The life cycle perspective is evaluating the environmental impacts of a product or service not only at the production stage but at all stages from raw material acquisition to end of life.
Stages covered
- Raw material acquisition
- Design and development
- Production
- Storage and transport
- Use
- End of life: recovery, recycling, disposal
Is a life cycle assessment (LCA) mandatory?
No. ISO 14001 does not require a detailed life cycle assessment. What is expected is that this perspective is taken into account when determining environmental aspects and planning operational controls.
The organization focuses on the stages it can control and influence.
What it means in practice
Adding environmental conditions to your supplier selection criteria, evaluating material selection together with environmental impact at the design stage and providing information on the product’s end of life are concrete reflections of this perspective.
ISO 14001:2026 has also raised the expectation that externally provided processes, products and services are evaluated from an environmental perspective, which directly affects your supplier audit programme.
Related training: ISO 14001:2026 transition training — how to reflect the life cycle perspective in environmental aspect assessment and supplier management is covered.