Since we started it about 8 years ago, the PSILCA database has received a lot of attention; we are happily impressed by the number of users in research, policy, and enterprises, and the rich studies and cases where PSILCA can contribute.
Current version of the database is 3.1, released in spring last year, which was an evolutionary release, focusing on an update and cleanup of the database indicators.
While preparing for version 4, we realized that there is potential, and perhaps a need, for a big step with the next release: the world has changed quite a bit since the last major release of PSILCA, social LCA has advanced and matured, receiving much more attention, and also the PSILCA database receives more attention, providing funds for a next version as well.
Changes for version 4.0 can address these aspects:
- The background database. We use the Eora multi-regional IO database as background database since the beginning; it is very rich and detailed, but recently, other databases have been published that are more up to date and may reflect recent changes in the world’s economy better. Such a change is of course a major step.
- The indicators in the database (new indicators to add, potential revision of existing indicators)
- The use of the database
- More emphasis on the direct calculation in connection with openLCA
- Use for SSBD (safe and sustainable by design) assessments
- Use as part of LCSA, Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, e.g. more alignment with environmental LCA
- Data sources and quality assurance are of course also a topic in the development of the database; we see less need for a major change here however, as we have a data quality system and a documentation in place, but there could be room for improvement as well.
We would like to discuss these options and opportunities with PSILCA users, seeing that PSILCA has often an important role in a project. We thought to organize a workshop for this.
The workshop will be organized in a hybrid format, towards end of July. We will do our best to be able to show impacts of different decisions for the database in this workshop, to provide some ground for the discussion, for example concerning the background database.
- What do you think? Would you be willing to join such a workshop (of around 1 day or a bit less, in Berlin plus online)? Depending on the number of onsite attendees, we might charge ~ 100-150 € per person for the attendance.
- Please respond by 26th May here: https://forms.gle/rFDEuBDk3DKG5CgZ8
We are looking forward to seeing you there!