Implementation of an adapted LCA framework to environmental assessment of a territory: important learning points from a French Mediterranean case study

The LCA framework was recently adapted to perform the environmental assessment of a territory. The expectations of this framework, called “territorial LCA”, are in line with the European Directive (2001/42/EC) on Strategic Environmental Assessment applied to land planning programs, i.e., providing an environmental baseline and comparing land planning scenarios. To test “territorial LCA” applicability for establishing a diagnosis, the approach was implemented in a French Mediterranean case study. According to the “territorial LCA” approach, system boundaries and land use functions must be defined and selected. Then, the inventory for all production and consumption activities is performed with a particular emphasis on data collection and on different ways to handle data gaps. Based on this inventory, certain land use functions are quantified, and the impacts are assessed through the ReCiPe life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method. Indicators of land use functions are compared to different references to highlight the main features of the territory (e.g., high level of societal functions). For environmental impacts, the results point out that most impacts occur beyond the territory borders. Four environmental issues are identified, i.e., climate change, particulate matter formation, human toxicity and land occupation. Finally, the associated driving forces are determined (i.e., the most important ones are imports of food, goods and services and manufacturing activities). For these hotspots, the strategy applied to bridge data gaps was discussed (i.e., using environmental input output tables (EIOT)). In addition, the sensitivity to the chosen impact assessment method was analyzed by using another LCIA method (Impact World+). •The implementation of territorial LCA on a real case study proves its feasibility.•Territorial LCA complies with environmental baseline requirements.•Territorial LCA identifies transboundary impacts, environmental issues and hotspots.•The ranking of the environmental issues is partially influenced by the LCIA method.•Different methods to bridge data gaps, including EIOT, are tested and discussed.