CALCAS, Coordination Action for innovation in Life Cycle Analysis for Sustainability, is a pan-European project, financed by the Sixth Framework Programme of the European Commission. The main goal is the review of the basic current paradigms of LCA in order to overcome its present limits. Starting from the complexity of the theme (the multidisciplinary of the sustainability concept – environmental, economic and social issues -, the different nature of the choice and of the involved subjects, the role of the governance systems) three main activity lines are developed:

1. analysis of present and perspective needs of different users (policy makers, business, citizens, R&D programmers);
2. critic revision on assessment tools and their scientific basis to individuate different integration pathways;
3. analysis on mechanisms linking governance systems and sustainability decisions.

The project is started on September 2006 and lasts for 30 months, with a budget of about 1.6 M€.

More information

For more information and results see the  Calcas website.