Miljøanalyse

Miljøanalyse is a systematic process for identifying, quantifying, and evaluating the environmental aspects of a product, project, organization, or activity. Its aim is to understand potential environmental impacts across the life cycle and to support decisions that reduce harm and improve sustainability. Typical focus areas include resource use (energy, water, materials), emissions to air and water, waste generation, land use, biodiversity, and climate effects.

Methods commonly used in miljøanalyse include life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental impact assessment (EIA), and environmental risk assessment, as well as monitoring programs and set of sustainability indicators. Analyses may be qualitative, quantitative, or a combination, and they often rely on data from internal records and external databases. International and national standards, such as ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 14040/14044 for LCA, provide frameworks but are not mandatory.

Process typically involves scoping and goal definition, data collection and boundary setting, modeling and impact assessment, interpretation of results, and communication of findings. The results are used to identify improvement opportunities, inform policy or project decisions, support regulatory compliance, and communicate environmental performance to stakeholders.

Miljøanalyse is applied at various levels, including strategic planning, product development, site or facility assessment, and supply chain evaluation. Its outputs can lead to reduced environmental footprints, enhanced transparency, and better risk management.

Challenges include data availability and quality, boundaries and scope definition, uncertainty in results, and resource requirements for conducting thorough analyses.

See also: environmental impact assessment, life cycle assessment, ISO 14001.