The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the sixth Assessment Report (AR6) containing an updated table of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) metrics[1] that can be further applied to calculate different Impact Assessment categories. Then, a new method was prepared for openLCA according to the impact categories in the AR6 (and their units), also considering the black carbon mentioned in the fifth Assessment Report (AR5)[2]. To check the details regarding the Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method (LCIAM) implementation, please see our documentation.
The last openLCA method package 2.1.2 was released on 30th November together with the ecoinvent 3.8 database. Now, version 2.1.3 of the method is available, including this new Impact Assessment Method (IPCC 2021 AR6). The IPCC 2021 AR6 is also available as a separate file in Nexus (under ‘Documents’ tab), which can be imported to the current openLCA method version applied by the user [3].
Therefore, you have two alternatives to include IPCC 2021 AR6 in openLCA. The first alternative is to download the openLCA method 2.1.3 from Nexus, and import the new method as a JSON-LD file (Figure 1).
Figure 1 – Importing the new method package (2.1.3)
The second option is to download the JSON-LD file containing only the IPCC 2021 AR6 method, and import it into openLCA (Figure 3). You can do so at this link: https://nexus.openlca.org/database/openLCA%20LCIA%20methods as shown in Figure 2 below.
Figure 2 – Where to download the file with only the IPCC 2021 method
Figure 3 – Importing the new method (IPCC 2021 AR6)
[1] According to https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report.pdf
[2] According to https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/SYR_AR5_FINAL_full.pdf
[3] Methods available here https://nexus.openlca.org/database/openLCA%20LCIA%20methods