InputoutputLCI

InputoutputLCI refers to a life cycle inventory constructed from input-output analysis, used within input-output life cycle assessment (IO-LCA) to estimate environmental burdens associated with economic activity. It typically represents emissions, resource use, or other environmental flows linked to final demand across economic sectors, providing a scalable way to model large systems where process-level data are incomplete or unavailable.

Methodologically, inputoutputLCI is grounded in matrices from input-output theory. The technology matrix (A) captures intersectoral production relationships, and the Leontief inverse (I − A)−1 yields the total requirements for an end-use activity. By applying this inverse to a final-demand vector and pairing sectors with environmental intensities, one derives total environmental burdens attributed to specified consumption or production patterns. This approach enables aggregate life cycle assessments at national, regional, or product-system levels and supports scenario analysis and policy evaluation.

Data sources for inputoutputLCI include national input-output tables and large-scale IO databases such as EXIOBASE, WIOD, and EORA, often harmonized with environmental indicators like emissions, energy use, or water use. Formats vary but commonly include CSV, JSON, or database representations that align with sector classifications and time periods. Tools and workflows in IO-LCA software environments integrate inputoutputLCI with downstream LCA methods, enabling attributional or consequential analyses.

Applications span footprint assessment, product-level impact estimation, and macroeconomic policy evaluation. Limitations include aggregation bias, temporal and spatial misalignment, and uncertainties in IO tables and environmental intensities. Users must consider system boundaries, data quality, and the compatibility of IO-derived results with process-based LCA data.