Authors
Lees-Perasso, Etienne; DELMAS-ORGELET, Julie; OUFFOUE, Georges; Garcia, Jade; Osset, Philippe
Abstract
Digital transformation can be a part of answering the green transformation need. However, , the multiplication of connected services- often perceived as immaterial – is not devoid of environmental impacts, and their development can lead to indirect effects. Indeed, to ensure that digital transition will not be detrimental to the ecological transition, it is necessary to have consolidated environmental impacts determination methods, based on life cycle assessment (LCA). That can be achieved with the elaboration of sectorial rules allowing to manage specificities of connected devices, harmonize and simplify practices. The SCORE LCA Association mandated the Negaoctet consortium, composed of LCIE Bureau Veritas, APL Datacenter, DDemain and GreenIT.fr to conduct a project aiming at providing recommendations for the LCA of connected devices. The first phase of the analysis aims at performing a bibliographical state of the art of existing and ongoing works, the current knowledge and practices, and the potential agreements and disagreements. Then an in-depth analysis of a restricted selection was conducted to highlight specific issues. A list of recommendations has been established, based on the ILCD handbook framework, dealing with the following subjects: LCA level classification, functional unit, lifespan, functional diagram and flow diagram, cut-off rule, impact categories selection, comparison, data collection, allocations, indirect effects, possession environmental cost and use environmental cost, and average environmental cost and marginal environmental cost. The digital sector is not mature yet. It has strong economic, technical and functional evolutions that can lead to LCA methodology changes. Some identified issues are: digital services distribution level, electric and electronic equipment end of life, regulatory evolutions, connected devices multiplication, artificial intelligence, blockchain, technology leap, and engineers training to LCA and greenIT practic