, ETFW, A
HTNC, POF, CC
CC, A
RDMR, LU
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Inventory
Substance

Measure unit

Copper (to water)
COD (to water)
EHW = Environmental hazardous (waste)
EHW Ashes, special EHW landfill (waste)
EHW Metal hydroxides (MeOH),
special EHW landfill (waste)
EHW Slag, special EHW landfill (waste)
Ethylene (air)Ethylene oxide (air)Formaldehyde, CH2O (to air)Gas (resource)Gold (resource)
Hg (to air)
Hg (to water)
Hg (to soil)
Hydrogen chloride (to air)Iron (to air)Iron (resource)
Iron (to water)
Iron (to soil)
Land occupation, agriculturalLand occupation, urban
Metals (unspecified) (to water)
Metals (unspecified) (to soil)
Mineral (waste)
Mo (to water)Mo (to soil)
N2O (to air)
NF3 (to air)
Nickel (resource)
Nickel (to water)
Nickel (to soil)
N-total (to water)
Nitrate, NO3 (to water)
NMVOC, non-Methane VOC (to air)
NMHC, non-Methane hydrocarbons (to air)NOx (to air)
Oil (to soil)
Oil (resource)
Oil (to water)
Other CFCs/HFCs/HCFCs/PFCs (to air)Other (new) "high GWPs/ODPs" (to air)
PAH, all kinds (to air)
Palladium (resource)
Platinum(resource)
Particulates, all kinds (to water)
Particulates, all kinds (to air)Pb (resource)
Pb (to air)
Pb (to water)
Pb (to soil)
PF3 (to air)3Phosphate, PO4 - (to water)
P-total (to water)
Radioactive (low, volume) (waste)
Radioactive (medium, volume) (waste)
Radioactive (high, volume) (waste)
Selenium (to water)
Selenium (to soil)

kg
kg
kg
kg

Contribution to Mid-point
Impact Assessment
Category(ies)(Table 5, clause 7)
HTNC, ETFW
EA
LU
LU

kg

LU

kg
kg
kg
kg
kg, TOE, MJ
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
2
m ×year2
m ×year
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg, TOE, MJ
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg

LU
POF
HTNC, ETFWHTC, POF
RDMR, LU
RDMR, LU
HTC, ETFWHTC, ETFWHTC, ETFW
A, HTNC
HTNC
RDMR
HTNC
HTNC
LU
LU
HTNC, HTC, ETFWHTNC, HTC, ETFWLU
HTNC, ETFWHTNC, ETFW
CC, OD
CC, OD
RDMR, LU
HTNC, ETFWHTNC, ETFW
EA, ET
EA
POF, RI/PM, HTNCHTNC, HTC, POF
CC, EA, ET, POF, HTNC, ETFWHTC
RDMR, LUHTC
OD, CC
OD, CCHTC
RDMR, LU
RDMR
HTC, HTNC, ETFW
CC, HTC,ETFW, POF, RI/PM
RDMR
HTNC, ETFWHTNC, ETFWHTNC, ETFW
CC, OD
EA, ET
EA, ET
IRH, IRE
IRH, IRE
IRH. IRE
HTNC, ETFWHTNC, ETFW

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Inventory
Substance

Measure unit

Silver (resource)
Solid waste to landfill (waste)
SF6 (to air)SO2 (to air)SOx (to air)
TCDDe ("Dioxin" equivalents) (to air)Tin (resource)
Titanium (to water)
Titanium (to soil)
Toluene (to air)Uranium (resource)
Water, lake (resource)
Water, river (resource)
Water, well, in soil (resource)
Water, unspecified, natural origin (resource)
Zinc (to water)
Zinc (resource)
Zinc (to soil)
Zinc (to air)

kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg
kg, MJ, TOE
3
m
3
m
3
m
3
m
kg
kg
kg
kg

Contribution to Mid-point
Impact Assessment
Category(ies)(Table 5, clause 7)
RDMR, LU
LU
CC, OD
A, POF, HTNC, ETFW, RI/PM
A, POF, HTNC,,ETFW, RI/PM
HTC
RDMR
HTNC, ETFWHTNC, ETFW
POF, HTC, HTNC
RDMR
RDW
RDW
RDW
RDW
HTNC, ETFWRDMR
HTNC, ETFWHTNC, ETFWThe recommended unit is mass (unless otherwise stated): g, kg, tonne.
For global warming potential factors refer to the latest IPCC information available, at the time of publishing of thepresent document [i.10].
Other elementary flows which are of interest may be added when enough scientific consensus is available.
For energy the following resources shall apply:
•

Oil

•

Gas

•

Coal

•

Uranium•

Energy related to hydro-electric power•

Biofuels•

For renewable energy sources use generated energy

Different qualities of fossil fuels have different contents of C/H (coal/hydrogen) and then also different energy content
measured in kgOE or TOE or MJ.
The recommended unit is kgOE, TOE (kg or tonne oil equivalents) or MJ.

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Annex H (normative):
List of Raw materials
Table H.1 lists a minimum Raw Materials groups (chemicals, fuels, metals, plastics, packaging materials and additives)
which shall be taken into account in LCAs of ICT goods, if applicable to the studied ICT product system.
Table H.1 would be too long if all specific materials would be listed as there are many variants of each chemical, fuel,metal and alloy, plastic and additives. Therefore each material name in table H.1 refers to a group of Raw Materials andnot specific CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service) code materials.
These Raw Materials groups are either part of the material content of the ICT goods/Support goods or used as ancillarymaterials throughout the life cycle.
Table H.1: Cradle-to-gate groups of Raw Materials to be included in LCA of ICT goods
Chemicals
Metals and alloys
Nitrogen gas (N2)
Aluminium
Oxygen gas (O2)
Brass
Hydrogen gas (H2)BronzeArgon gas (Ar)
Cadmium
Acetone
Chromium
CaO
Copper
H2SO4
Gallium
H2O2
Gold
HydroCloric Acid (HCl)IndiumFeCl3
Lead
IsoPropyleneAlcohol
Lithium
Ethylene glycol
Magnesium
HydroFluoric acid
Mercury
H3PO4
NickelHNO3Palladium
NaOH
Platinum…
Silicon…
Silver
Fuels
Solder - SAC (tin silver copper)
Heating oil
Solder - Sn/Pb
Bunker oil / ship diesel
Solder - SnZn
DieselSteel - Cr3+ plated
PetrolSteel - powder coatedJet fuel
Steel - zinc plated
LPG
Steel - stainless steel
LNG
Tin"Biofuels"Zinc
For renewable energy sources use generated energy Hard metal (W-Co)
Uranium
Energy related to hydro-electric power…
Plastics
OthersAcrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)Concrete
Epoxy
Packaging materials
Polycarbonate (PC)
Ceramics
Polyethylene (PE) - HD
Paper
Polyethylene (PE) - LD
Cardboard
Polypropylene (PP)
Wood
Polystyrene (PS)
Wood board
Polyurethane (PUR)
Glass
Polyester (e.g. PET)
Glassfibre
PVC

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Chemicals
Silicone rubber
Styrene acrylonitrile (SAN)PA (Nylone)
PTFE (Teflone)PMMA…

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Metals and alloys
Additives and others
Paper additives
Plastic additives
High purity grades of materials/chemicals and gases
Cooling media, fire extinguisher media (High GWPs/ODPs)

Different qualities of fossil fuels have different contents of C/H (coal/hydrogen) and then also different energy content
measured in kgOE or TOE or MJ.
The recommended unit is kgOE, TOE (kg or tonne oil equivalents) or MJ.

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Annex I:
Void

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Annex J (normative):
ICT network overview
An ICT network is commonly described in terms of boxes, each of which is associated with a specific function or a setof coherent functions. Typically, major network functions could be represented as shown below. The network elements
below shown in figure J.1 are part of existing ICT networks and shall be studied when defining the studied productsystem. However, the present document is not restricted to these ICT network elements but will also apply whenassessing any existing or future ICT networks.
Enterprise fixed accessWireless access and core
eNB
(LTE)
Node B

BackhaulNode B
CDMA

MME

S-GW

P-GW

RNC

SGSN

GGSN

Data
Data

AccessswitchAggregation
switch

OM
OM

Data

Pkt Sw

Firewall/WAN

Metro/Edge network

Voice
MMC

Core
Sw

EthernetswitchEthernetswitchCore network
MetrorouterCore
routerCore
router

OTN

OTN

OTN

ROADM

ROADM

ROADM

ROADM

ROADM

ROADM

ROADM

ROADM

EthernetswitchMetrorouter

OTN

OTN

Core
routerCore
router

ROADM
Femto

Fixed accessback-haul

Secur.
GW

Residential fixed access
ADSL + GWY

DSLAM

L.1410(12)_FE.1

VDSL + GWY
ONU

DSLAM + ONU

OLT

SPLT

OLT

Figure J.1: Example of an ICT network reference model
A wireless access and core network consists of an access and a core domain. Examples of wireless technologies include
GSM, W-CDMA, LTE. Typically, for LTE/EPC the core network (known as the evolved packet system) provides IP
connectivity using the access network (E-UTRAN). For GSM and UMTS, the core network consists of a circuit
switched domain (comprising MSC/VLR) and a packet switched domain (GPRS core comprising SGSN, GGSN) which
supports interworking with IP-based networks. The mobile access network consists of physical entities which manage
the radio resource (BTS/BSC, node B/RNC, enode B) and provide the user with mechanisms to access the core
network.
The residential fixed access network provides the end user with an access to the network carrying digital signals usedfor voice band and digital data.
The metro/edge network provides connectivity and transport to large areas with a high concentration of businesscustomers. These ICT networks provide the bridge between the long-haul environment and the access environment.
The enterprise fixed access network includes a local area network (LAN) used to connect an end system to an edge
router. There are many different types of LAN technology and Ethernet technology is currently by far the mostprevalent access technology in enterprise networks. The edge router is then routing packets that have destinations
outside of the LAN.
The long-haul network interconnects cities and regions covering hundreds of kilometres between several central offices.
It includes core routers operating in the Internet backbone and forwarding IP packets at a very high speed throughoptical transport infrastructures.

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From an end-user perspective, some other devices are used when they are offered as an end-to-end service. Typically,
terminal devices (mobile phones, fixed phone sets, personal computers, printers, scanners) are needed to initiate a call,to surf the Internet or to print documents. GPS devices are also required to propose optimized routes when driving avehicle. Moreover, it is expected that innovative services will be provided in the future to the general public that will
drastically change the environmental impact of end users (such as smart meters for example). Also, enterprises are using
a variety of goods for running their business (PBX switches, PC, printers and scanners).
An example of functions of a wireless mobile telecommunication network is shown in figure J.2.

Local
switchMobilestationa) Customer
premises

GatewayServerGateway

GatewayswitchTollswitchGatewayswitchBasestationb) Access network
equipment

Local
switchBasestationc) Core network

L.1410(12)_FE.2

Figure J.2: Example of functions of wireless mobile telecommunication network

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Annex K (normative):
A method for assessing the environmental load of theworking environment
This annex describes a methodology to assess the environmental load of the working environment.
•This methodology shall be studied for assessing the working environment related impacts related to ICT
goods, networks and services Part I (clause 6).

•

It may also be used in order to assess the impacts related to the working environment when performing acomparison implying better office space usage thanks to ICT (Part II, clause 11).

An example of an assessment of the environmental impact of the working environment based on this methodology isprovided in annex V.

K.1

Purpose of targeting the working environment in theassessment of ICT goods, networks and services

The working environment is one of the important checklist items to consider when assessing the environmental impact
of ICT goods, networks and services in Part I.
In addition, improved work efficiency thanks to ICT goods, networks and services is listed as a category for comparison
in Part II. To perform a comparison, an assessment of the working environment is often necessary.
Employment and work styles are undergoing a transformation in many countries and there are several types of officespaces in addition to the traditional ones, such as small offices home offices (SOHO), mobile office, etc.

K.2

Functional unit

A functional unit of the "working environment" may be defined as a "provision of working space and working
environment for one year".
Another functional unit of the "working environment" may be defined as a "provision of working space and working
environment for one year per person".

K.3

System boundary

A system boundary for evaluating the working environment may be described as shown in figure K.1. Once thefunctional unit is defined, energy consumption should be calculated by considering the energy consumption of theheating system, air conditioning system, other motive powers (e.g. for automatic doors, elevators), lighting andappliances used for business purposes and related to targeted work. As for other energy consumption data, GHG
emissions should then be derived from the energy consumption values.

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Office space:
Building
materials

Constructionof building

Removalof building

Disposal/
recyclingof building
materials- Office appliances

Removalof officeappliancesand furniture

Disposal/
recycling of
office appliancesand furniture

Use

RemovalDisposal/Recycling- Heating- Air conditioning

Productionof officeappliancesand furniture

Installationof officeappliancesand furniture

Materialacquisition/
production

Installation- Lighting- Motive power

L.1410(12)_FA.1

Figure K.1: System boundary of working environment

K.4Life cycle inventory (LCI)

K.4.1

Data collection

To evaluate the energy consumption and GHG emissions of the working environment (whether at the office or athome), data on energy consumption, the space occupied by each person and the number of working hours per year
could be calculated based on available statistical data.

K.4.2

Data calculation

Regarding the environmental impact of the working environment, energy consumption should first be assessed for all
activities within the system boundaries, e.g. heating; air conditioning; lighting; motive power, etc.
NOTE:

Depending on the type of data available (aggregated or distributed), classification into these activities
may not be applicable.

Secondly, energy consumption should be classified into fuel categories in accordance with annex H.
Thirdly, energy consumption and GHG emissions should be calculated for each fuel category in:•

Energy (J).

•

GHG emission (kg-CO2e).

Finally, total energy consumption and GHG emissions should be calculated by adding the environmental impact of all
fuel categories.

K.4.3

Allocation procedure

To evaluate energy consumption and GHG emissions of offices at home, an allocation between working activities andother activities is required. This distinction between working activities and other activities should be based on
appropriate assumptions and should be documented.
Overall, publicly available statistical data to be considered for allocation in a home office:•working style;•working hours;•

percentage of workers who work only at home or at home and also at the office.

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Considering the above-mentioned factors, the home office impact intensity would be obtained by allocating theenvironmental load to the working activities and household activities.

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Annex L (normative):
Reporting formats
This annex contains tables that shall be used to report the result of the assessment.
In line with indications in the main text related to LCA tool limitations etc, at the time of publication, it may bechallenging to fulfil fully certain reporting tables included in this annex. It is thus recognized that compliance to allreporting requirements may not be possible at the time the present document is published.
Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported.
Table L.1: Cover page
REPORTING
Yes
General information
Company name and contact information
Project nameProduct System
Product System related information
Product System function
Product system description
Product picture (optional)
Date of completion of assessment (DD/MM/YYYY)
Compliant with ETSI ES 203 199
LCA tool used
External Review (yes/no)
Reviewers
Goal definition
Reason for carrying the study
Target audience(s)Comparative assessment
Scope definition
Functional unit
Reference flow
System boundaries
Environmental impact categories
List of Optional and recommended stages considered
Cut off criteria
Resource used and emission profile
Generic data sources
Data collection procedure
Technical process flow diagram
Unit process description
Calculation procedure
Allocation procedure including the handling of multifunctionality
Data quality
Data gap
Environmental impact assessment
Assessment results
Normalization (optional)
Weighting (optional)Interpretation
Uncertainty aspects including results from sensitivity
analyses
Conclusion including identification of hot spots

ETSI

NO

Description/references to page

<put version of the specification>

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Table L.2: Reporting format for included life cycle stages, activities and generic processes
Tag

Life cycle
stage/
Process

A

Goods Raw Material Acquisition

A1

Rawmaterial
extractionRawmaterial
processing
Production

A2

B
B1

B1.3

ICT manufacturer
support activities
Supportgoods
production

B2.1

C
C1
C2
C3

C4

D
D1

D2

Support Goods
manufacturing
ICT specificSiteconstructionUse
ICT goods
use
Supportgoods use
Operator
supportactivities
Serviceprovidersupportactivities
Goods End of Life Treatment
Preparationof ICT
goods forRe-useICT specific
EoLT

D2.1

Storage/Disassem
bly/Dismantling/
Shredding
Recycling

D2.2
D3

Electricity mix(specific/
country/world
average

Parts production(for further details
refer to annex E)
Assembly

B1.2

B3

Included(Yes/No)ICT goods
production

B1.1

B2

Unit process

Other EoLT

ETSISupportactivities
included(Yes/No)

Transport
activities
included(Yes/No)
G1

Othergeneric
activities
included(Yes/No)
G2-7

Motivation/
Comment

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Table L.3: Reporting format for Generic processes for LCA of ICT goods
Generic process

Generic process
categories included(see note 1)

Unit processes included(for each generic process category)(see note 1)

G1. Transports
and Travel

Important issues(see note 2)
E.g. clarify comprehensiveness of
the used emission factors
E.g. clarify comprehensiveness of
the used emission factors
E.g. clarify comprehensiveness of
the used emission factors
E.g. clarify comprehensiveness of
the used emission factors

G2. Electricity
G3. Fuels
G4. Other energy

G5. Raw material
acquisition
G6. End-of-life
treatment
G7. Raw material
recycling
NOTE 1: Annex D gives examples of generic process categories and unit processes to be included if applicable.
NOTE 2: Include description of data source for each generic process category, e.g. from commercial LCI databases.

