Interpreting and communicating results

Sustainable Minds enables users to conduct screening-level LCAs based on the SM2011 Impact Assessment Methodology. The results indicate the overall environmental performance and the carbon footprint of the product or system that has been assessed. They can be used to communicate to people inside the product development team, the marketing team and management about the overall environmental performance of the product. This can be a highly informative process where managers have an ‘aha’ moment about their products and services. Most importantly, the SM2011 results can guide the design team to develop products with the best environmental performance possible.

SM LCA results CAN be used for:

• Making informed trade-off decisions based on quantified and credible data
• Creating marketing communications based on decisions that really make products greener
• Reusing results, learning, knowledge, and decisions on subsequent projects
• Creating marketing communications based on decisions that really make products greener

SM LCA results can NOT be used for:

• Making external environmental performance claims based on weighted, single-indicator scores (SM2011 millipoints).
• Comparative assertions that reference a competing product and are intended to be used publicly.