ALCA builds upon and continues Empa's long-lasting activities in the area of life cycle assessment (LCA). Core activity of ALCA is to broaden-up of the scope of the LCA framework and the better integration of the LCA framework into R&D procedures. In addition to this, ALCA tackles drawbacks of the current LCA methodology, establishes missing inventory data and/or assessment schemes in connection with ongoing R&D activities at Empa.

ALCA is using cases on emerging technologies such as nanotechnology, information and communication technologies, mobility and energy systems in order to meet the following challenges:

• Extending the perspective of life cycle assessment to societal aspects;
• Supporting sustainable technology development by combining the LCA framework with new, innovative approaches such as SbD (safe-by-design) or RRI (responsible research & innovation);
• Improving impact assessment methods and LCI data availability.