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Table L.4: Reporting format for transports/travel
Mode

CO2e
emissionfactor(see
note 4)

Raw material
acquisitiontransports

Transport
work (seenote 2){tonne×km}
Air
Other1(seenote 5)
Other2(seenote 5)NOTE 1:NOTE 2:NOTE 3:
NOTE 4:NOTE 5:NOTE 6:
NOTE 7:

Production stagetransports excluding
final transport

Final transport(see note 1)(Production to use
stage)

Use stagetransports

GWP100 Transport
GWP100 Transport
GWP100 Transport
work
work
work
{kg
{kg
{kg
{tonne×km} CO2e}{tonne×km}{tonne×km} CO2e}
CO2e}
(see
note 7)

EoLT transports

GWP Transport
work
100{tonne×km}
{kg
CO2e}

GWP
100
{kg
CO2e}

Total transports

Total travel(see note 6)

Transport GWP100 Travel
GWP100distance {kgdistance {kg{km}(see note CO2e}
CO2e}
3)
{km}

The final transport of ICT goods from assembly to operator, including pre- and post transports connected to the main transport.
Average in terms of distance, transport mode, load factor, chargeable mass, etc.
Average in terms of distance, transport mode, load factor, chargeable mass, etc.
This includes direct fuel consumption and also fuel supply chain.
Specify used transport mode.
Includes all kinds of travel throughout life cycles, e.g. commuting, business travel and maintenance travel when applicable. Specify travels taken into account.
Other impact categories to be added as applicable.

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Table L.5: Reporting format for raw materials
Total
input
(g, kg,tonne)

Content
in product(see note 1)(%)

Recycled
raw material
used(see note 2)(%)

Recyclingof total input(see note 3)(%)

Reference

Iron/Steel alloys
Aluminium alloys
Copper alloys
SilverGold
ICT product system Raw materials (optional)
Raw material 1
Raw material ...
Raw material n
Auxiliary Raw Materials (production materials etc.) (optional)
Auxiliary material 1
Auxiliary material …
Auxiliary material n
Packaging materials(optional)
Packaging material 1
Packaging material …
Packaging material n
NOTE 1: Percentage of total input material present in the product after the production process, i.e. total input minus therelated production waste.
NOTE 2: The amount of recycled raw material used in the production process, this include the raw material containedin the product and the related production waste.
NOTE 3: Total recycling of all input materials, i.e. recycling of manufacturing waste and recycling of total content in final
product during EOL.

For a full list of materials that could optionally be reported in table L.5, refer to annex H.
Table L.6: Reporting format for parts productionPartcategories included(see note 1)

Part Unit
processes included(see note 1)

Handling ofspecial issues(see note 2)

B1.1.1 Batteries
B1.1.2 Cables
B1.1.3 Electro-mechanics
B1.1.4 Integrated circuits(ICs)
B1.1.5 Mechanics / materials
B1.1.6 Displays
B1.1.7 Printed circuit boards(PCBs)
B1.1.8 Other PBA components
B1.1.9 Packaging materials
B1.1.10 Black box modules

Annex E gives a list of part categories and part unit processes which shall be included when applicable.
NOTE 1: Include description of data source and data set for each part category, e.g. from commercial databases.
Table L.7: Reporting format for use stage energy consumption
Energy consumption{kWh/year}

Source {long term average/standardized
measurement/ modelled

ICT goods
Support goods

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NOTE 2: If the reporting above comes into conflict with confidentiality considerations the data should be recordedinternally and made available to potential 3rd party peer reviewers.
Table L.8: Reporting format for EoLT stage
Process
categories included

Process Unit
processes included

Handling ofspecial issues

D1. Preparation for Re-use of ICT goods
D2. ICT specific EoLT
D3. Other EoLT

Annex F gives a list of process categories and unit processes which shall be included when applicable.
Table L.9: Reporting format for LCI results
TOTAL

Raw materials
acquisition

Production

Use

EoLT

Primary energy use(see note)
Total electricity use
Land use (optional)
Fresh water use (optional)
LCI data 1 (optional)
LCI data …(optional)
LCI data n (optional)
NOTE:
Primary energy usage is appropriate to express as Cumulative Energy Demand.

Table L.10: Impact category indicators
Mid-point category indicator
Global warming potential
Etc.

Impact category
indicator value# kg CO2e

LCIA methodology reference
IPCC Climate Change 2013: [i.10]

Table L.11: Reporting format for Network description
List of Included ICT
goods

List of Included
infrastructure

Quantity[unit](see note)End-user goods and CPE
End-user goods# [piece]CPE# [piece]
Operator
Network and activities
Access network# [sites]
Control and core network# [subscriber]
Operator activities# [employ]
Data Services
Data transport# [GB]
Data centre(s)# [GB]
Service provider(s)# [subscriber]
activities
NOTE:
More appropriate units can be selected depending on the case analysed.

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Table L.12: Reporting format for Network Energy consumption
ICT goods energy
consumption

Support goods
energy consumption

Source{long term average/
standardized measurement/
modelled}

End-user goods and CPE
End-user goods
CPE
Operator
Network and activities
Access network
Control and core network
Operator activities
Data Services
Data transport
Data centre(s)Service provider(s)activities

NOTE 3: If the reporting above comes into conflict with confidentiality considerations the data should be recordedinternally and made available to potential 3rd party peer reviewers.
Table L.13: Reporting format for Service hardware allocation
End-user goods and
CPE

Allocation method

End-user goods and CPE
End-user goods
CPE
Operator Network
and activities
Access network
Control & core network
Operator activities
Data Services
Data transport
Data centre(s)Allocationof usestage [%]

Allocationof all non-use
stages [%]Specific data centre(s) data
mandatorySpecific service provider(s) data
mandatory

Service provider(s)activities

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Annex M (informative):
Example of an LCA of a Mobile Phone fully compliant withthe present document
The purpose of this annex M is to show how an LCA of an ICT good, a Mobile Phone, is performed by an ICT
manufacturer based on the present document. The numbering of the tables and figures refer to the present document.
NOTE 1: The data presented in this example are not real data but rather examples.
For compliance with the present document all body text and annexes need to be considered when performing an LCA,
i.e. this example as such is fully compliant with the present document as described in clause 5.2 except for a few
deviations listed in the Reporting clause below.
Goal definition
The goal of this example LCA study is to clarify and understand the environmental impact of a mobile phone, during all
stages of the lifecycle, with respect to the mid-point impact categories: Climate Change (CC), Resource Depletion
including mineral, fossil and renewable (RDMR) and Resource Depletion Water (RDW).
The purpose of the LCA study is for internal use in order to develop the product and processes to be moreenvironmentally sound.
NOTE 2: Many more impact categories exist and a few have been selected for this example just to highlight that it
is important to assess different categories to avoid burden shifting. The purposes of performing an LCA
may vary e.g. from internal use cases to understanding the potential impact and identifying ofopportunities to improve environmental performance of a good to external use cases to gain information
about typical environmental performance of a good to assist in policy choices.
Scope definition
The studied product system is one Mobile Phone, a feature phone, with typical functionality for entry-level models suchas voice, SMS and internet browsing. Except the operating system software program, it physically consists of generalbuilding blocks such as: battery, mechanics, electromechanics and electronic components. These building blocks can inturn be categorized according to Parts defined in table E.1. Table E.1 also includes Software as a Part. In this case of an
entry-level mobile phone the main software component is the general operating system which according to clause 6.1.3
can be considered optional due to allocation difficulties. Also applications that users may install themselves are
excluded as the preferences and choices of users vary remarkably.
In the studied product system sales package is out of the scope i.e. sales package materials, user guide and accessories
such as the charger, cable and headset.
NOTE 3: Depending on the goal and scope of the study sales package may or may not be included and the package
content may vary.
The operating lifetime is estimated to be 3 years by the first owner based on the studied type of Mobile Phone and on
consumer studies. No extended operating lifetime or other lifetimes are considered. The applicable functional unit isan ICT good, a mobile phone, used by the first owner for three years including make and receive calls for a total calltime of 4.12 hours, messaging 5 hours and video communication 10 hours per month. The mobile phone is assumed to
be fully charged with inbox charger around 13 times per month and when the device is not being charged, the charger isstill plugged into the power point. Both charging and no load of the charger are part of the studied system. Other related
equipment, like accessories (e.g. headset, cable) and charging equipment are outside of scope as those vary case bycase.
This use case is just one specific scenario. The use pattern and therefore energy consumption of the device may vary
great deal, for example depending on which features are used and for how much time and on whether the charger is left
plugged into the power socket. Other scenario based sensitivity analyses may be conducted. The assessment scope isalso focused on direct operations and therefore infrastructure capacity buildings (like factories, roads, vehicles andtelecommunications) are excluded. Also capital goods, like production machinery are excluded. Human resources,
corporate overhead and travels are also excluded.

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ICT Manufacturers facility data are included (energy, materials, waste, etc.).
NOTE 4: Manufactures have the possibility to use primary data and other practitioners can use external sources e.g.
manufacturer external reports and LCI databases.
The assessed mobile phone is a globally sold and used product. As the geographical and temporal coordinates vary
dynamically for the Raw Material Acquisition and Production of most ICT goods the presented results for Raw
Material Acquisition and Production will therefore represent a global snap shot for the Mobile Phone.
System boundaries
Table 2 specifies the mandatory, recommended and optional life cycle stages/unit processes for ICT goods. Listed
below are the life cycle stages included in this LCA:
•

A1

•

A2

•

B1.1

•

B1.2

•

C1

•

D2.1

•

D2.2

•

D3

The recommended B1.3 and also B2 are left out as Support goods such as Chargers are not part of the studied productsystem and B3, ICT specific site construction, is not applicable to the studied product system.
Moreover, C2, C3 and C4 are not applicable to the studied product system.
In EoLT D2.1, D2.2. and D3 processes are included. D1 is not applicable to the studied product system.
Support activities are intentionally excluded for any unit processes.
Underlined Processes in figure M.1 are included in the studied product system.
Processes below in italic style are not included as they are optional or not part of the studied product system scope.

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G1.
TRANSPORTS&TRAVEL

G2. ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

G3. FUEL SUPPLY

G4. OTHER ENERGYSUPPLY

G5. RAW MATERIALAQUISTION
G5.1. Raw material extraction
G5.2. Raw material processing

G6. END-OF-LIFE
TREATMENT
G6.1 EHW treatment
G6.2 Other waste treatment

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A: GOODS RAW MATERIALACQUISITION
A1. Raw material extraction
A2. Raw material processing
B: PRODUCTION
B1. ICT goods production
B1.1 Parts production
B1.2 Assembly
B1.3 ICT manufacturer support activities
B2. Support goods production
B2.1 Support goods manufacturing
B3 ICT specific site construction

C: USE
C1. ICT goods use
C2. Support goods use
C3. Operator support activities
C4. Service provider support activities
D: GOODS END-OF-LIFE
TREATMENT
D1. Preparation for Re–use of ICT goods
D2. ICT specific EoLT
D2.1 Storage/Disassembly/Dismantling/
ShreddingD2.2 Recycling
D3. Other EoLT

System boundary

Figure M.1: The system boundary of the product system for LCA of the Mobile Phone
Figure M.2 shows a product system flowchart showing where the generic re-occurring processes are used. Boxes inwhich the text is marked underlined and bold type style are modelled whereas boxes marked with italic style are cutoff. These italic processes are within the studied product system but are cut-off. This cut-off will be used in thesensitivity analysis below.

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G3
A1 and A2

G2

G1

G3

B1.1.1-10, B1.1.11

G2

G5

G3
G5
G3

G1

G3
B1.2

G2

G1

G3

G5

G2

C1

G1

G3

D2.1

G2

G3
G5
G3

G1

G1

D2.2.1G5

D2.2.2G3

D2.2.4G2

D2.2.5

G1

G7

G1

G3
D3

G6.1 (EHW
G6.2 (Landfill)
destruction)
D2.2.5Figure M.2: The system boundary of the product system for LCA of the Mobile Phone showing
connections with generic processes
Data collection
Goods Raw material acquisition (A)Selected external databases are used for Raw Material Extraction (A1) and Raw Material Processing (A2) data.
ICT manufacturer Bill of Materials (BOM) and primary material data are used to identify the Parts and Raw material
contents of the Mobile Phone.

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NOTE 5: There are also other ways of collecting material content and BOM data e.g. teardown reports,
manufacturers, external data sources. Data quality evaluation is always important and chosen approachneeds to be reflected.
Production (B)Primary data (transportation mode, distance and masses) are collected for transports of Raw Materials (G5) and Parts(B1.1.1-10) to Final Product and from own production (Assembly, B1.2) operations. Primary data for consumption ofElectricity, Fuel and Raw Materials in B1.2 are also collected. Part Production (B1.1.1-10) and Raw Materials
Acquisition LCI data (G5) are collected from external databases and case by case, from suppliers based on BOMs andmaterial content.
Use (C)
Energy consumption during mobile phone use stage in the described specific scenario is estimated based on the third
alternative in clause 6.3.1.2.1 (with certain user profile / product category) including typical use of all functionalities ofthe multifunctional ICT goods. Phone charging energy efficiency is based on the ICT manufacturer's own charger
relevant for the study. It is assumed that the charger is not unplugged and therefore no-load consumption has been taken
into account (worst case scenario). Battery capacity is based on relevant battery for the study. World average energy
mixes are used as the product is intended for global market.
Goods End of Life Treatment (D)For EoLT data are based on average data from literature (e.g. regarding amount of electricity used per piece or mass ofmobile phone for Storage/Disassembly/Dismantling/Shredding (D2.1) and Recycling (D2.2.1, D2.2.2, D2.2.4 andD2.2.5).
Generic processes (G1-G7)
For transports (G1) distances, transportation modes and own facilities consumption of electricity (G2), Fuels (G3), Raw
Materials (G5) and Raw Material Recycling (G7) primary data is used. Relevant local and global energy mixes arecollected from LCI databases.
Other information
For Raw Material Acquisition the LCI databases used are not transparently reporting data on transports (G1), thus
impact from these transports between Raw Material Extraction (A1) and Raw Material Processing (A2) cannot bereported separately.
Also the amount and type of Transport of Raw Materials to Part Production are not transparent.
Data calculation
Below follows some examples of data calculations.
B1.1.1 Battery
The mass of the battery used in the mobile phone is measured. An LCI module for Lithium ion batteries expressing theimpacts per mass is applied according to table B.1.
NOTE 6: Depending on the LCI data available also other possibilities exist that are based on battery capacity(mAh) and energy content.
B1.1.2 Cables
There are no cables in the studied product system.
B1.1.3 Electro-mechanics
The mass of electromechanics such as connectors, acoustic components (e.g. speaker, microphone) and antenna are
identified and appropriate LCI datasets expressed per masses are applied.

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B1.1.4 Integrated circuits, ICs
The package type (e.g. PLCC-28) for each IC inside the Mobile Phone is identified.
The mass of each package/component type is identified based on BOM. The mass is estimated, weighed or obtained
from external data sources. One package type based LCI module (e.g. BGA packages) is designed and applied to themass of each IC.
The good die area inside each IC is identified. Si die area based LCI data set is applied to good die area for each IC.
The masses of transistors and diodes are identified. LCI data set expressed per mass transistor and diode are applied.
NOTE 7: There are also other ways to find out the environmental loadings for the IC parts.
B1.1.5 Mechanics/Materials
The mass of mechanical components and different materials are identified based on BOM and material data andappropriate LCI datasets applied for materials and used manufacturing technologies.
B1.1.6 Display
The mass of the display unit and the active area of the display are determined. A mass based LCI model for display unit
final assembly is used for the display module by using the mass of the display unit. An LCI data set expressed per active
area of the display is used for display panel. The sum of these two multiplications represents the LCI model for the
display.
B1.1.7 PCBs
The areas for each type of PCB (both rigid and flexible pieces) are identified. An LCI data set expressed per area
(produced multilayer PCBs) is used for each PCB. The factory for the PCB has allocated the environmental loadings perarea multilayer PCB output.
B1.1.8 Other PCBA components
The masses of other PCBA components, electronic components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors and LEDs are
identified. LCI data sets expressed per mass of other PCBA components are applied.
B1.1.9 Packaging materials
Packaging materials that are attributable to Parts Production and Assembly are included and the masses and type of
packaging was determined based on corporate level reporting and allocated appropriately.
B1.1.10 Black box modules
Memory IC package type, mass and good silicon die area inside the IC are identified similarly as for B1.1.4 Integrated
circuits, ICs.
The mass of camera module is identified and appropriate LCI dataset expressed per mass is applied.
B1.1.11 Software module
The main software component in this case is the operating system which according to clause 6.1.3 can be considered
optional due to allocation difficulties. Software module has, therefore not been included. Also other applications thatusers are able to install are excluded.
B1.2 PCBA Module Assembly
Data are gathered for the energy and materials used to final assemble, test and pack the mobile phone and the assembly
process is modelled accordingly.

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C1. ICT goods Use
The below approach shown in table M.1 is used to estimate the electricity consumption during three years for themobile phone.
NOTE 8: The scenario and the calculation model in the present example is highly specific and numerous othercalculation models are possible for estimating the use stage electricity consumption of mobile phones.
Table M.1: Scenario for mobile phone use stage "make and receive calls for a total call time of
4.12 hours, messaging 5 hours and video communication 10 hours per month over 3 years"
Mobile Phone
Value
4.12
5
5
15
10
1
450
4
6.5

SymbolDescription

tcom
acom
tstby
tmes
ames
tvid
avid
astby
tchargetc+mNcharges per monthCall Communication time [h] per month
Autonomy time [h] in talking time mode (Autonomy during calls)
Time [h] in stand-by per month =30×24-(tcom+tcharge+tc+m+tmes+tvid)
Message communication time [h] per month.
Time [h] in messaging mode (Autonomy during message communication)
Video communication time [h] per month.
Autonomy time [h] in video time mode (Autonomy during video communication)
Autonomy time [h] in standby mode (Autonomy during standby)
Time necessary [h] to charge the battery from 0 % to 100 %Time [h] spent after each charge, charger connected
Absorbed energy to charge the battery (Mains electricity consumed to charge thebattery from 0 % to 100 % in mWh) = P0100×tcharge. MEASURED according to the
California energy regulation "Battery Charger Systems"
Absorbed power [mW] by the charger from the mains to charge the battery from
0 % to 100 %, MEASURED according to the California energy regulation "Battery
Charger Systems"
Absorbed power [mW] with full battery (Power used by the charger from themains, when the mobile phone is connected and 100 % charged)
Absorbed power [mW] by the charger alone (Power used by the charger alone)
Time [h] spent after each charge with only the charger connectedtcom/acom + tstby/astby + tmes/ames + tvid/avid = 12,69 times

Etot per month mWh= Ncharges per month ×( Echarge + Pc+m × tc+m + Pcs × tcs) = 199 300 mWh.

