Why an LCA-based regulation?

Focusing on only one phase of a vehicle’s total life cycle encourages product decisions that may reduce emissions from the tailpipe but could unintentionally inflate emissions somewhere else in the vehicle’s life. The net result could be increased vehicle total life cycle emissions.

Automotive climate policy with an exclusive focus on tailpipe emissions opens the door to these unintended consequences.

The only way to avoid unintended consequences is to include life cycle thinking and life cycle assessment (LCA) in vehicle emissions regulations.