While life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool often used to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and technologies, the amount of data required to perform such studies make the evaluation of emerging technologies using the conventional LCA approach challenging. The development paradox is such that the inputs from a comprehensive environmental assessment has the greatest effect early in the development phase, and yet the data required to perform such an assessment are generally lacking until it is too late. Previous attempts to formalize strategies for performing streamlined or screening LCAs were made in the late 1990s and early 2000s, mostly to rapidly compare the environmental performance of product design candidates. These strategies lack the transparency and consistency required for the environmental screening of large numbers of early‐development candidates, for which data are even sparser. We propose the Lifecycle Screening of Emerging Technologies method (LiSET). LiSET is an adaptable screening‐to‐LCA method that uses the available data to systematically and transparently evaluate the environmental performance of technologies at low readiness levels. Iterations follow technological development and allow a progression to a full LCA if desired. In early iterations, LiSET presents results in a matrix structure combined with a “traffic light” color grading system. This format inherently communicates the high uncertainty of analysis at this stage and presents numerous environmental aspects assessed. LiSET takes advantage of a decomposition analysis and data not traditionally used in LCAs to gain insight to the life cycle impacts and ensure that the most environmentally sustainable technologies are adopted.

中文翻译：

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LiSET：新兴技术早期生命周期筛选的框架

虽然生命周期评估（LCA）是经常用于评估产品和技术对环境的影响的工具，但是执行此类研究所需的数据量使使用常规LCA方法评估新兴技术具有挑战性。发展悖论是如此，以至于在开发阶段的初期，来自全面环境评估的投入会产生最大的影响，但是通常缺乏进行此类评估所需的数据，直到为时已晚。在1990年代末和2000年代初期，曾进行过尝试形式化以简化或筛选LCA的策略的尝试，主要是为了快速比较候选产品的环境性能。这些策略缺乏对大量早期开发候选人进行环境筛选所需的透明性和一致性，而这些数据甚至很少。我们提出了新兴技术的生命周期筛选方法（LiSET）。LiSET是一种适应性很强的针对LCA的筛选方法，该方法使用可用数据来系统透明地评估处于低准备水平的技术的环境绩效。迭代跟着技术发展，如果需要，可以逐步升级到完整的LCA。在早期的迭代中，LiSET可以将矩阵结构与“交通灯”颜色分级系统结合在一起。此格式固有地传达了此阶段分析的高度不确定性，并提出了许多评估的环境方面。