Echarge
1 400
P0100
500
110
5

Pc+m
Pcs
tcs

E3 year kWh=Etot per month mWh/1 000 000×36 = 4,29 kWh

Allocation of data
Goods raw material acquisition (A)The allocation performed for the database data used is not transparently reported by the database. The 50/50 allocation
method is used to allocate the environmental impacts between the Raw Material Acquisition and Raw Material
Recycling.
Production (B)Own assembly facility data (energy consumption, materials used (e.g. solder), waste produced) is allocated by dividing
with relevant unit volume.
Use
There is no need for allocations within the use stage in this study.
Goods End of Life Treatment
100 % of the Mobile Phones are assumed to go for global average ICT specific EoLT and WEEE Recycling.

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Generic processes (G1-G7)
See Raw Material Acquisition and Production.
Support activities
No support activities have been intentionally included.
Cut-off
One cut-off criteria is set as a 5 % addition to the first iteration LCA result for CC, RDMR and RDW. That is, if the
excluded activities/processes do not increase the total CC, RDMR and RDW results with more than 5 % the cut-off
criteria is justified.
Based on these criteria several cut-offs are done from the studied product system:•

Some transports in Raw Material Acquisition.

•

Some transports in Part Production.

•

Electricity, Fuel and Raw Material consumptions within EoLT.

•

Other EoLT activities (D3).

Additionally B1.1.11 is excluded from the studied product system as the software is an operating system and is optional
according to clause 6.1.3.
Data quality
The average grades for the mobile Phone LCA for each data quality indicator are shown in table I.2.
Methodological appropriateness and consistency
The applied LCI methods and methodological choices are in line with the goal and scope of the data. The methods havebeen applied consistently across all data.
Completeness (total LCA level)
90 % of applicable LCI flows in table G.1 are included in the LCI. The degree of coverage of the CC LCIA indicator intable L.10 is 98 % based on mass. The degree of coverage of the RDMR LCIA indicator in table L.10 is 98 % based on
mass. The degree of coverage of the RDW LCIA indicator in table L.10 is 98 % based on mass.
Uncertainty
For CC, RDMR and RDW the variability of the data elements used in the LCA is low enough to separate the Use stage
from Raw Material Acquisition + Production + EoLT stages when the Mobile Phone is used 3 years worldwide.
Data representativeness
None of the data used have unknown representativeness, however, most of the data for the Raw Material Acquisition
and Part Production stages can be characterized as "Representative data from a smaller number of sites and shorter
periods, or "incomplete data from an adequate number of sites and periods".
Data age (timeliness)
No data have an unknown age.
Acquisition method
Some of the data used are directly measured such as the number of Parts. Si die areas are estimated based onfunctionality of ICs. None of the data used are "nonqualified estimations".

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Supplier independence
Most of the data used are "Independent source but based on unverified Information". "Verified data from independentsource" to "Unverified information from industry" are used".
Geographical correlation:"Average data from a larger area" are used for Raw Material Acquisition and Production and Transports and EoLT.
"Data from an area with similar production conditions" is used for Electricity used in the Use stage. World average
electricity is considered optimal for Raw Material Acquisition and Production.
Technological correlation"Data from process studied of the exact company" is used for Assembly and amount of Use stage electricity. "Data fromprocess studied of company with similar technology" is used for Parts production.
Cut-off rules (rules of inclusion/exclusion)
The cut-off criteria are homogeneously and transparently applied.
Table M.2: Data quality indicators used in this Mobile Phone case study
Indicator score
Indicator
Methodologicalappropriatenessand consistency(MC)
Completeness(total LCA analysis
level) (C)Uncertainty (U)Acquisition method(AM)
Supplier
independence (SI)Data
representativeness(DR)

Data age (T)Geographicalcorrelation (GC)Technologicalcorrelation (TC)

1

2

3

4

5

Very good

Good

Fair

Poor

Very poor

Very good

Good

Fair

Poor

Very poor

Very good
Good
Directly
Calculated datameasured data based on
measurements
Verified data
Verified datafromfrom enterprise
independent
with interest insourcethe study

Fair
Calculated data
based onassumptions
Independentsource but
based onunverified
information

Poor
Qualified estimation(by experts)

Very poor
Nonqualified
estimation

Unverified
information fromindustry

Representative
data from a
sufficient
sample of sites
over anadequate
period toeven outnormalfluctuations<3 years
Data from theexact area

Representative
datafrom a smaller
number ofsites butfor adequate
periods

Representative
datafrom anadequate
number ofsites butfor shorter
periods<6 years
Average datafrom a larger
area

Data fromprocessstudiedof the exact
company

Data fromprocess studiedof company
with similar
technology<10 years
Data from anarea withsimilarproduction
conditions
Data fromprocess studiedof company
with different
technology

Representative
data from asmaller numberof sites andshorter periods,
or incomplete
data from anadequate numberof sites andperiods<15 years
Data from anarea with slightly
similarproduction
conditions
Data fromprocess related tocompany withsimilartechnology

Unverified
information
fromenterpriseinterested in
the study
Representativeness
unknown orincomplete
data from asmallernumber ofsites and/orfrom shorter
periods
age unknown
Unknown
area

ETSI

Data fromprocess
related tocompany
with different
technology

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Indicator score
Indicator
Rule ofinclusion/exclusion(Elements/Flows/
Process) (RIE)

12

Transparent,
justified,homogeneous
application

Transparent,
justified,Nonhomogeneous
application

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)
3

4Transparent,
non-justified,Nonhomogeneous
application

Not transparent
on exclusion but
specification ofinclusion

5
Unknown

Table M.3 shows the application of the above data quality indicators.
Table M.3: Application of data quality indicators per life cycle stage for the Mobile Phone
Life
Cycle
Stage
A1-A2
B1.1
B1.2
C1

MC
score

C
score

U
score

AM
score

SI
score

DR
score

T
score

GC
score

TC
score

2
2
2
1

2
2
1
1

3
4
3
1

2
3
2
2

4
3
1
1

3
3
1
1

3
3
1
1

3
2
1
2

4
2
1
2

1
2
2
1

1,5

2,75

2,25

2,25

2

2

2

2,25

1,25
(1,75+1,5+2,75+2,25+2,25+2+2+2+2,25+1,25+2,75(weakest quality
obtained)×4)/(10+4) = 2,21.

Average 1,75
Total
Data
Quality
RatingRIE score> 2,0 to ≤ 3,0
is "good quality"

NOTE 9: The data quality can be evaluated in more detail e.g. for each LCI flow.
LCIA
The following impact categories are included: Climate Change (CC), RDMR and RDW.
The impact assessment method applied is: ReCiPe Midpoint (H) V1.05 "Climate change", "Water Depletion" and"Metal depletion".
Cumulative Energy Demand method, Primary energy demand from renewable and non-renewable resources or similar
can be used as representative of Primary energy consumption.
Life cycle interpretation
Conclusions
CC
The results indicate that in the entire life cycle (cradle-to-grave) for CC and primary energy consumption, theProduction (B) is the biggest contributor. Transport from Assembly Location to Use Location of the Mobile Phone isincluded in the Production stage contribution according to clause 6.2.3.3.3. B1.2 assembly accounts for less than 5 % of
the total impact for CC. The Use stage contributes to around 11 % of the total CC and the percentage is dependent on
the usage scenario and charger used.
RDW
The results indicate that in the entire life cycle (cradle-to-grave) for RDW, the Raw Material Aquisition (A) and
Production (B) are the biggest contributors. Transport from Assembly Location to Use Location of the Mobile Phone isincluded in the Production stage contribution according to clause 6.2.3.3.3. B1.2 assembly accounts for less than 5 % of
the total impact for RDW. The Use stage contributes to around 8 % of the total RDW.

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RDMR
The results indicate that in the entire life cycle (cradle-to-grave) for RDMR, the Raw Material Acquisition (A) is thebiggest contributor. Transport from Assembly Location to Use Location of the Mobile Phone is included in the
Production stage contribution according to clause 6.2.3.3.3. B1.2 assembly accounts for less than 5 % of the total
impact for RDMR. The Use stage contributes to around 0,1 % of the total RDMR.
Uncertainty
The uncertainty range for the Use stage CC result is around ±10 % whereas the Raw Material Acquisition and
Production stages together show approximately a ±40 % uncertainty range.
The uncertainty range for the Use stage RDMR result is around ±20 % whereas the Raw Material Acquisition and
Production stages together show approximately a ±50 % uncertainty range.
The uncertainty range for the Use stage RDW result is around ±30 % whereas the Raw Material Acquisition and
Production stages together show approximately a ±40 % uncertainty range.
Overall the uncertainty ranges are around ±16 %, ±35 % and ±25 % for CC, RDMR and RDW, respectively.
NOTE 10: These uncertainty numbers have very high uncertainty within themselves. Sensitivity analyses.
By contribution analysis the most contributing elementary LCI flows and unit processes are identified for CC, RDW
and RDMR. Subsequently models applied and the data used are assessed with respect to accuracy and candidates boundfor sensitivity analysis are identified, e.g.:•Good die area of ICs.

•

Transport distance by Air from Assembly Location to Use Location.

•

Other transports than Air for the above distance.

•

Lifetime.

•

Recycling rate.

Moreover, the sensitivity of the cut-off:•some transports in Raw Material Acquisition;•some transports in Part Production;•

electricity, Fuel and Raw Material consumptions within EoLT;•

other EoLT activities (D3);is tested by inserting a range of approximations from literature and previous studies including Electricity, Fuel and Raw
Material consumptions and Road transport distances.
These sensitivity analyses reveal that the conclusions are stable and the basic scenario absolute values for CC, RDMR
and RDW increase slightly by less than 5 %.
Figure M.3 shows the sensitivity analysis for CC, as well as the basic scenario as defined in table M.1.

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Figure M.3: Sensitivity analysis for CC for Mobile Phone
Reporting
All omissions and deviations towards the present document are transparently reported. As the aim is to assess themobile phone as such the selected reporting is based on the lifetime. Per year calculations can be made if needed.
Furthermore the reporting formats of the present document are used in the final report. Figure M.4 shows the GWP100
diagram.

25

Total result: <26kg CO2e>
Study year: <2014>
Operating lifetime: <3 years>

kgCO2e20

Production:
Assembly location: <global average>
Transports: <included>

15
10

Use:
Use location: <global average>
Transports: <included>
Support activities: <excluded>

5
0
-5

NOTE:

Raw Material
Acquisition (A)Production (B)Use (C)

EoLT (D)This LCA result cannot be compared to the result of another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling
choices are equal.

Figure M.4: GWP100 result diagram example for Mobile Phone for
Mandatory activities/processes (diagram for Global Warming Potential (GWP100) (CO2e))
The transports are responsible for around 3 kg CO2e.
NOTE 11: Occasionally due to LCA tool/LCI database limitations the Raw Material Acquisition, Production(including Transport from Assembly Location to Use Location) has to be reported together.
Figure M.5 shows the GWP100 diagram for the repartition between sub-unit processes.

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kgCO2e25
Metal recycling
Transports

20

Other EoLTICT specific EoLT

15

ICT equipment use

10

Transports
Assembly

5

Parts production
Transports

0
Raw Material
Acquisition (A)*Production (B)*Use (C)Raw material processing

EoLT (D)*Raw material extraction

-5

NOTE:

This LCA result cannot be compared to the result of another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling
choices are equal.

Figure M.5: GWP100 result: distribution between sub-unit processes
within each life cycle stage per functional unit for Mobile Phone
Figure M.6 shows the environmental impact categories overview for the present case study.

RDMR [kg Fe
e] 29

99.5
Raw Material Acquisition (A,G5)*,
EoLT (D)* and Raw Material
Recycling(G7)*RDW [m3] 0.15

55

37

8

Production (B)*Use (C)CC [kg CO2e]
26

0%
NOTE:

87

11

50%

100%

This LCA result cannot be compared to the result of another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling
choices are equal.

Figure M.6: Environmental impact category indicators overview for Mobile Phone
Table M.4 shows the life cycle stages overview.

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Table M.4: Mobile phone application of table L.2 in document
Tag

Life cycle stage/Process

Unit process

A
A1

Goods Raw Material Acquisition

IncludedElectricity mix
Support Transport
Other(Yes/No) (specific/country/world activities activities genericaverageincluded included activities(Yes/No) (Yes/No) included(Yes/No)

Raw material extraction

Yes

Specific electricity mixes
are defined by LCI
No
database.

Yes

Yes

Raw material processing

YesSpecific electricity mixes
are defined by LCI
No
database.

Yes

Yes

Parts production

Yes

World

No

Yes

Yes

Assembly

Yes

World

No

Yes

Yes

ICT manufacturer support
activities

No

World

No

No

No

Support goods manufacturing
ICT specific site construction

No
No
World

No

No

No

A2

B
Production
B1
ICT goods production
B1.1

B1.2
B1.3
B2
B2.1
B3
C
C1
C2
C3
C4

Support goods productionUse
ICT goods use
Support goods use
Operator support activities
Service provider support
activities

Yes
No
No
No

ETSI

Motivation/Comment

Transports and energy mixes
are transparent from LCI
databases used for Iron/Steel,
Aluminium, Copper, Gold andSilver and all other applicableRaw Material Groups fromtable D.1
Transports and energy mixes
are transparent from LCI
databases used for Iron/Steel,
Aluminium, Copper, Gold andSilver and all other applicableRaw Material Groups fromtable D.1

As all Parts are considered as
global averages no separate
Part reporting is made here
Transport to Use Location is
included

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Tag

Life cycle stage/Process

Unit process

IncludedElectricity mix
Support Transport
Other(Yes/No) (specific/country/world activities activities genericaverageincluded included activities(Yes/No) (Yes/No) included(Yes/No)

D
Goods End of Life Treatment
D1
No
Re-use of ICT goods
D2
ICT specific EoLT
D2.1
Storage/Disassembly/Dismantling/
Yes
Shredding
D2.2
RecyclingYes
D3

Other EoLTETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Yes

World

No

Yes

Yes

World

No

Yes

Yes

World

No

Yes

Yes

ETSI

Motivation/Comment

G1, G2, G3, G5 Cut-off. Tested
in sensitivity analysis
G1, G2, G3, G5
Cut-off for D2.2.1-5. Tested insensitivity analysis
Cut-off. Tested in sensitivity
analysis

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Table M.5 shows the reporting of generic processes.
Table M.5: Reporting of Generic processes for LCA of Mobile Phone
Generic
process

Generic process
categories
included

Unit processes included (foreach generic process category)Direct (during transport) emissions
Fuel supply chain (the Raw
Material Acquisition, Production
and Transport of the Fuel)
Fuel supply chain, Directemissions (during electricity
production)

Important issues

G1. Transports& Travel

Road
Air

G2. Electricity

World electricity
mixes

G3. Fuels

Oil
DieselPetrolJet-fuel
Coal
Gas

Fuel supply chain:
Extraction and Production

See table D.1
annex D

Extraction
Processing

e.g. Nitrogen gas (N2) used in B1.1.4,
solder paste used in B1.2. Paper additives
and plastic additives are data gaps

G6. End-of-life
treatment

G6.1 EHW
G6.2 Landfill

G6.1: EHW (destruction andenergy recovery)
Special EHW landfill
G.2: Incineration
Landfill
One "site LCI model" for landfill
site

Cut-off

G7. Raw
material
recycling

Metal recycling

Smelting
Refining

G4. OtherenergyG5. Raw
materialacquisition

ETSI

No travel included

121

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Table M.6 shows the reporting of transports/travel.
Table M.6: Reporting of transports/travelMode

CO2 e emission
factor(see note 4)

Raw material
Production stage
Final transport (seeUse stage
EoLT
Total transports
Total travelacquisitiontransports excluding note 1) (Production
transports
transports(see note 6)transports
final transport
to use stage)
Transport GWP100 Transport GWP100 Transport GWP100 Transport GWP Transport GWP
Transport GWP100 Transport
GWP100
work
work
work
work
100
work
100
distance
distance(see note 2)(see note 3)(see note 3){tonne ×{tonne×km}{kg{tonne×km} {kg CO2e} {tonne ×
{km}
{kg
{km}
{kg CO2e}{tonne×km}
{kg
{kg
{kg
CO2e}
CO2e}
CO2e}
CO2e}
CO2e}
km}
km}
Air
Air: 1 kg
OccasionallyCut-off.
0,00026
2,6
10 0002,6N.A
CO2e/(tonne×km) included in
Tested intonne×10
LCI modules
sensitivity
000 km =in database
analysis.
2,56 tkm.
Road
Road:
OccasionallyCut-off.
Lorry,
0,019 +
400
0,045
Lorry y 0,25 kg
included in
Tested in
0,00026
0,026 =
CO2e/[tonne×km], LCI modules
sensitivity
tonne×300
0,045
Van 1 kgin database
analysis.
km = 0,08CO2e/[tonne×km]
tkm. Van,
0,00026
tonne×100
km = 0,026
tkm.
Ship
N.A
N.A
N.A
N.A
NOTE 1: The final transport of ICT Equipment from assembly to operator, including pre- and post transports connected to the main transport.
NOTE 2: Average in terms of distance, transport mode, load factor, chargeable mass, etc.
NOTE 3: Average in terms of distance, transport mode, load factor, chargeable mass, etc.
NOTE 4: This include direct fuel consumption and also fuel supply chain.
NOTE 5: Specify used transport mode.
NOTE 6: Includes all kinds of travel throughout life cycles, e.g. commuting, business travel and maintenance travel when applicable. Specify travels taken into account.
NOTE 7: Other impact categories to be added as applicable.

