What are the four main stages of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?

• A. Goal and scope; life cycle inventory; impact assessment; interpretation.
• B. Design; production; distribution; disposal.
• C. Materials; manufacturing; use; end-of-life.
• D. Planning; execution; monitoring; closure.

Answer: (A)

The question tests understanding of the four-phase framework used in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The four stages are: first, goal and scope definition, where you state the purpose, define the functional unit, set system boundaries, and establish assumptions; second, life cycle inventory, where you collect data on energy and material inputs and environmental outputs across the entire life cycle; third, life cycle impact assessment, where the inventory data are translated into potential environmental impacts in categories like climate change, resource depletion, and ecosystem effects; and fourth, interpretation, where results are analyzed, limitations considered, hotspots identified, and conclusions or recommendations drawn.

This ordering is what makes LCA a structured, transparent analysis from purpose to conclusions. The other options describe different concepts (general product life-cycle phases or project management steps) that don’t map to the LCA framework.