Speaking about sustainability involves a deep reflection on the environmental, social, and economic impacts of human actions. It requires adopting a future-oriented vision, striving not to exhaust available resources but to protect them for future generations. Although this logic may seem obvious, it is important to note that only recently has the concept of sustainability found a place in modern development paradigms, becoming crucial for both the public and private sectors.
In this context, life cycle assessment (LCA) plays a fundamental role. It is interesting to observe how the benefits and possibilities of this approach are not limited exclusively to products and services, areas where LCA was initially developed. The new ISO 14072 and ISO 14075 standards, recently integrated into our national catalog, testify to this shift.
The UNI ISO 14075:2025 (“Environmental management – Principles and framework for social life cycle assessment”) provides specific guidance and requirements intended for operators in various sectors, including industry, government, academia, and non-governmental organizations. Its aim is to develop and implement practices to efficiently and reliably assess social impacts. Through a social life cycle assessment (S-LCA), it is possible to:
– assess the scope and significance of potential social impacts of a product system;
– analyze and predict current and future social impacts associated with a system.
This analysis aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aims to identify and differentiate aspects that either promote or hinder the achievement of these goals.
On the other hand, the UNI ISO 14072:2025 (“Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines for the life cycle assessment of an organization”) expands the scope of LCA to include organizations. An organizational life cycle assessment (OLCA) presents, in this sense, a significantly more complex process. In fact, there is not just a single product life cycle to follow; many organizations are involved in different cycles simultaneously, and much of a product’s environmental impact may extend beyond the boundaries of a single organization, both upstream and downstream of the value chain. Therefore, UNI ISO 14072 allows the principles of the UNI EN ISO 14040 (“Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework”) and UNI EN ISO 14044 (“Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines”) standards to be applied to all activities of the organization. This approach allows for the inclusion of various products and processes in the same LCA study.
Thus, these two standards outline a more complex and comprehensive picture of life cycle assessment, enabling greater adherence to the intricate reality in which organizations operate and where products and services are utilized.
In this context, assessment standards take on particular importance for initiatives such as the European Bioradar project, which seeks to develop metrics and frameworks intended to evaluate the sustainability and circularity of industrial systems based on biotechnology. This project specifically aims to facilitate the assessment of circularity and environmental and social impacts, making a significant contribution to the transition toward more sustainable processes in bio-based industries.
The example of the Bioradar project clearly illustrates how standards can serve as useful tools for the community, creating a link between the research world and the market. Sustainability, therefore, should not be viewed merely as an abstract goal but as a concrete and necessary commitment to building a future that respects resources and promotes a fairer society.
The continuous evolution of standards and principles related to sustainability highlights a growing collective awareness of the importance of adopting responsible practices. Understanding and applying these standards can represent a fundamental leverage point for all.
