Impact assessment methods are essential components of life cycle assessment. They quantify the potential environmental impacts associated with products, processes, or services. These methods analyse the data from the inventory phase and translate it into meaningful indicators. LCIA methods encompass a wide range of impact categories, like global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, and human toxicity, provided typically with the idea of fostering businesses and individuals to make informed, sustainability-driven decisions that promote a greener and more responsible future.

Note: If you use the databases provided from openLCA Nexus, they often do not contain LCIA methods (called "impact assessment methods" in the software). This allows us to update databases and LCIA methods faster. Hence, the LCIA methods need to be imported/created by you in each database in openLCA to carry out life cycle impact assessment. See below for details.