ETSI

122

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Table M.7 shows the reporting of Raw Materials.
Table M.7: Reporting of Raw Materials
Total
input (g)perpiece
MOBILE
PHONE

Content
inproduct(%) (seenote 1)

Recycledrawmaterial
used (seenote 2)(%)

Recyclingof total
input (seenote 3)(%)

Iron/Steelalloys

16

80

9

90

Aluminium
alloys

9

90

35

10

Copper alloys

36

80

20

90

Silver

0,2

99

35

90

Gold

0,1

99

33

90

ICT product system Raw materials (optional)
Plastics
7080
0Palladium
0,03
99
33
Battery24
materials
Packaging materials(optional)
Cardboard box
132100

Reference

The loss of steel has been estimated fromprevious LCAs. 90wt % Steel recovery
efficiency.
The loss of Aluminium has been estimatedfrom previous LCAs.10wt % Aluminium
recovery efficiency.
The loss of Copper has been estimated fromprevious LCAs. 90wt % Copper recovery
efficiency.
The loss of Silver has been estimated fromprevious LCAs. 90wt % Silver recovery
efficiency.
The loss of Gold has been estimated fromprevious LCAs. 90wt % Gold recovery
efficiency.

090

Material
content perpiece
MOBILE
PHONE (g)Material recovery
of Total input per
piece MOBILE
PHONE (g)

13

15

8

0,9

29

32

0,198

0,18

0,099

0,09

56
The loss of Pd has been estimated fromprevious LCAs. 90wt % Pd recovery
efficiency.

0,03

0,027

24

0

0

132

Auxiliary Raw Materials (production materials etc.) (optional)
260
TOTAL
NOTE 1: Percentage of total input material present in the product after the production process, i.e. total input minus the related production waste.
NOTE 2: The amount of recycled raw material used in the production process, this include the raw material contained in the product and therelated production waste.
NOTE 3: Total recycling of all input materials, i.e. recycling of manufacturing waste and recycling of total content in final product during EOL.

ETSI

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Table M.8 shows the reporting of Parts Production.
Table M.8: Reporting of Parts Production
Part categories included

Part Unit processes included

Handling of special
issuesB1.1.1 Batteries

Lithium Battery

Raw Material Acquisition,
Battery cell assembly,
Battery module (pack) assembly

Mass is around 24 g

B1.1.2 Cables

N.A.

B1.1.3 Electro-mechanics

Connectors (g)B1.1.4 Integrated circuits (ICs)Processors, DSPs
ASICs
Memories
Microprocessors
Transistors and diodes

B1.1.5 Mechanics / materials

Mechanical Parts (g) is the sum of main
mechanical Parts (g) such as housing andsmaller sub-parts such as alloyed leadframe
within ICs or glass within B1.1.6 Screens (g).

B1.1.6 Displays

LCD Screen

G2 for Display value chain

B1.1.7 Printed circuit boards(PCBs)

Plastic, FR4

Raw Materials Acquisition,
Raw materials Acquisition for
special PCB materials,
Raw materials Acquisition for
PCB semi-produced composite
materials,
PCB final assembly

B1.1.8 Other PBA components

Resistors (g)Capacitors (g)Inductors (g)Quartz crystal oscillators (g)B1.1.9 Packaging materials

Cardboard (g)B1.1.10 Black box modules

Camera (g)B1.1.11 Software

N.A.

Raw Material Acquisition,
Cable final assembly
Raw Material Acquisition,
Part final assembly
Front-end:
Special IC Raw Materials
Acquisition,
Wafer production,
Chip production ("the wafer fab")Back-end: Raw Material
Acquisition,
IC encapsulation
Raw Material Acquisition,
Part final assembly

Raw Material Acquisition,
Part final assembly
Raw Material Acquisition, Part
final assembly"Cradle-to-gate" LCA fromsupplier
N.A

ETSI

N.A.
Mass is around 2 gMasses are around1 g ICs, Diodes 1 g,
Transistors 0,1 g.

Mass is around45 g. The impact of
B1.1.5 is from alarger mass.
Mass is around2
25 g, 19 cm activearea

Mass is around2
25 g, 50 cm

Mass is around 4 g
Mass is around
132 g
Mass is around
1,5 g
N.A.

124

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Table M.9 shows the reporting of the use stage energy consumption.
Table M.9: Reporting of use stage energy consumption
Energyconsumption{kWh/year}
ICT equipment

1,43

Supportequipment

N.A.

Source {long term average/standardized
measurement/ modelled
Typical average power consumption scenario for thestudied MOBILE PHONE. See table M.1

Motivation/ comment

Simplified purpose of LCA study. The emission factor for the used electricity mix is
0,67 kgCO2e/kWh. It based on an appropriate global average electricity mix
referenced exactly by the database provided by the used LCA tool.
Not included in studied product system

Table M.10 shows the reporting of the EoLT stage.
Table M.10: Reporting of EoLT stage
Process
categories included

Process Unit
processes included

D1. Preparation for
Re-use of ICT
goods

N.A.

N.A.
Recycling, recovery and treatment

D2. ICT specific
EolT

D2.1 Storage/Disassembly/Dismantling/Shredding
D2.2 Recycling
D2.2.1 Battery recycling
ICT specific metal/mechanical parts/fractions EoLT
D2.2.2 PCBA recycling
D2.2.3 Cable recycling
D2.2.4 Mechanics recycling
D2.2.5 Other ICT recycling
D3. Other EoLT

Handling ofspecial issues

All cut-off

D3. Other EoLT

Cut-off

Table M.11 shows the reporting of LCI results.
Table M.11: Reporting of LCI results
TOTAL

Primary energy use [1]440 MJ
Total electricity use
35 kWh[1] Based upon a method for Cumulative Energy Demand provided by LCI database provider.
"This LCA result cannot be compared to the result of another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal".
ETSI

Raw materials
acquisition,
Production and EoLT
395 MJ
30 kWhUse

46 MJ
4,29 kWh125

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Table M.12 shows the reporting of impact category indicators.
Table M.12: Reporting of impacts category indicators
Mid-point Impact Assessment Categories included

Impact category
LCIA methodology referenceindicator value
Climate change(CC) (mandatory)
26 kg CO2e
ReCiPe Midpoint (H) V1.05
RDMR
29 kg Fe-equivalents
ReCiPe Midpoint (H) V1.05
3
RDW
0,15 mReCiPe Midpoint (H) V1.05"This LCA result cannot be compared to the result of another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal".

ETSI

126

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Table M.13 shows the summary of fulfilment of the requirements.
Table M.13: Summary of fulfilment of the requirements
Clause in
ETSI ES 203 199
Introduction
5.2
5.3
5.3
6.1
6.1.1

6.1.1

6.1
6.1

6.1
6.1.2
6.1.2.1
6.1.2.2
6.1.2.2
6.1.2.3
6.1.3.1
6.1.3.1
6.1.3.1
6.1.3.1

6.1.3
6.1.3

Requirement

Fulfilled

Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported.
Full compliance towards the present document can be claimed if all mandatory requirements are
fulfilled.
A third-party review is also needed if the comparison result is to be externally communicated.
In case of comparative assessment between ICT goods LCAs the operating lifetime shall be set
equal.
ISO 14040 [1], ISO 14044 [2] and the present document have to be taken into account.
The following four high-level life cycle stages (RMA, P, U, EOLT) shall apply to ICT goods, Networks
and Services and shall be assessed as applicable in LCAs based on the present document inaccordance with the goal and scope.
Table 2 in clause 6.2.3.1 defines the detailed life cycle stages which further defines the systemboundary and which are to be considered when assessing the life cycle impact of ICT goods,
networks and services. In particular, it is important to cover all processes whose relevance ismarked as mandatory in that table.
Transports and energy supplies shall be included in all life cycle stages.
At the time of publication, to collect appropriate data related to raw materials transport and to
separate data related to raw material acquisition stage and production stage is consideredchallenging due to LCA tool limitations, lack of data, limitations in data granularity and the nature of
ICT supply chains.
Deviation(s) from this requirement shall be clearly motivated and reported.
instance transports of goods between production and use stages shall be taken into account.
The ICT goods, networks and services product system to be assessed shall be clearly described aswell as relevant functions and characteristics.
For the ICT good under study, applicable types of parts, as well as amounts of these, shall bedefined.
In the goal and scope phase it shall be outlined which network building blocks are covered.
For the ICT network under study, applicable types of nodes and infrastructure, as well as amounts ofthese, shall be defined.
For the ICT service under study, applicable types of ICT network elements and infrastructure, as
well as amounts of these, shall be defined.
Software shall be considered as well as hardware.
For specific software applications, such as music distribution applications, the software is to be seen
as an ICT service and shall be assessed according to the requirements outlined for services.
In these cases the hardware needed to operate the software shall be considered as well.
For users of generic operating systems embedded in products, the life cycle impact of usage of thissoftware may be considered as negligible. However, for the developer of this software the impact of
the usage of this software shall be taken into account.
Operating lifetime is critical for the interpretation of the results of LCAs and shall therefore always bereported when presenting LCA results.
Operating lifetime estimates and assumptions shall also be clearly described in the reporting.

YES
YES

ETSI

N.A.
N.A.

YES

YES

YES
YES

YES
YES
YES
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
YES
N.A.
YES

YES
YES

Not
fulfilled

Explanation/Motivation

127
Clause in
ETSI ES 203 199
6.2.1
6.2.2.1
6.2.2.1

6.2.2.1
6.2.2.1
6.2.2.1
6.2.2.2
6.2.2.2

6.2.2.2
6.2.2.3

6.2.2.3
6.2.2.4

6.2.2.4
6.2.2.4
6.2.2.4
6.2.3.1
6.2.3.1
6.2.3.1

6.2.3.1
6.2.3.1
6.2.3.3.1
6.2.3.3.1

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Requirement

Fulfilled

During the LCA scoping phase the building blocks of the ICT goods, Networks or Services shall beidentified.
The functional unit shall be chosen in accordance with the goal and scope of the LCA.
The functional unit requires inclusion of the relevant quantifiable properties and thetechnical/functional performance of the system. This means that the operating lifetime of all
included ICT goods shall be specified
the number of users/subscribers supported by the Network and the traffic profile shall be included
where applicable.
The functional unit shall be clearly defined and measurable.
The reference flow shall reflect the functional unit chosen.
The functional unit shall be chosen in the context of goal and scope of the LCA and shall be further
clarified by system boundary and cut-off rules.
To comply with the present document, the following functional unit shall be applied whereapplicable.
annual ICT goods use (per one year of ICT good use), or
total ICT good use per lifetime of ICT good.
For relevant LCA results realistic use scenarios shall be captured.
ICT networks can be seen as a system composed of different types of ICT goods. For the purposeof the present document the following functional unit shall be applied where applicable for ICT
networks used during at least one year:•
annual network use.
For relevant LCA results realistic use scenarios shall be captured.
For the purpose of the present document, the following functional unit shall be applied whereapplicable.
annual Service use.
For relevant LCA results realistic use scenarios shall be captured.
Corresponding realistic use scenarios shall be defined.
The annual service use shall be defined with respect to the usage scenario to make it possible todefine the reference flow.
The selection of the system boundary shall be consistent with the goal of the study.
Consequently, the system boundaries here define the life cycle stages and the unit processes thatshall be taken into account in an LCA of an ICT product system.
Table 2 includes further details the life cycle stages to be included in LCAs of ICT goods, Networks
and Services. The different life cycle stages are further described in clauses 6.2.3.4.2 to 6.2.3.4.5.
Mandatory in table 2 means that the life cycle stage shall be included.
Mandatory life cycle stages or unit processes shall not be cut-off before considered for inclusion byusing alternate data.
In table 2 "Mandatory" means that the life cycle stage, if applicable to the studied product system,
shall always be taken into account in an LCA for ICT.
In order to set the system boundary of ICT goods the life cycle stages listed in clause 6.1.1 shall be
detailed.
As stated in clause 6.1.3, the environmental impact from both hardware and software shall beconsidered, if applicable.

YES

ETSI

YES
YES

N.A.
YES
YES
N.A.
YES

YES
N.A.

N.A.
N.A.

N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
YES
YES
YES

YES
YES
YES
YES

Not
fulfilled

Explanation/Motivation

128
Clause in
ETSI ES 203 199
6.2.3.3.1
6.2.3.3.2
6.2.3.3.3

6.2.3.3.3

6.2.3.3.3
6.2.3.3.3
6.2.3.3.3
6.2.3.3.3
6.2.3.3.3
6.2.3.3.4
6.2.3.3.5
6.2.3.3.5
6.2.3.3.5

6.2.3.4
6.2.3.4
6.2.3.4
6.2.3.5.1

6.2.3.5.1
6.2.3.5.1
6.2.3.5.1
6.2.3.5.2
6.2.4

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Requirement

Fulfilled

For the ICT good under study, applicable types of parts, as well as amounts of these, shall bedefined.
Annex H (table H.1) provides a mandatory set of Raw Materials (both ICT specific and generic)which shall be included in the LCA of ICT goods.
Annex E lists a mandatory set of Parts to be included where applicable to the studied ICT productsystem, when performing an LCA of ICT goods, as well as mandatory Part unit processes whichshall be included for each Part.
As an example, if batteries are part of the studied ICT goods product system they shall be included
in within the system boundary and for every battery the Battery Cell manufacturing and Battery
module manufacturing shall be included.
The Assembly (B1.2) shall include as minimum PCBA Module Assembly, Final Assembly,
Warehousing and Packaging.
In case Support goods is part of the studied product system, Support goods Production (B2) ismandatory.
Support goods (B2.1) which shall be included if applicable to the studied product system are at least
air conditioners, cables and power supply systems.
As stated in table 2 Construction of ICT specific Site (B3) is mandatory if the ICT specific site isincluded in the studied product system.
Site building blocks needed for B3.1, which at least shall be included if applicable to the studied
product system, are antenna towers, fences and shelters.
The Raw Material Acquisition and Production for the additional PCBAs used during the operating
lifetime of the ICT goods are mandatory.
As shown in figure 11, Preparation of ICT goods for Re-use of ICT goods (D1), ICT specific EoLT
(D2) and Other EoLT (D3) are within the mandatory system boundary for EoLT.
Annex F lists a mandatory set of EoLT processes to be included where applicable when performing
an LCA of ICT goods which includes the EoLT stage.
It is thus recognized that compliance to all requirements in annex F may not be possible at the time
the present document is published. Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivatedand reported.
The Network shall be defined in terms of ICT goods, Support goods and ICT infrastructure (e.g.
cables duct).
For each included product types number of units shall be defined as well as corresponding lifetime
For assessment of Networks, operator activities shall always be included.
In addition to the use of ICT goods and networks, an ICT service may also have additional impacts
associated with application software development, use of consumables, infrastructure for sales andlogistics, associated travel and transport (in addition to those already included for the ICT goods andnetworks) which shall also be included as appropriate.
The impact of the data centres where the service is operated shall be assessed.
The data centre shall be studied and assessed in the same way as other ICT goods.
The system boundary of the ICT services provided by the ICT network shall be established basedon either the actual use scenario of the ICT services, if available, or on an estimated use scenario.
Energy consumption, material inputs and environmental releases shall be assessed in accordancewith the system boundary.
Cut-offs shall be avoided as far as possible.

YES

ETSI

YES
YES

YES

YES
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
YES
YES

N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.

N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
YES
YES

Not
fulfilled

Explanation/Motivation

129
Clause in
ETSI ES 203 199
6.2.4
6.2.4
6.2.4
6.2.4
6.2.5.1

6.2.5.1

6.2.5.1
6.2.5.1
6.2.5.2

6.2.5.2

6.2.5.2
6.3.1.1
6.3.1.1
6.3.1.1
6.3.1.2
6.3.1.4
6.3.1.2.1

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Requirement

Fulfilled

ISO 14044 [2], clause 4.2.3.3 recommendations shall be used as closely as possible.
All cut-off criteria stated by ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2] are to be considered before cut-off of acertain process - and the process shall be included if significant to at least one criterion.
The intention of the present standard is to include all mandatory activities of table 2. If these
activities are not included such cut-offs shall be clearly motivated.
Any cut-off made shall be clearly described and documented.
A qualitative description of the data quality and any efforts taken to improve it shall be disclosed
while considering the following data quality indicators:•
Methodological appropriateness and consistency•
Completeness (total LCA level)•
Uncertainty•
Data representativeness•
Data age (timeliness)•
Acquisition method•
Supplier independence•
Geographical correlation•
Technological correlation•
Cut-off rules (rules of inclusion/exclusion)
In selecting emission factors for use in calculating GHG emissions under this methodology thefollowing guidance shall be followed:
Emission factors used should be the most up to date from publicly available sources.
Where emission factors are sourced from non public sources, or are not the most up to date ones, ajustification for their use shall be provided.
The specific GWP values used shall be those taken from the latest UN IPCC reports. For further
guidance see annex W, table W.1.
In general data age and technology are especially important in LCAs for ICT goods, Networks andServices due to the fast technology evolution and the growth in network traffic. e.g. for data traffic,
up-to-date figures shall always be used.
For support activities (e.g. ICT manufacturer support activities and operator support activities)
primary data shall be used for all individual processes under the financial or operational control of
the organization undertaking the LCA.
… and data shall be representative of the processes for which they are collected.
Data shall be collected for each unit process that is included within the system boundary inaccordance with annex B.
Data shall be collected for all mandatory processes outlined in table 2.
When data has been collected from public sources, the source shall be referenced.
Data shall be collected at least for the processes marked with mandatory in table 2, unless these arefound negligible in accordance with the cut-off rules.
Use time, goods type, data traffic and network access type give important statistical data that needs
to be collected in order to quantify the use of ICT systems.
it should be noted that, for many products (especially end-user goods), periods of idling and power
off may be significant and are important to consider when modelling the traffic profile/ model theusage profile and shall be included if applicable.

