I was wondering if anyone knows of any required certifications or licenses in order for a company to be able to offer LCA services?
I have hear about LCACP exam from the “American Center for Life Cycle Assessment” and was wondering if something like this is required? Just recommended? Are there benefits to getting a certification such as this?
Similarly with LEED certification, would that be recommended over taking the LCACP?
Hey, Sheela! There is (for better or worse) no certification required for a company to be able to offer LCA services or to provide third party review on LCA results or methodology. The prerequisites for the LCACP speak for themselves–a practitioner will need to complete as many as a dozen (!) critically reviewed LCA studies before being able allowed to sit for the exam.
I wouldn’t consider LEED certification as a replacement for training in LCA. LCA is a very small part of the LEED rating system, and the USGBC’s handling of LCA has a few idiosyncrasies.
The wider world of LCA can get fairly complex (allocation, consequential, dynamic - oh my!) but much of that complexity is bracketed out in the building-scale studies discussed here. I’d say the best way to learn LCA for buildings is to dive in!