per Sonia Chapman
The Brazilian Business Network for Life Cycle Assessment (ACV Network) was launched in 2013 with the mission of mobilizing companies, coordinating governments and educating consumers with the aim of incorporating life cycle thinking, in general, and Life Cycle Assessment. Vida, in particular, as instruments to guide decision-making, as they help determine the sustainability of products. To this end, it aims to create an environment of cooperation for the use of ACV in Brazil; educate and train society about this concept, its application and benefits; make available and disseminate information about LCA in Brazil to different audiences and collaborate and support the Brazilian government in consolidating the National Life Cycle Inventory Bank.
A major challenge of LCA is to transmit the wealth of information mapped in a study to a lay audience, which has the power to make consumer decisions. To do this, it is necessary to simplify the entire concept, but also to promote debates and carry out relevant studies for this consumer, addressing everyday issues, so that they understand the benefits that an LCA can provide.
Since its creation, the main contribution of the ACV Network has been to provide greater rapprochement between important organizations, leaders in their segments of activity, with representatives from academia, civil society, government and consultancies for the execution and review of research studies. LCA, understanding the challenges and opportunities related to it.
Public policies, such as the National Solid Waste Policy, with its Sector Agreements, or RenovaBio, which has in RenovaCalc a tool anchored in ACV, incentives for innovation, such as the Lei do Bem or Rota 2030, which allow and even encourage the use of LCA studies to demonstrate certain environmental benefits are demonstrating that this concept is gaining representation and relevance in Brazil. Another example is ISO 20400 on Sustainable Purchasing, whose definition is: “Purchases that have the greatest possible positive environmental, social and economic impacts throughout the life cycle”, which highlights ACV as a guide for decision-making processes aimed at sustainability. The new Tender Law, dated 04/01/2021, follows the same lines.
In your site and in your profile on LinkedIn, the ACV Network publishes studies of everyday situations and clarifies terms and concepts. There are studies from the most different segments, such as Construction, Textiles, Food, Packaging and publications, such as those that describe the complementarity between LCA and Circular Economy.
The ACV Network promotes the exchange of business experiences, and the reflection on people's individual contributions, as we encourage them to reflect on the impacts of their consumption decisions.
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