YES
YES

ETSI

YES
YES
YES

YES

YES
YES
YES

YES

YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
N.A.
YES

Not
fulfilled

Explanation/Motivation

130
Clause in
ETSI ES 203 199
6.3.1.2.3

6.3.2.1
6.3.2.1
6.3.2.1
6.3.2.1
6.3.2.3
6.3.3.1
6.3.3.1
6.3.3.2
6.3.3.2
6.3.3.3
6.3.3.3
6.3.3.8
6.3.3.8
6.3.3.8
6.3.3.8
6.3.3.9

6.3.3.9

6.3.3.9

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Requirement

Fulfilled

The LCA practitioner is encouraged to use the most accurate assessment of the energy mix that isconsumed by the ICT goods under assessment, when calculating the potential environmental impact
from the use stage/ shall use the applicable electricity mix to calculate the potential environmental
impact from the use stage more exactly.
The general requirements for data calculations in ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2] shall be applied.
All calculation procedures shall be explicitly documented and the assumptions made shall be clearlystated and explained.
The same calculation procedures shall be consistently applied throughout the study.
A check on data validity shall be conducted during the process of data collection to confirm that thedata quality requirements for the intended application have been fulfilled.
the evaluation of the environmental load shall consider both a fixed part which is independent of theusage and a variable part which correlates to the usage.
The same allocation method shall be used for all environmental loads for all products from acommon process.
The study shall identify the processes shared with other product systems and deal with themaccording to the stepwise procedure presented below.
Data for generic processes (G1 to G7) shall be allocated as a whole (i.e. for the full lifecycle for thegeneric process) to the associated life cycle stage of the product system.
However all Raw Material Acquisition (G5) shall be allocated to the life cycle stage Raw Material
Acquisition (A).
Data for relevant part of the organization/operation shall be allocated to the relevant part of the
project/product system life cycle.
If no detailed information on organization/operation is available the allocation shall be based onorganizational/economic data.
End-user goods (e.g. PCs, smart phones) which are accessing more than one ICT Network (e.g.
3G, WLAN) shall be allocated to these ICT Networks based on use time.
The assumptions regarding use time for access to different ICT Networks and off line work shall be
described and motivated.
Impact from shared Network resources (e.g. transmission goods, core nodes and data centres) shallbe allocated to an access Network based on data traffic.
The assumptions regarding data traffic shall be described and motivated.
The impact from each ICT network supporting the service should be allocated to the service basedon access use time or data traffic.
More specifically, the following allocation principle of ICT Network data to an ICT Service shall beused:
Data for End-users goods:
to be allocated based on active use time of the ICT Service.
Etc.
Data traffic is also preferred for e.g. mobile access networks as mobile access networks show alarge dependency between data traffic and energy consumption and need a traffic model that takes
data traffic into account.
Data for data centres and Service provider activities:
The data centre(s) where the ICT Service is operated as well as the service provider activities shallbe allocated based on number of subscriptions and service users or amount of data/transactions.

YES

ETSI

YES
YES
YES

N.A.
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.

N.A.

N.A.

Not
fulfilled

Explanation/Motivation

131
Clause in
ETSI ES 203 199
7
7
7

7
7

7
8.2
8.3
8.3

9.1
9.1
9.1

9.1

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Requirement

Fulfilled

ISO states that the selection of impact categories shall reflect a comprehensive set of environmental
issues related to the product system being studied, taking the goal and scope into consideration.
In the LCA it shall be ensured that the inventory elementary flows (see annex G are correctly linked
with appropriate LCIA characterization factors.
For climate change, the most recent global warming characterization factors from theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [b-IPCC] for each GHG shall be used and thetimeframe should be 100 years.
The mid-point category Climate change is mandatory.
For other impact categories there is no methodological consensus in the LCA community, thus thepractitioner shall decide which impact categories to consider and how to calculate them, based on
the studied ICT product system and purpose of the LCA study.
All impact categories and category indicators included shall be disclosed (table M.10) and justified.
the sources of uncertainty and methodological choices made shall be assessed and disclosed.
The results of the LCI or LCIA phases shall be interpreted according to the goal and scope of thestudy.
The interpretation shall include a sensitivity check of the significant inputs, outputs andmethodological choices and defined use scenarios, in order to understand the uncertainty of theresults.
The reporting of ICT product systems shall fulfil the reporting rules as defined by ISO 14040 [1] andISO 14044 [2].
In the case of reporting, a public GHG inventory report, the key accounting principles (relevance,
accuracy, completeness, consistency and transparency) shall be met.
In addition to the reporting obligations outlined by ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2], the report shall
include the following information:•
contact information•
studied goods, networks and services product system name and description•
type of inventory (i.e. final product cradle-to-grave or intermediate product cradle-to-gate
inventory)•
goals of the study.
The reporting of results shall include:•
total GHG emissions reported as amount of CO2e per functional unit for ICT good, networkand service that have been assessed•
percentage for each life cycle stage contributing to the total results•
electricity (with use stage separated from the other stages)•
primary energy (see note)
•
fuels
•
value and sources of emission factors for CO2 and CO2e and Global Warming Potential(GWP) metric used in the report other data, justifications and explanations as statedthroughout this report.
NOTE:
Primary energy and electricity cannot be summarized because electricity is contributing to
the total primary energy.
In addition the rules outlined in this clause and what is stated in annex L shall be followed forreporting of studies claiming compliance with the present document.

YES

ETSI

YES
YES

YES
YES

YES
YES
YES
YES

YES
YES
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9.1

9.1

9.1

9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.1
9.2.1
9.2.1

9.2.1

9.2.1
9.2.1
9.2.1
9.2.1
9.2.1
9.2.1

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Requirement

Fulfilled

The report shall contain a compliance statement saying either that the LCA fully complies with thepresent document (in case of full compliance) or that the LCA partially complies with the present
document with the exception of transparently listed and justified requirements (partial compliance).
The extent in which Support activities and other optional/recommended activities are excluded for
different parts of the life cycle shall be clearly described and for recommendations also motivated in
the study report.
For each product system (including ICT goods, Network and Service) the following aspects, being ofspecial importance to ICT applications, shall be transparently motivated and described inaccordance with the principles defined in this clause:
Operating lifetime: All lifetime assumptions shall be stated and motivated.
Cut-off: Any cut-off made shall be clearly stated and motivated.
Allocations: Basis for allocations made shall be described, especially for recycling, use of recycledmaterials, distribution of facility data and support activities.
Data sources: Data sources (i.e. specific/generic) shall be clearly stated and deviations towards
table 2 shall be motivated.
For each product system (including ICT goods, Network and Service) an additional graph shall bepresented whenever optional activities in table 2 have been included.
The emission factors used shall be clearly stated. The source used and the year they represent shallbe clearly stated.
In the case of emission factors for grid electricity the source, year and location (specific, country,
global average) shall be clearly stated.
Where emission factors are sourced from non public sources, or are not the most up to date ones, ajustification for their use shall be provided.
For each impact category studied, diagrams corresponding to figures 14a and 14b shall be reported
for the corresponding category indicator result.
Due to the importance of operating lifetime to results, information regarding this shall always bepresent in the graph, together with some other basic modelling statements including total result for
the indicator, LCA study year operating lifetime, etc. as shown below.
Due to the importance of operating lifetime to results, information regarding this shall always bepresent in the graph, together with some other basic modelling statements including total result for
the indicator, LCA study year operating lifetime, etc. as shown below.
Figure 14b shall be presented whenever optional activities/processes from table 2 have been
included in the studied product system.
For transports, the total result including all transports throughout the life cycle annex L (table L.4)
shall be stated in the immediate proximity of the diagram (figures 15a and 15b).
If used data sets do not report transports separately any missing transport shall be listed andmotivated.
Figure 15 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the resultof another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal".
A graph summarizing distribution of selected environmental impact category indicators between life
cycle stages shall be prepared together with absolute figures as shown in the annex L (table L.10).
Figure 16 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the resultof another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal". See further explanation in
the scope.

YES

ETSI

YES

YES

YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES

YES

N.A.
YES
YES
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9.2.2.1
9.2.2.1
9.2.2.1
9.2.2.1
9.2.2.2
9.2.2.2
9.2.2.2
9.2.2.3.1

9.2.2.4.1
9.2.2.4.1

9.2.2.4.2
9.2.2.5
9.2.3
9.2.3

9.3.1
9.3.1
9.3.1
9.3.1

9.3.1
9.3.1
9.4.1

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Requirement

Fulfilled

Any deviation to table 2 and clause 6.2.3 with respect to mandatory life cycle stages/unit processes
shall be clearly stated and motivated.
Any deviation to table 2 and clause 6.2.3 with respect to mandatory life cycle stages/unit processes
shall be clearly stated and motivated.
Additionally, inclusion of generic processes for the different life cycle stages shall be clearly statedand reported.
Deviations for Generic processes shall be reported according to annex L, table L.3.
The use of raw materials shall be transparently reported as outlined below.
The most important metals from recycling point of view shall always be included.
For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.5.)
Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported
Compliance to annex E (table E.1) shall be reported according to below and any deviation shall be
described and motivated. Compliance to annex E (table E.1) shall be reported according to below
and any deviation shall be described and motivated.
Compliance to annex E (table E.1) shall be reported according to below and any deviation shall be
described and motivated.
The model of distribution over time of different usage modes including power off and idle and therationale for those shall be transparently reported. For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L(table L.7.)
The rationale for the energy consumption values for the Support goods use shall be transparently
described and motivated. For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.7.)
If EoLT is included any deviations towards annex F shall be transparently reported and motivated.
For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.8.)
For LCI the following items shall be reported transparently: total use of primary energy andelectricity.
Additionally, results for elementary flows according to annex G (table G.1) could be transparently
reported on an optional basis. If such reporting is not made it is mandatory to describe unexpected
results, lack of data and other findings associated with the elementary flows.
Operating lifetime is important also for Networks, but is associated with the lifetime of the different
nodes, which shall be reported
It shall be reported following the format of annex L (table L.11) which also describes the studied
Network.
Figure 18 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the resultof another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal".
Additionally a graph summarizing distribution of environmental impact category indicators between
life cycle stages shall be prepared together with absolute figures as shown in the annex L (tableL.10).
Figure 19 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the resultof another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal".
Details of network energy consumption shall be reported with a split of different elements of the
network. An example of table for Reporting is provided In table L.12.
Operating lifetime is important also for Services, but it is associated with the lifetime of the different
nodes, which shall be reported.

YES

ETSI

YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES

YES
YES

N.A.
YES
YES
YES

N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.

N.A.
N.A.
N.A.

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Clause in
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9.4.1
9.4.1

9.4.1
10
10
11.1
11.1
11.1

11.1
11.1
11.1
11.2
11.2
11.2
11.3.1
11.3.1

11.3.1
11.3.211.3.211.3.211.3.311.3.311.3.3ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Requirement

Fulfilled

Allocation of Network data to the Service shall be reported. It should be reported according to annex
L (table L.13).
Additionally a graph summarizing distribution of impact category indicators between life cycle stages
for the Service product system under study shall be presented together with absolute figures asshown in the table L.10 in annex L.
Figure 22 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the resultof another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal".
Any critical review shall be performed according to the requirements in ISO 14040 [1] andISO 14044 [2] and in the present document.
The scope and type of critical review desired shall be defined in accordance with ISO 14044 [2],clauses 4.2.3.8 and 6.
Infrastructure, e.g. highways for transportation, is generally assumed to exist independently of
introduction of new services and shall be excluded.
The handling of time perspective and scale shall be disclosed and motivated in the report.
To be able to quantify the net environmental impact when introducing an ICT based Service theenvironmental impact of both the ICT Service itself and of the reference product system need
to/shall be assessed from a life cycle perspective.
To make sure that the comparative assessment gives a relevant result, the full life cycle of both
systems shall always be considered
From an LCA perspective the reference product system and the ICT service based system shallmimic each other as far as possible
and the practitioner shall model both systems in an unbiased way.
Goods shall be compared with other goods,
ICT networks shall be compared between themselves
and ICT services shall be compared between themselves
In this comparative LCA study, the scope of the LCA study shall be defined in such a way that thetwo systems can be compared.
Systems shall be compared using the same functional unit and equivalent methodologicalconsiderations, such as performance, system boundary, data quality, allocation procedures and cutoff rules.
Any differences between systems regarding these parameters shall be identified and reported.
Also in this case, the scope of the LCA study shall be defined in such a way that the two systems
can be compared.
Both systems shall be assessed using the same functional unit and equivalent methodologicalconsiderations, such as performance, system boundary, data quality, allocation procedures and cutoff rules.
Any differences between systems regarding these parameters shall be identified and reported.
The assessment of the ICT based system shall be performed in accordance with Part I.
When making comparisons, it is important to keep in mind that the functional unit used shall beapplicable to both the reference product system and the system of ICT goods, networks andservices.
For the reference product system applicable requirements in the present document shall be applied,e.g. requirements regarding data quality, cut-off etc.

N.A.

ETSI

N.A.

N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.

N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.

N.A.
N.A.
N.A.

N.A.
N.A.
N.A.

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Clause in
ETSI ES 203 199
12.2
12.2.112.2.112.2.112.2.112.2.212.2.2
12.3
12.4
13Annex B
Annex B

Annex B

Annex B
Annex B

Annex B

Annex CETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Requirement

Fulfilled

All the requirements stipulated in Part I for a system boundary definition shall be applied.
The functional unit shall take into account the general rules outlined in Part I, clause 6.2.2"Functional unit" and ISO 14044 [2], clause 4.2.3.2.
Additionally, the functional unit shall be defined so that it is applicable both to the ICT goods,
networks and services product system and the reference product system.
The reference flow shall be defined to quantify the functional unit.
In other words, for the functional unit of one meeting, for instance, the reference flow for the systemsof ICT goods, networks and services and the reference product system shall be defined.
Two different system boundaries shall be defined which are applicable for the ICT goods, networks
and services product system and for the reference product systems respectively.
considerations shall be paid to which electricity is used when assessing the environmental impact of
the ICT goods, networks and services product system and the reference product systems.
The calculation for the inventory analysis shall be performed in accordance with Part I, clause 6.3.
The calculation for the inventory analysis shall be performed in accordance with Part I, clause 6.3.
Any cut-off made during a study shall be clearly stated in the study report, e.g. the exclusion of life
cycle processes which are considered insignificant should be justified.
A mandatory list of generic activities (unit processes) that have been found to be of importance for
LCA of ICT goods, Networks and Services can be found in annex D.
The following emissions shall be taken into account if applicable to the studied impact category(ies):•
Emissions to air•
Emissions to water•
Emissions to soil
The following resource objects shall be taken into account if applicable to the studied impact
category(ies):
Material resource use (or material depletion)
Energy resource use (or energy resources depletion)
A list of emissions and resource objects that shall be included, if applicable to the studied productsystem and impact category(ies), can be found in annex G (table G.1).
Further, the following inputs shall also be included if applicable to the studied impact category(ies):
Electricity.
Editorial: Electricity mandatory and always applicable?
Other forms of delivered energy (district heating and cooling).
Fuels (typically indicates the fuels are incinerated on-facility or in a vehicle connected to the facility).
Primary products (products that are part of the final product in operation).
Secondary products (products that are not part of the final product in operation).
Transports, travel and other services (can be seen as a special non-material secondary productinput).
Finally, the following flows shall also be included if applicable to the studied impact category(ies):
Water discharge (to municipal sewage or recipient).
Waste fractions (residual waste fractions or waste fractions that need further treatment, also
including material recycling and energy recovery).
Product output (the main purpose with the unit process or activity).
Any support activities included in the LCA scope shall be clearly reported in term of organization
activities considered.

N.A.
N.A.

ETSI

N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
YES
YES

YES

YES
YES

YES

YES

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Clause in
ETSI ES 203 199
Annex D
Annex E

Annex E

Annex G
Annex G
Annex G
Annex H

Annex L
Annex LETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Requirement

Fulfilled

G7….Other material shall be considered
Table E.1 lists parts which shall be taken into account, when applicable to the ICT good (not ICT
network), when performing an LCA of ICT goods, as well as the corresponding categories and unit
processes.
Table E.1 lists parts and Assembly unit processes which shall be taken into account (if applicable to
the LCA goal and scope and the studied product system) when performing an LCA of ICT goods, aswell as the corresponding categories and unit processes.
Table G.1 contains elementary flows which shall be taken into account in LCA analyses for ICT.
The substance names listed in table G.1 shall be used in the report.
Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported
Table H.1 lists a minimum Raw Materials groups (chemicals, fuels, metals, plastics, packaging
materials and additives) which shall be taken into account in LCAs of ICT goods, if applicable to thestudied ICT product system.
This annex contains tables that shall be used to report the result of the assessment.
Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported.

YES
YES

ETSI

YES

YES
YES
YES
YES

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Annex N (informative):
Life cycle stages overview
An overview figure showing the contents and connections between all life cycle stages are shown below in figure N.1.

Figure N.1: Connection between all life cycle stages

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Annex O (informative):
Examples of goods and black box modules
This list summarizes entities frequently used in LCAs of ICT. The list is not a complete set of ICT goods but is rather
an example to indicate the broad range of applicable ICT goods and Support goods to be considered.
Each goods type may be further divided into more specific goods types.

O.1

End-user goods•

Mobile phone or standard mobile phone.

•

Smartphone.

•

Tablet device (phone/e-reader/PC).

•

Net book PC.

•

Laptop PC.

•

Desktop PC.

•

TV.

•

Any device that can connect to home or Networks.

O.2

CPE

•

Fixed wireless terminal (FWT, typically 1 3G+ in and 4 LAN + WLAN out).

•

Modem.

•

Router (Typically 1 WAN in and 4 LAN + WLAN out).

•

IPTV box and/or STB for IPTV.

•

Combo products (e.g. a 3-play or home gateway box: modem/router/IPTV).

•

Fibre access (ONU) and combo products including fibre access.

O.3

Network site goods (from base station sites to data
centres)•Base station goods.

•

Transmission goods (e.g. STM-1, radio link).

•

RAN control and core goods (BSC, RNC, SGSN, GGSN, HLR, MSC, etc.).

•

Fixed access node (FAN) goods (POTS, xDSL, FTTx/OLT).

•

Telecom switches and telecom servers (services).

•

Edge/Metro routers/switches.

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•

Core routers/switches.

•

Optical high capacity transport goods (WDM).

•

Servers.

•

Data switches.

•

Storage array network goods.

O.4

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Examples of ICT specific black box modules•

Cable set/module (cable + connectors).

•

Memory module.

•

Camera module.

•

Display module.

•

Charger device.

•

AC/DC adapter incl. power cord.

•

Fan unit.

•

Hard Disc Drive.

•

Optical disc player.

•

Transceiver module.

•

Power Amplifier module.

•

Power Supply Unit.

O.5

Site support goods

NOTE:

Some of these units are ICT specific; others have a more generic application.

•

Antenna towers.

•

Antennas and Feeders.

•Lighting guides.

•

Buildings, shelters and other mechanical structures.

•

Diesel generators and tanks.

•

Rectifiers, UPS, Battery.

•cooling system.

•

Monitoring system.

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Annex P (informative):
Examples of Networks and Network goods
Table P.1: Examples of Networks
Network type
Access networks (see note 1)

ExamplesFixed telephony (or POTS, Plain Old Telephony System)
Fixed broadband access (DSL)
Mobile broadband access (2G (e.g. GSM), 3G (e.g. WCDMA/HSPA) etc.) (see note 2)
Cable TV (CATV) broadband
Fibre (FTTx) or City LAN
Enterprise LAN
Mobile Control and core nodes Control and core nodes for mobile
Control and core nodes for IPTV, VoIP, etc.
Data transport (see note 3)
All other transmission (excluding transmission associated with the access nodes)
IP edge/metro/core network (switches and routers)
Submarine optical fibre cables and land terminal stations
Data centres (see note 4)Servers, storage and network goods ("switches and routers")
Cooling, power and back-up power goods
NOTE 1: Including transmission between the access nodes, which is allocated to the access networks (e.g. PDH, SDH,
WDM and network link elements like STM/MUX, radio links and WDM elements and repeaters).
NOTE 2: The mobile control nodes which are in reality part of the access networks are in this physical view structured
together with the core nodes as they often share sites.
NOTE 3: Data transport is a collective term used for all transmission and IP network goods that are used.
NOTE 4: The term data centre (s) can include all sizes of server networks, from enterprise data centres down to "aserver in a closet".

Table P.2: Examples of Network goods
Network type
POTS network

2G mobile network

Access nodes
RSS, remote subscriber
switchSubscriber part of local
exchanges
DSLAM goods installed in
POTS RSS/
2G base stations

3G mobile network

3G base stations

4G mobile network
Fibre / City LANnetwork
CATV broadband network

4G base stations

Fixed broadband network

Infrastructure"Copper" cable network
Telecomm
building/container
Re-use of POTS
infrastructure
Antenna towers
Site building
Container
Same as 2G above

Same as 2G above
Fibre network
Coax cable network

ETSI

Control & core nodes
Local and higher order
Exchanges
Telephony and VoIP C&C
nodes
n.a.
BSC
MSC, HLR, SGSN, GGSN,
MGW
RNC
MSC, HLR, SGSN, GGSN,
MGW

Fibre nodes

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Annex Q (informative):
Energy mix
One of the main environmental impacts of ICTs affecting climate change is GHG emissions from electric power
consumption. These GHG emissions depend on sources of electric power generations such as coal, oil, natural gas andnuclear. Conditions of electric power generation are quite different among countries. Also, even in the same country or
region, annual GHG emission intensity differs due mainly to the amount of nuclear power generation and renewableenergy installed. Therefore, environmental impact assessment of ICTs needs to be carried out carefully when theassessment target includes regions or terms in which GHG emission intensity differs. The impacts should be assessed inenergy units for the sake of performing objective and fair assessments. However, this requirement to assess ICT impacts
in energy units is not intended to permit a comparative assertion for commercial competition.

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Annex R (informative):
Examples of Allocation Procedures
R.1

Allocation examples for Recycling of Materials

The examples in figures R.1 and R.2 are applying different allocation methods for one scenario. The example(table R.1) is referring to climate change but the same principles apply to all impact categories.
Table R.1: Allocation scenario (example)
Parameter
Raw material acquisition
Raw material recycling
Total raw material input
Share of recycled materials used in the Raw
Materials acquisition stage
Share of material recycled in the EoLT stageValue
80 kg CO2e/kg
10 kg CO2e/kg
1 kg
40 %
90 %

It is also assumed that the total Raw Material input includes both goods Raw Material Acquisition and Generic Raw
Material Acquisition and further Production waste is included in the EoLT waste.
The figures show that the ratio between Raw Material Recycling kg CO2e and primary Raw Material AcquisitionkgCO2e is 1:8 which means that Raw Material Recycling is very favourable.

R.1.1

Example of the 100/0 and 0/100 methods

An example of Raw Material Acquisition with the 100/0 method and Raw Material Recycling with the 0/100 method isgiven below in figure R.1. Simultaneous application of these methods causes double accounting, i.e. overestimates orover-allocates emissions to the studied product/material life cycle.

100/0 and 0/100 method (90% material recovery efficiency)
kgCO2e
250
200
150

220
80 =1×1×80

151

10=1×1×10

100
50

100/0
0/100

100 100

35 35

5

5

0
Equipment Production (B)Raw Material
Aquistion (A) +Raw Material
Aquistion (G5)

Use (C)

EoLT (D)1 = 1×0.1×10
0
Raw Material
Recycling (G7)TOTALLife Cycle Stage

Figure R.1: Example showing the 100/0 method and the 0/100 method

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R.1.2

ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

Example of the 50/50 method and combination of 100/0 and
50/50

An example of Raw Material Acquisition and Raw Material Recycling with the 50/50 method is given below in
figure R.2. Figure R.2 shows the 50/50 method strictly applied and a combination of the 100/0 and 50/50 method. The
two methods gives the same total life cycle impact but the latter more transparently shows the importance of the Raw
Material Acquisition and the Raw Material Recycling processes.

kgCO2e200150

50/50 and 100/0 + 50/50 methods (90% material recovery efficiency and 40% recycled material content)

26 = 0.5×0.4×10 (burdenof raw material recycling,
RMC)+0.5×(1-0.4)×80(burden of primary RMA)

174.5 174.5

100 100

100

50/50
100/0 + 50/50

80 = 0×0×10+1×1×80
50

8.5 = 0.5×0.9×10 +0.5×0.1×80

35 35
5

5

0
Equipment Production (B)Raw Material-50 Aquistion (A)+Raw Material
Aquistion (G5)-100

Use (C)

EoLT (D)Life Cycle Stage

Raw Material
Recycling
(G7)

TOTAL

-45.5 = 0.5×(0.4+0.9)×10(burden of RMC)0.5×(0.4+0.9)×80 (avoided
primary RMA)

Figure R.2: Example of the 50/50 method and a combination of the 100/0 and the 50/50 method

Formulas applied in figure R.2 (results per kg Raw Material):
50/50 (grey bars)
Raw materials acquisition impact 50/50 (grey bar, A):
Raw Material Acquisition impact = 50 % of impact from the use of recycled Raw Materials from prior life cycle +50 %of impact from the use of virgin material =50 % × share of recycled material used × impact from use of recycled material +50 % × share of virgin material used × impact from use of virgin material =0,5 × 0,4 × 10 kg CO2e/kg + 0,5 × (1-0,4) × 80 = 2 + 24=26 kg CO2e/kg
50/50 (grey bars, G7)
Raw material recycling impact = 50 % of impact from the recycled raw materials + 50 % of impact from the wasted raw
materials not available for a future life cycle = 50 % × 0,9 × 10 kg CO2e/kg+50 % × (1 - 0,9) × 80 kg CO2e/kg = 4,5 + 4= 8,5 kg CO2e/kg
NOTE 1: When material is wasted a corresponding amount of virgin materials needs to enter the system and theimpact of the wasted material is therefore modelled as the impact from adding a corresponding amount ofvirgin material.

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100/0+50/50 (white bars)
Raw materials acquisition impact 50/50 (white bar, A):
Raw material acquisition impact = 0 % raw material recycling + 100 % impact from the use of virgin materials=
0 × 10 kg CO2e/kg+100 % × 80 kg CO2e/kg = 80 kg CO2e/kg
100/0+50/50 (white bars, G7)
Raw materials recycling impact = Avoided raw material recycling averaged over Raw Materials Acquisition stage andEoLT+ recycling impact =-(40 % + 90 %)/2 × 80 kg CO2e/kg + (40 % - 90 %)/2 × 10 kg CO2e/kg=-52 + 6,5 = -45,5 kg
CO2e/kg
Looking at the strictly applied 50/50 method (grey bars) we see that the recycling of input materials (the 50/50 split
with a prior life cycle) is a small part of total Raw Material Acquisition in figure R.2, 2 of 26 kgCO2e. However, we
can also see that wasted material leading to future virgin raw Material Acquisition (a 50/50 split of wasted material witha future life cycle) is a substantial part of Raw Material Recycling in figure R.2, 4,5 of 8,5 kgCO2e. These values arevisible in the formulas but not in the figures.
The white bars represent an alternative to the strictly applied 50/50 method that more clearly show the relative
importance of the Raw Material Acquisition and Raw Material Recycling related activities - but without distinguishing
between allocation with prior and future life cycles (100/0+50/50 in figure R.2).
The correspondence of the two approaches in figure R.2 in terms of overall life cycle impact could be checked asfollows: Subtract the Raw Material Recycling from the Raw Material Acquisition for the 100/0+50/50 method andcheck that the same, total result as for 50/50 method is obtained.
Table R.2 gives an example of the 50/50 method with USGS average numbers applied to recycled contents and 90 %Raw Material Recycling assumed for the studied product.
NOTE 2: The applicability of USGS average numbers varies case by case i.e. depending on the conditions of theequipment the USGS average numbers may be more or less representative to the actual conditions.
However, for raw materials exact recycling conditions are usually hard to track for a specific ICT good,
network or service.
Table R.2: Example of the 50/50 method for 1 kg material
Raw Material
Acquisition[CO2e/kg]

Raw Material
Recycling(Reprocessing /Remelting) [CO2e/kg]

Results with 90 %recovery efficiency in
Raw Material Recycling
and 50/50 method[CO2e]
Steel2,50,5 to 150
1,1 to 1,45 (see note 1)
Copper7
1,5 to 230
3,7 to 4 (see note 1)
Aluminium
12
1,5
35
5,44 (see note 1)
NOTE 1: Min Steel [0,5×0,5×2,5+0,5×0,5×0,5] (Raw Material Acquisition) + [0,5×0,9×0,5 + 0,5×0,1×2,5] (End-of-life
treatment) = 1,1 kgCO2e.
Max Steel [0,5×0,5×2,5+0,5×0,5×1] (Raw Material Acquisition) + [0,5×0,9×1 + 0,5×0,1×2,5] (End-of-life
treatment) = 1,45 kgCO2e.
Min Copper [0,5×0,7×7+0,5×0,3×1,5] (Raw Material Acquisition) + [0,5×0,9×1,5 + 0,5×0,1×7] (End-of-life
treatment) = 3,7 kgCO2e.
Max Copper [0,5×0,7×7+0,5×0,3×2] (Raw Material Acquisition) + [0,5×0,9×2 + 0,5×0,1×7] (End-of-life
treatment) = 4 kgCO2e.
Aluminium [0,5×0,65×12+0,5×0,35×1,5] (Raw Material Acquisition) + [0,5×0,9×1,5 + 0,5×0,1×12] (End-of-life
treatment) = 5,44 kgCO2e.
NOTE 2: For most up to date USGS average numbers refer to USGS.

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Annex S (informative):
Example of data quality indicators
Table S.1 shows an example of Data Quality Indicators. There are several ways to mathematically evaluate the Data
Quality of an entire LCA and estimate which Data Quality Indicators are most important for the overall Data Quality,
but in many cases only a qualitative approach is possible due to lack of quantitative data. The present document lists
which Data Quality Indicators should be taken into account for such calculations. There may be more applicable Data
Quality Indicators than listed in table S.1.

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Table S.1: Matrix for data quality assessment
Data Quality
Indicator
Methodologicalappropriateness andconsistency

ApplicableclauseEntirespecification/
document

Completeness

6.2.4

Uncertainty

8.2

Acquisition method

6.2.5

Supplier independence 6.2.5
Datarepresentativeness

6.2.5

Data age/timeliness

6.2.5

Geographicalcorrelation

6.2.5

Technologicalcorrelation

6.2.5

Rule ofinclusion/exclusion(Elements/Flows/
Unit process)

6.2.4

Comment
Indication of how much in line the applied LCI methods and methodological choices are with the goaland scope of the data. Also how consistently the methods have been applied across all data.
Indication of the % of applicable LCI flows in table G.1 which are included in the LCI. Also degree ofcoverage of an LCIA indicator in table M.10.
Indication of the variability of the data elements used in the LCA.
Indication of how the data used have been obtained. The range is roughly from directly measured tononqualified estimations.
Indication of the verifiability of the data. The range is roughly from verified data from independentsource to unverified information.
Indication of the number of facilities and time range from which the data have been collected. Rangeis roughly from "representative data from a sufficient number of facilities over and adequate time
period" to "information with unknown representativeness from a small number of facilities from ashorter time periods".
< 3 years < 6 years< 10 years< 15 years
Age unknown
Data from an
Data from an
Data
Average data area witharea with slightly
from theUnknownfrom a larger similar
similar
exact
area
area
production
production
area
conditions
conditions
Data
Data from
Data fromfrom
Data from
Data fromprocess
process
process
process studied process related tostudiedrelated tostudiedof company
company withof company
companyof thewith different
similarwith similar
with different
exact
technology
technology
technology
technology
company
Indication of how homogeneously and transparently the cut-off criteria have been applied.

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Annex T (informative):
Uncertainties of life cycle assessments for ICT goods,
networks and services
Uncertainty is an important aspect of a life cycle assessment of ICT goods, networks and services.
The uncertainty of an LCA can be divided into three categories:•

parameter uncertainty;•

scenario uncertainty;•

model uncertainty.

Parameter uncertainty: This is related to uncertainties in input-data and provides a measure of how close the data andcalculated emissions are to the real data and emissions. This includes uncertainties in the inventory analysis anduncertainties when translating inventory flows into environmental impact potential. The influence of parameter
uncertainty on the final result can be assessed analytically or by simulations. One example of parameter uncertainty is
the uncertainty associated with the conversion from the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other GHGs into carbon
dioxide equivalents (CO2e).
Scenario uncertainty: This represents a variation of results depending on methodological choices, e.g. LCI modelling
principles, allocation procedures and cut-off decisions. The scenario uncertainty can be quantified through sensitivity
analysis. Sources of scenario uncertainties include e.g. the allocation method for data for production facilities, overhead
activities (see note 1) and vehicle use to the product system studied (see note 2) and also use of old data to represent
current activities
NOTE 1: Often based on economic data.
NOTE 2: Emission data for a site is typically measured at the site level and not for individual processes andproducts.
Model uncertainty: This arises from insufficient knowledge of the studied system, leading to omission of data or
incorrect assumptions. Model uncertainties are difficult to quantify. Aviation emissions such as NOX and soot andeffects such as land use are examples of emissions/effects usually left out because of a lack of knowledge. One sourceof model uncertainty much discussed is the possible inclusion of emissions from infrastructure and the supply chain for
travel and transportation activities. (see note 3).
NOTE 3: Decisions regarding which activities to include in the life cycle is part of the system boundary setting of astudy.
Some important uncertainty sources for different life cycle stages.
The table below summarizes some important uncertainty sources associated with different life cycle stages. Some ofthem are described further below table T.1.

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Table T.1: Important uncertainty sources of the different life cycle stages
Life cycle stage
Activities included
Raw material extraction
Raw material
acquisition
Raw material processing
Production

ICT goods production
Support goods productionUse

ICT goods use
Support goods use
Support activities

End of life
treatment

ICT specific EoLT
Other EoLT

Important uncertainty sourcesLong supply chain without direct commercial relationship to ICT
industry. Variations in geographical location. World market
variations beyond the control of ICT.
Large supplier base which changes continuously over productsystem lifetime based on price, availability etc. Allocation of facility
data between product systems and processes.
Life time, geographical location, traffic scenario model. Large
variations between operators regarding site and network designand energy consumption.
Electricity production model and power supply variations.
Future processes principally unknown. Significant variations
between suppliers and regions. Allocation of facility data between
product systems and processes.

Within the Raw material acquisition and Production stages it is very challenging to collect all product system specificdata for the whole upstream supply chain (see note 4). Raw material acquisition depends on long supply chains related
to world market variations beyond the control of the ICT sector and the supplier base changes continuously over thedifferent product systems' lifetime based on price, availability, etc. Emissions are therefore generally estimated based onassumptions and generic product models (see note 5). Such a process generates both parameter uncertainties within thedata collected and scenario uncertainties regarding the selection of data to collect. In addition model uncertainties areincorporated if the generic model is associated with insufficient knowledge.
NOTE 4: A magnitude of thousand facilities could be associated with the supply chain of a major ICT company.
NOTE 5: An LCA study can involve hundred models using thousands of parameters.
For the use stage estimated, product system lifetimes / operating lifetimes for the goods featuring in the studied productsystem can generate essential scenario uncertainties. A two-fold increase of the studied product system's lifetime will
result in a two-fold increase of emissions from studied product system operation if lifetime results are presented. Model
uncertainties related to product system operation also include assumptions regarding the electricity production andamount of traffic.
End of life treatment (EoLT) and transport typically include model uncertainties related to a lack of comprehensive subsupplier data. For EoLT there are significant variations between suppliers, especially between regions and future
treatment processes are principally unknown.

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Annex U (informative):
Opportunities and limitations in the use of LCAs for ICT
goods, networks and services
A life cycle assessment (LCA) is a systematic methodology which gives an understanding of the relative importance ofthe different life cycle stages/activities. LCAs assist companies in determining where to put their efforts to improve life
cycle environmental performance and also to monitor how this performance changes over time. However, it isimportant to keep in mind that the results of an LCA are always model-based representations of real environmental
impact and the absolute impact of a certain product, network, service or organization is beyond reach. This is true for all
kinds of product systems, but especially so for the complex product systems of the ICT sector.
An LCA addresses potential environmental impact; an LCA does not predict absolute or precise environmental impact
due to the relative expression of potential impacts to a reference unit, the integration of environmental data over space
and time, the inherent uncertainty in modelling environmental impact and the fact that some possible environmental
impacts are clearly future impacts (ISO 14040 [1], clause 4.3).
In practice, it is virtually impossible to collect enough data for an assessment to give the absolute performance of a
product system. Even then, the results would still have model and scenario uncertainty.
Consequently, any LCA result is only valid under the assumptions of the study and is still associated with substantial
uncertainty, which needs to be considered so the outcome of the assessment is interpreted in a correct way.
EXAMPLE 1:

An environmental performance parameter is assessed in two different studies for two goods, A
and B. The calculated difference in performance between A and B is 25 %. The estimateduncertainty of the parameter is 50 %. In this case it is not possible to judge if A or B is a better
good with respect to the assessed parameter, although the result value indicates a clear difference.

EXAMPLE 2:

An environmental performance parameter is assessed for a scenario with an ICT service appliedand a scenario without the service applied (business-as-usual scenario). The estimated uncertaintyof the parameter is 50 % in this case as well, but the calculated improvement in performance when
applying the ICT service is a factor of ten. In this case it can be concluded that the scenario with
the ICT service clearly has the best performance even though the uncertainty of the performanceparameter impacts the absolute value of the performance.

The above examples illustrates that both uncertainty analysis and sensitivity analysis are important tools to understandthe results of a study and what conclusions can be made.
Appropriate use of LCAs
Due to these conditions, LCAs should primarily be used for the following purposes:•

Identification of opportunities to improve the environmental performance of goods, networks, services andorganizations.

•

Information to decision-makers in industry, government or non-government organizations about typicalenvironmental performance of a product system/organization to assist their policy choices.

•

Selection of relevant indicators of environmental performance for monitoring.

•

Understanding of the potential impact of new services and solutions.

•

Understanding of improvements between generations.

Contrarily, an LCA is less suitable for:•quantitative benchmarking between studies;•aggregation of results between studies;

NOTE:

With sufficient accuracy.

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product system performance legislation (measurable parameters more appropriate); and•labelling of ICT goods, networks and services.

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Annex V (informative):
Examples for calculating second order effects
In the present annex examples are given for calculating second order effects using fictitious values for the difference
between the reference product system and the ICT goods, networks and services product system. Conversion factors
used were from the LCI database.
Equation V.1 shows a formula for calculating the second order effect, EIdifference:
EIdifference,i = EIreference,i - EI ICT goods, networks, and services,i(V.1)

In the present annex, equation V.1 is applied to various second order effects:(1)

Consumption of goods (paper, CDs, DVDs, etc.)

If the consumed good is paper:
EIdifference,i=1 = (amount of paper consumedreference - amount of paper consumed ICT goods, networks, and services) (kg paper/fu) ×
conversion factor (EI/kg paper)
Where,
fu = functional unit
Conversion factor = factor converting inventory data into impact data, e.g. greenhouse gas emission factor in the case of
global warming impact.
EXAMPLE 1:
Net amount of paper consumed (difference between the reference and the ICT service)= 10 kg paper/fu
Conversion factor for paper = 1,3 kg CO2e/kg paper
EIdifference,i = 1 = 10 kg paper/fu × 1,3 kg CO2e/kg = 13 kg CO2e/fu(2)Power consumption/energy consumption (electricity, gasoline, kerosene, light oil, heavy oil, town gas, etc.)

If the consumed power is electricity:
EIdifference,i=2 = (amount of electricity consumedreference - amount of electricity consumed ICT goods, networks, and services) (kWh/fu)
× conversion factor (EI/kWh)
EXAMPLE 2:
Net amount of power consumed (difference between the reference and the ICT service) = –300 kWh/fu
Conversion factor for electricity = 0,49 kg CO2e/kWh
EIdifference,i=2 = -300 kWh/fu × 0,49 kg CO2e/kWh = -147 kg CO2e/fu(3)Movement of people (car, bus, railroad, aircraft, etc.)

If the movement of people is done by car:
EIdifference,i=3 = (number of passengers × distance travelledreference - number of passengers × distance travelledICT goods,
networks, and services) (passenger-km/fu) × conversion factor (EI/passenger-km)
EXAMPLE 3:
Net passenger-km travelled (difference between the reference and the ICT service) = 2 000 passenger-km/fu
Conversion factor for a passenger car = 0,10 kg CO2e/passenger-km

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EIdifference,i=3 = 2 000 passenger-km/fu × 0,10 kg CO2e/passenger-km = 200 kg CO2e/fu(4)Movement and storage of goods (mail, truck, railroad cargo, air cargo, cargo ship, etc.)

If the movement of goods is done using a 10-tonne truck:
EIdifference,i=4 = (tonnes of goods transported × distance transportedreference - tonnes of goods transported × distancetransportedICT goods, networks, and services) (tonne-km/fu) × conversion factor (EI/tonne-km)
EXAMPLE 4:
Net tonne-km transported (difference between the reference and the ICT service) = 1 000 tonne-km/fu
Conversion factor for a 10 tonne truck = 0,1 kg CO2e/tonne-km
EIdifference,i=4 = 1 000 tonne-km/fu × 0,10 kg CO2e/tonne-km = 100 kg CO2e/fu
If the storage of goods affects the consumption of electricity
EIdifference,i=6 = (amount of electricity consumedreference - amount of electricity consumedICT goods, networks, andservices)(kWh/fu) × conversion factor (EI/kWh)
EXAMPLE 5:
Net amount of power consumed (difference between the reference and the ICT service) = 100 kWh/fu
Conversion factor for electricity = 0,49 kg CO2e/kWh
EIdifference,i=6 = 100 kWh/fu × 0,49 kg CO2e/kWh = 49 kg CO2e/fu(5)

Improved work efficiency (electricity, office area, etc.)

If improved efficiency occurs in the area of electricity:
EIdifference,i=5 = (amount of electricity consumedreference - amount of electricity consumedICT goods, networks, andservices)(kWh/fu) × conversion factor (EI/kWh)
EXAMPLE 6:
Net amount of power consumed (difference between the reference and the ICT service) = 200 kWh/fu
Conversion factor for electricity = 0,49 kg CO2e/kWh
EIdifference,i=5 = 200 kWh/fu × 0,49 kg CO2e/kWh = 98 kg CO2e/fu
If the improved efficiency affects the area of the office space:
EIdifference,i=7 = (area of office spacereference - area of office space ICT goods, networks, and services)(m2/fu) × conversion factor(EI/m2)EXAMPLE 7:
Net area of office space reduced (difference between the reference and the ICT service) = 100 m2/fu
Conversion factor for office space area = 2,0 kg CO2e/m2
EIdifference,i=7 = 100 m2/fu × 2,0 kg CO2e/m2 = 200 kg CO2e/fu(6)

Waste (wastepaper, garbage, plastic, industrial waste, etc.)

If the concerned waste is waste plastic for incineration:
EIdifference,i=8 = (amount of waste plasticreference - amount of waste plastic ICT goods, networks, and services) (kg waste plastic/fu) ×
conversion factor (EI/kg waste plastic)

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EXAMPLE 8:
Net amount of waste plastic (difference between the reference and the ICT service) = 10 kg waste plastic/fu
Conversion factor for waste plastic = 2,8 kg CO2e/kg waste plastic
EIdifference,i=8 = 10 kg waste plastic /fu × 2,8 kg CO2e/kg = 28 kg CO2e/fu
Summing up the EIdifference for the all the comparison categories gives the second order effects of the ICT goods,
networks and services product system compared with the reference product system. Table V.1 lists second order effects
for each comparison category.
Table V.1: Second order effects for each comparison category
Comparison category
1
2
3
4
5
6

Consumption of goods (paper)
Energy consumption (electricity)
Movement of people (passenger car)
Movement of goods (10-tonne truck) and storage of goods (electricity)
Improved work efficiency (electricity and work space)
Waste (waste plastic for incineration)
Total

Second order effect(kg CO2e)
13
-147
200
149
298
28
541

Thus, the second order effects of the ICT goods, networks and services product system are 541 kg CO2e/fu. The EI
difference can also be calculated and presented with respect to life cycle stages and components of the systems of ICT
goods, networks and services as shown in figures 25 and 26 in clause 13.

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Annex W (informative):
GWP values 100 year time frame (informative)
The most up to date GWP 100 year values as of May 2014 are shown in table W.1.
Table W.1: GWP 100 year values for some GHGs
GHG

Carbon Dioxide
MethaneNitrous Oxide
Hydrofluorocarbons HFC- 134a
Perfluorocarbons
Sulphur Hexaflouride
Nitrogen Trifluoride

GWP 100 years values from IPCC
th
5 Assessment Report (AR) page 731, [i10])th(IPCC 4 AR 2007 page 212)
1 ( 1)
32 (25)298 (298)
1 550 (1 430)
7 390-12 200 (7 390-12 200)
22,800 ( 22,800)
17,200 ( n/a)

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Annex X (informative):
Summary of requirements
This annex (table X.1) summarizes all requirements present in the main body of the present document. In addition thepresent document contains numerous recommendations which also need consideration.

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Table X.1: Summary of the requirement of the present document
Clause in
Requirement
ETSI ES 203 199
Introduction
Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported.
5.2
Full compliance towards the present document can be claimed if all mandatory requirements are
fulfilled.
5.3
A third-party review is also needed if the comparison result is to be externally communicated.
5.3
In case of comparative assessment between ICT goods LCAs the operating lifetime shall be set
equal.
6.1
the requirements of the present document shall apply as well as those of ISO 14040 [1] andISO 14044 [2].
6.1.1
The following four high-level life cycle stages (RMA, P, U, EOLT) shall apply to ICT goods, Networks
and Services and shall be assessed as applicable in LCAs based on the present document inaccordance with the goal and scope.
6.1.1
Table 2 in clause 6.2.3.1 defines the detailed life cycle stages which further defines the systemboundary and which are to be considered when assessing the life cycle impact of ICT goods,
networks and services. In particular, it is important to cover all processes whose relevance is marked
as mandatory in that table.
6.1.1
The data collected shall be structured in such a way that the GHG emissions and energy
consumption/ environmental impact arising from the transport processes could be reported
transparently as far as possible.
6.1.1
Transports and energy supplies shall be included in all life cycle stages.
6.1.1
At the time of publication, to collect appropriate data related to raw materials transport and to
separate data related to raw material acquisition stage and production stage is consideredchallenging due to LCA tool limitations, lack of data, limitations in data granularity and the nature of
ICT supply chains.
Deviation(s) from this requirement shall be clearly motivated and reported.
6.1
instance transports of goods between production and use stages shall be taken into account.
6.1.2
The ICT goods, networks and services product system to be assessed shall be clearly described aswell as relevant functions and characteristics.
6.1.2.1
For the ICT good under study, applicable types of parts, as well as amounts of these, shall bedefined.
6.1.2.2
In the goal and scope phase it shall be outlined which network building blocks are covered.
6.1.2.2
For the ICT network under study, applicable types of nodes and infrastructure, as well as amounts ofthese, shall be defined.
6.1.2.3
For the ICT service under study, applicable types of ICT network elements and infrastructure, as wellas amounts of these, shall be defined.
6.1.3.1
Software shall be considered as well as hardware.
6.1.3.1
For specific software applications, such as music distribution applications, the software is to be seen
as an ICT service and shall be assessed according to the requirements outlined for services.
6.1.3.1
In these cases the hardware needed to operate the software shall be considered as well.
6.1.3.1
For users of generic operating systems embedded in products, the life cycle impact of usage of thissoftware may be considered as negligible. However, for the developer of this software the impact of
the usage of this software shall be taken into account.

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Clause in
Requirement
ETSI ES 203 199
6.1.3
Operating lifetime is critical for the interpretation of the results of LCAs and shall therefore always bereported when presenting LCA results.
6.1.3
Operating lifetime estimates and assumptions shall also be clearly described in the reporting.
6.2.1
During the LCA scoping phase the building blocks of the ICT goods, Networks or Services shall beidentified.
6.2.2.1
The functional unit shall be chosen in accordance with the goal and scope of the LCA.
6.2.2.1
The functional unit requires inclusion of the relevant quantifiable properties and thetechnical/functional performance of the system. This means that the operating lifetime of all included
ICT goods shall be specified
6.2.2.1
the number of users/subscribers supported by the Network and the traffic profile shall be included
where applicable.
6.2.2.1
The functional unit shall be clearly defined and measurable.
6.2.2.1
The reference flow shall reflect the functional unit chosen
6.2.2.2
The functional unit shall be chosen in the context of goal and scope of the LCA and shall be further
clarified by system boundary and cut-off rules.
6.2.2.2
To comply with the present document, the following functional unit shall be applied where applicable.
annual ICT goods use (per one year of ICT good use), or
total ICT good use per lifetime of ICT good.
6.2.2.2
For relevant LCA results realistic use scenarios shall be captured.
6.2.2.3
ICT networks can be seen as a system composed of different types of ICT goods. For the purpose of
the present document the following functional unit shall be applied where applicable for ICT networks
used during at least one year:•
annual network use.
6.2.2.3
For relevant LCA results realistic use scenarios shall be captured.
6.2.2.4
For the purpose of the present document, the following functional unit shall be applied whereapplicable.
annual Service use.
6.2.2.4
For relevant LCA results realistic use scenarios shall be captured.
6.2.2.4
Corresponding realistic use scenarios shall be defined.
6.2.2.4
The annual service use shall be defined with respect to the usage scenario to make it possible todefine the reference flow
6.2.3.1
The selection of the system boundary shall be consistent with the goal of the study.
6.2.3.1
Consequently, the system boundaries here define the life cycle stages and the unit processes thatshall be taken into account in an LCA of an ICT product system.
6.2.3.1
Table 2 includes further details the life cycle stages to be included in LCAs of ICT goods, Networks
and Services. The different life cycle stages are further described in clauses 6.2.3.4.2 to 6.2.3.4.5.
Mandatory in table 2 means that the life cycle stage shall be included.
6.2.3.1
Mandatory life cycle stages or unit processes shall not be cut-off before considered for inclusion byusing alternate data.
6.2.3.1
In table 2 "Mandatory" means that the life cycle stage, if applicable to the studied product system,
shall always be taken into account in an LCA for ICT.
6.2.3.3.1
In order to set the system boundary of ICT goods the life cycle stages listed in clause 6.1.1 shall be
detailed.

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Clause in
Requirement
ETSI ES 203 199
6.2.3.3.1
As stated in clause 6.1.3, the environmental impact from both hardware and software shall beconsidered, if applicable.
6.2.3.3.1
For the ICT good under study, applicable types of parts, as well as amounts of these, shall bedefined.
6.2.3.3.2
Annex H (table H.1) provides a mandatory set of Raw Materials (both ICT specific and generic) whichshall be included in the LCA of ICT goods.
6.2.3.3.3
Annex E lists a mandatory set of Parts to be included where applicable to the studied ICT productsystem, when performing an LCA of ICT goods, as well as mandatory Part unit processes which shallbe included for each Part.
6.2.3.3.3
As an example, if batteries are part of the studied ICT goods product system they shall be included inwithin the system boundary and for every battery the Battery Cell manufacturing and Battery module
manufacturing shall be included.
6.2.3.3.3
The Assembly (B1.2) shall include as minimum PCBA Module Assembly, Final Assembly,
Warehousing and Packaging.
6.2.3.3.3
In case Support goods is part of the studied product system, Support goods Production (B2) ismandatory.
6.2.3.3.3
Support goods (B2.1) which shall be included if applicable to the studied product system are at least
air conditioners, cables and power supply systems.
6.2.3.3.3
As stated in table 2 Construction of ICT specific Site (B3) is mandatory if the ICT specific site isincluded in the studied product system.
6.2.3.3.3
Site building blocks needed for B3.1, which at least shall be included if applicable to the studied
product system, are antenna towers, fences and shelters.
6.2.3.3.4
The Raw Material Acquisition and Production for the additional PCBAs used during the operating
lifetime of the ICT goods are mandatory.
6.2.3.3.5
As shown in figure 11, Preparation of ICT goods for Re-use of ICT goods (D1), ICT specific EoLT
(D2) and Other EoLT (D3) are within the mandatory system boundary for EoLT.
6.2.3.3.5
Annex F lists a mandatory set of EoLT processes to be included where applicable when performing
an LCA of ICT goods which includes the EoLT stage.
6.2.3.3.5
It is thus recognized that compliance to all requirements in annex F may not be possible at the time
the present document is published. Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated andreported.
6.2.3.4
The Network shall be defined in terms of ICT goods, Support goods and ICT infrastructure (e.g.
cables duct).
6.2.3.4
For each included product types number of units shall be defined as well as corresponding lifetime
6.2.3.4
For assessment of Networks, operator activities shall always be included.
6.2.3.5.1
In addition to the use of ICT goods and networks, an ICT service may also have additional impacts
associated with application software development, use of consumables, infrastructure for sales andlogistics, associated travel and transport (in addition to those already included for the ICT goods andnetworks) which shall also be included as appropriate.
6.2.3.5.1
The impact of the data centres where the service is operated shall be assessed.
6.2.3.5.1
The data centre shall be studied and assessed in the same way as other ICT goods.
6.2.3.5.1
The system boundary of the ICT services provided by the ICT network shall be established based oneither the actual use scenario of the ICT services, if available, or on an estimated use scenario.

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6.2.3.5.2
Energy consumption, material inputs and environmental releases shall be assessed in accordancewith the system boundary.
6.2.4
Cut-offs shall be avoided as far as possible.
6.2.4
ISO 14044 [2], clause 4.2.3.3 recommendations shall be used as closely as possible.
6.2.4
All cut-off criteria stated by ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2] are to be considered before cut-off of acertain process - and the process shall be included if significant to at least one criterion.
6.2.4
The intention of the present standard is to include all mandatory activities of table 2. If these activities
are not included such cut-offs shall be clearly motivated.
6.2.4
Any cut-off made shall be clearly described and documented.
6.2.5.1
A qualitative description of the data quality and any efforts taken to improve it shall be disclosed whileconsidering the following data quality indicators:•
Methodological appropriateness and consistency•
Completeness (total LCA level)•
Uncertainty•
Data representativeness•
Data age (timeliness)•
Acquisition method•
Supplier independence•
Geographical correlation•
Technological correlation•
Cut-off rules (rules of inclusion/exclusion)
6.2.5.2
In general data age and technology are especially important in LCAs for ICT goods, Networks andServices due to the fast technology evolution and the growth in network traffic. e.g. for data traffic, upto-date figures shall always be used
6.2.5.2
For support activities (e.g. ICT manufacturer support activities and operator support activities) primarydata shall be used for all individual processes under the financial or operational control of theorganization undertaking the LCA
6.2.5.2… and data shall be representative of the processes for which they are collected.
6.2.5.1
In selecting emission factors for use in calculating GHG emissions under this methodology thefollowing guidance shall be followed:
Emission factors used should be the most up to date from publicly available sources.
6.2.5.1
Where emission factors are sourced from non public sources, or are not the most up to date ones, ajustification for their use shall be provided.
6.2.5.1
The specific GWP values used shall be those taken from the latest UN IPCC reports. For further
guidance see annex W, table W.1.
6.3.1.1
Data shall be collected for each unit process that is included within the system boundary inaccordance with annex B.
6.3.1.1
Data shall be collected for all mandatory processes outlined in table 2.
6.3.1.1
When data has been collected from public sources, the source shall be referenced.
6.3.1.2
Data shall be collected at least for the processes marked with mandatory in table 2, unless these arefound negligible in accordance with the cut-off rules.
6.3.1.2.1
it should be noted that, for many products (especially end-user goods), periods of idling and power off
may be significant and are important to consider when modelling the traffic profile/ model the usage
profile and shall be included if applicable.
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6.3.1.4
Use time, goods type, data traffic and network access type give important statistical data that needs
to be collected in order to quantify the use of ICT systems.
6.3.1.2.3
When calculating the potential environmental impact the LCA practitioner is encouraged to use themost accurate data for the energy mix that is applicable to the ICT goods under assessment.
Particularly the use stage shall use the applicable electricity mix to calculate the potential
environmental impact from the use stage more exactly.
6.3.2.1
The general requirements for data calculations in ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2] shall be applied.
6.3.2.1
All calculation procedures shall be explicitly documented and the assumptions made shall be clearlystated and explained.
6.3.2.1
The same calculation procedures shall be consistently applied throughout the study.
6.3.2.1
A check on data validity shall be conducted during the process of data collection to confirm that thedata quality requirements for the intended application have been fulfilled.
6.3.2.3
the evaluation of the environmental load shall consider both a fixed part which is independent of theusage and a variable part which correlates to the usage
6.3.3.1
The same allocation method shall be used for all environmental loads for all products from a common
process.
6.3.3.1
The study shall identify the processes shared with other product systems and deal with themaccording to the stepwise procedure presented below.
6.3.3.2
Data for generic processes (G1 to G7) shall be allocated as a whole (i.e. for the full lifecycle for thegeneric process) to the associated life cycle stage of the product system.
6.3.3.2
However all Raw Material Acquisition (G5) shall be allocated to the life cycle stage Raw Material
Acquisition (A).
6.3.3.3
Data for relevant part of the organization/operation shall be allocated to the relevant part of the
project/product system life cycle.
6.3.3.3
If no detailed information on organization/operation is available the allocation shall be based onorganizational/economic data.
6.3.3.8
End-user goods (e.g. PCs, smart phones) which is accessing more than one ICT Network (e.g. 3G,
WLAN) shall be allocated to these ICT Networks based on use time.
6.3.3.8
The assumptions regarding use time for access to different ICT Networks and off line work shall be
described and motivated.
6.3.3.8
Impact from shared Network resources (e.g. transmission goods, core nodes and data centres) shallbe allocated to an access Network based on data traffic.
6.3.3.8
The assumptions regarding data traffic shall be described and motivated.
6.3.3.9
The impact from each ICT network supporting the service should be allocated to the service based onaccess use time or data traffic.
More specifically, the following allocation principle of ICT Network data to an ICT Service shall beused:
Data for End-users goods:
to be allocated based on active use time of the ICT Service.
Etc.
6.3.3.9
Data traffic is also preferred for e.g. mobile access networks as mobile access networks show a large
dependency between data traffic and energy consumption and need a traffic model that takes data
traffic into account.

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6.3.3.9
Data for data centres and Service provider activities:
The data centre(s) where the ICT Service is operated as well as the service provider activities shallbe allocated based on number of subscriptions and service users or amount of data/transactions.
7
ISO states that the selection of impact categories shall reflect a comprehensive set of environmental
issues related to the product system being studied, taking the goal and scope into consideration.
7
In the LCA it shall be ensured that the inventory elementary flows (see annex G are correctly linked
with appropriate LCIA characterization factors.
7
For climate change, the most recent global warming characterization factors from theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [b-IPCC] for each GHG shall be used and the timeframe
should be 100 years.
7
The mid-point category Climate change is mandatory.
7
For other impact categories there is no methodological consensus in the LCA community, thus thepractitioner shall decide which impact categories to consider and how to calculate them, based on thestudied ICT product system and purpose of the LCA study.
7
All impact categories and category indicators included shall be disclosed (table M.10) and justified.
8.2
the sources of uncertainty and methodological choices made shall be assessed and disclosed.
8.3
The results of the LCI or LCIA phases shall be interpreted according to the goal and scope of thestudy.
8.3
The interpretation shall include a sensitivity check of the significant inputs, outputs andmethodological choices and defined use scenarios, in order to understand the uncertainty of theresults.
9.1
The reporting of ICT product systems shall fulfil the reporting rules as defined by ISO 14040 [1] andISO 14044 [2].
9.1
In the case of reporting, a public GHG inventory report, the key accounting principles (relevance,
accuracy, completeness, consistency and transparency) shall be met.
9.1
In addition to the reporting obligations outlined by ISO 14040 [1] and ISO 14044 [2], the report shall
include the following information:•
contact information•
studied goods, networks and services product system name and description•
type of inventory (i.e. final product cradle-to-grave or intermediate product cradle-to-gate
inventory)•
goals of the study.
The reporting of results shall include:•
total GHG emissions reported as amount of CO2e per functional unit for ICT good, networkand service that have been assessed•
percentage for each life cycle stage contributing to the total results•
electricity (with use stage separated from the other stages)•
primary energy (see note)
•
fuels
•
value and sources of emission factors for CO2 and CO2e and Global Warming Potential(GWP) metric used in the report•other data, justifications and explanations as stated throughout this report.
NOTE:
Primary energy and electricity cannot be summarized because electricity is contributing to
the total primary energy.

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9.1
In addition the rules outlined in this clause and what is stated in annex L shall be followed forreporting of studies claiming compliance with the present document.
9.1
The report shall contain a compliance statement saying either that the LCA fully complies with thepresent document (in case of full compliance) or that the LCA partially complies with the present
document with the exceptions transparently listed and justified partial compliance).
9.1
The extent in which Support activities and other optional/recommended activities are excluded for
different parts of the life cycle shall be clearly described and for recommendations also motivated in
the study report.
9.1
For each product system (including ICT goods, Network and Service) the following aspects, being ofspecial importance to ICT applications, shall be transparently motivated and described in accordancewith the principles defined in this clause:
Operating lifetime: All lifetime assumptions shall be stated and motivated.
9.1
Cut-off: Any cut-off made shall be clearly stated and motivated.
9.1
Allocations: Basis for allocations made shall be described, especially for recycling, use of recycledmaterials, distribution of facility data and support activities.
9.1
Data sources: Data sources (i.e. specific/generic) shall be clearly stated and deviations towards table
2 shall be motivated.
9.1
For each product system (including ICT goods, Network and Service) an additional diagram shall bepresented whenever optional activities in table 2 have been included.
9.1
The emission factors used shall be clearly stated. The source used and the year they represent shallbe clearly stated.
9.1
In the case of emission factors for grid electricity the source, year and location (specific, country,
global average) shall be clearly stated.
9.1
Where emission factors are sourced from non public sources, or are not the most up to date ones, ajustification for their use shall be provided.
9.2.1
For each impact category studied, diagrams corresponding to figures 14a and 14b shall be reported
for the corresponding category indicator result.
9.2.1
Due to the importance of operating lifetime to results, information regarding this shall always bepresent in the diagram, together with some other basic modelling statements including total result for
the indicator, LCA study year operating lifetime, etc. as shown below.
9.2.1
Figure 15b shall be presented whenever optional activities/processes from table 2 have been
included in the studied product system.
9.2.1
For transports, the total result including all transports throughout the life cycle annex L (table L.4)
shall be stated in the immediate proximity of the diagram (figures 15a and 15b).
9.2.1
If used data sets do not report transports separately any missing transport shall be listed andmotivated.
9.2.1
Figure 16 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the resultof another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal".
9.2.1
A diagram summarizing distribution of selected environmental impact category indicators between life
cycle stages shall be prepared together with absolute figures as shown in the annex L (table L.10).
9.2.1
Figure 18 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the resultof another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal". See further explanation in
the scope.

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9.2.2.1
Any deviation to table 2 and clause 6.2.3 with respect to mandatory life cycle stages/unit processes
shall be clearly stated and motivated.
9.2.2.1
Additionally, inclusion of generic processes for the different life cycle stages shall be clearly statedand reported.
9.2.2.1
Deviations for Generic processes shall be reported according to annex L, table L.3.
9.2.2.2
The use of raw materials shall be transparently reported as outlined below.
9.2.2.2
The most important metals from recycling point of view shall always be included.
For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.5).
9.2.2.2
Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported.
9.2.2.3.1
Compliance to annex E (table E.1) shall be reported according to below and any deviation shall be
described and motivated. Compliance to annex E (table E.1) shall be reported according to below andany deviation shall be described and motivated.
9.2.2.4.1
Compliance to annex E (table E.1) shall be reported according to below and any deviation shall be
described and motivated.
9.2.2.4.1
The model of distribution over time of different usage modes including power off and idle and therationale for those shall be transparently reported. For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L(table L.7).
9.2.2.4.2
The rationale for the energy consumption values for the Support goods use shall be transparently
described and motivated. For appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.7.)
9.2.2.5
If EoLT is included any deviations towards annex F shall be transparently reported and motivated. For
appropriate reporting format refer to annex L (table L.3).
9.2.3
For LCI the following items shall be reported transparently: total use of primary energy and electricity.
9.2.3
Additionally, results for elementary flows according to annex G (table G.1) could be transparently
reported on an optional basis. If such reporting is not made it is mandatory to describe unexpected
results, lack of data and other findings associated with the elementary flows.
9.3.1
Operating lifetime is important also for Networks, but is associated with the lifetime of the different
nodes, which shall be reported.
9.3.1
It shall be reported following the format of annex L (table L.11) which also describes the studied
Network.
9.3.1
Figure 18 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the resultof another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal".
9.3.1
Additionally a diagram summarizing distribution of environmental impact category indicators between
life cycle stages shall be prepared together with absolute figures as shown in the annex L(table L.10).
9.3.1
Figure 19 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the resultof another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal".
9.3.1
Details of network energy consumption shall be reported with a split of different elements of the
network. An example of table for Reporting is provided in table M.12.
9.4.1
Operating lifetime is important also for Services, but it is associated with the lifetime of the different
nodes, which shall be reported.
9.4.1
Allocation of Network data to the Service shall be reported. It should be reported according toannex L (table L.13).

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9.4.1
Additionally a diagram summarizing distribution of impact category indicators between life cycle
stages for the Service product system under study shall be presented together with absolute figures
as shown in the table L.10 in annex L.
9.4.1
Figure 22 shall be accompanied by the disclaimer "This LCA result cannot be compared to the resultof another LCA unless all assumptions and modelling choices are equal".
10
Any critical review shall be performed according to the requirements in ISO 14040 [1] andISO 14044 [2] and in the present document.
10
The scope and type of critical review desired shall be defined in accordance with ISO 14044 [2],clauses 4.2.3.8 and 6.
11.1
Infrastructure, e.g. highways for transportation, is generally assumed to exist independently of
introduction of new services and shall be excluded.
11.1
The handling of time perspective and scale shall be disclosed and motivated in the report.
11.1
To be able to quantify the net environmental impact when introducing an ICT based Service theenvironmental impact of both the ICT Service itself and of the reference product system need to/shallbe assessed from a life cycle perspective.
11.1
To make sure that the comparative assessment gives a relevant result, the full life cycle of both
systems shall always be considered.
11.1
From an LCA perspective the reference product system and the ICT service based system shallmimic each other as far as possible.
11.1
and the practitioner shall model both systems in an unbiased way.
11.2
Goods shall be compared with other goods.
11.2
ICT networks shall be compared between themselves.
11.2
and ICT services shall be compared between themselves.
11.3.1In this comparative LCA study, the scope of the LCA study shall be defined in such a way that the twosystems can be compared.
11.3.1
Systems shall be compared using the same functional unit and equivalent methodologicalconsiderations, such as performance, system boundary, data quality, allocation procedures and cutoff rules.
11.3.1
Any differences between systems regarding these parameters shall be identified and reported.
11.3.2
Also in this case, the scope of the LCA study shall be defined in such a way that the two systems canbe compared.
11.3.2
Both systems shall be assessed using the same functional unit and equivalent methodologicalconsiderations, such as performance, system boundary, data quality, allocation procedures and cutoff rules.
11.3.2
Any differences between systems regarding these parameters shall be identified and reported.
11.3.3
The assessment of the ICT based system shall be performed in accordance with Part I.
11.3.3
When making comparisons, it is important to keep in mind that the functional unit used shall beapplicable to both the reference product system and the system of ICT goods, networks and services.
11.3.3For the reference product system applicable requirements in the present document shall be applied,e.g. requirements regarding data quality, cut-off, etc.

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12.2
All the requirements stipulated in Part I for a system boundary definition shall be applied.
12.2.1
The functional unit shall take into account the general rules outlined in Part I, clause 6.2.2 "Functional
unit" and ISO 14044 [2] clause 4.2.3.2.
12.2.1
Additionally, the functional unit shall be defined so that it is applicable both to the ICT goods,
networks and services product system and the reference product system.
12.2.1
The reference flow shall be defined to quantify the functional unit.
12.2.1
In other words, for the functional unit of one meeting, for instance, the reference flow for the systemsof ICT goods, networks and services and the reference product system shall be defined.
12.2.2
Two different system boundaries shall be defined which are applicable for the ICT goods, networks
and services product system and for the reference product systems respectively.
12.2.2considerations shall be paid to which electricity is used when assessing the environmental impact of
the ICT goods, networks and services product system and the reference product systems.
12.3
The calculation for the inventory analysis shall be performed in accordance with Part I, clause 6.3.
12.4
The calculation for the inventory analysis shall be performed in accordance with Part I, clause 6.3.
13
Any cut-off made during a study shall be clearly stated in the study report, e.g. the exclusion of life
cycle processes which are considered insignificant should be justified.
Annex BA mandatory list of generic activities (unit processes) that have been found to be of importance for
LCA of ICT goods, Networks and Services can be found in annex D.
Annex BThe following emissions shall be taken into account if applicable to the studied impact category(ies):•
Emissions to air•
Emissions to water•
Emissions to soil
Annex BThe following resource objects shall be taken into account if applicable to the studied impact
category(ies):
Material resource use (or material depletion)
Energy resource use (or energy resources depletion)
Annex B
A list of emissions and resource objects that shall be included, if applicable to the studied productsystem and impact category(ies), can be found in annex G (table G.1).
Annex B
Further, the following inputs shall also be included if applicable to the studied impact category(ies):
Electricity.
Other forms of delivered energy (district heating and cooling).
Fuels (typically indicates the fuels are incinerated on-facility or in a vehicle connected to the facility).
Primary products (products that are part of the final product in operation).
Secondary products (products that are not part of the final product in operation).
Transports, travel and other services (can be seen as a special non-material secondary productinput).
Annex B
Finally, the following flows shall also be included if applicable to the studied impact category(ies):
Water discharge (to municipal sewage or recipient).
Waste fractions (residual waste fractions or waste fractions that need further treatment, also including
material recycling and energy recovery).
Product output (the main purpose with the unit process or activity).
Annex CAny support activities included in the LCA scope shall be clearly reported in term of organization
activities considered.
Annex DG7….Other material shall be considered.

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Annex E
Table E.1 lists the applicable parts and assembly types which shall be taken into account when
performing an LCA of ICT goods, if applicable to the ICT good (not ICT network). It also lists thecorresponding part and assembly categories and unit processes.
Annex G
Table G.1 contains elementary flows which shall be taken into account in LCA analyses for ICT.
Annex GThe substance names listed in table G.1 shall be used in the report.
Annex G
Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported.
Annex H
Table H.1 lists a minimum Raw Materials groups (chemicals, fuels, metals, plastics, packaging
materials and additives) which shall be taken into account in LCAs of ICT goods, if applicable to thestudied ICT product system.
Annex L
This annex contains tables that shall be used to report the result of the assessment.
Annex L
Deviation(s) from the requirements shall be clearly motivated and reported.

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ETSI ES 203 199 V1.3.1 (2015-02)

History
Document history
V1.1.1

November 2011

Publication as TS 103 199

V1.2.1

October 2014

Publication

V1.3.0December 2014

Membership Approval Procedure

V1.3.1February 2015

Publication

ETSI

MV 20150220: 2014-12-22 to 2015-02-20