DGE
“The most important thing is to start. To dare to begin the work. Spend time understanding SimaPro to be able to use the enormous potential it has. It’s a playful tool that really allows for deep diving.”
Miljögiraff reached out to Helena Lindh at DGE to talk about the life cycle perspective and working with SimaPro. We got to hear her best tips for working with these issues. DGE is a consultancy firm in the field of sustainability. They have been using SimaPro since 2018.
In what way does DGE work with a life cycle perspective and SimaPro?
What is the most important aspect of working with the life cycle perspective?
The most important thing is to start!
Sometimes, there can be uncertainty among some about how to express and communicate the life cycle perspective to their clients, as there may be a feeling of not having full control over the life cycle perspective. With the help of SimaPro, one can develop materials that demonstrate what the client can communicate. It’s also possible to show that it doesn’t need to be so advanced, detailed, or large but one can start with broad strokes and general data to sort out the important aspects.
It’s crucial to get the client to elevate their perspective from their own operations, which they are often good at optimizing, to the rest of the life cycle, such as to suppliers. By not making it too complicated in the beginning, asking the right questions regarding data, and making estimates where needed, one can give the client an initial picture from a life cycle perspective. This often leads to the best “Aha moments.” After that, the motivation to dig deeper increases, and then you’re already underway.
What has been the biggest challenges working from a life cycle perspective?
The biggest challenge with working from a life cycle perspective is that it’s never complete. This is also where the appeal lies in working with a life cycle perspective, as it is iterative work and there’s always room for improvement.
When conducting an LCA, one must accept that they are creating a model of reality and need to make certain assumptions. The important thing is to find a way to work forward from the results to achieve improvement.
Do you have any tips for others that could help them get started or further develop their work with the life cycle perspective and the SimaPro tool?
Has the use of SimaPro advanced environmental issues? In what way?
SimaPro is used as a powerful tool in DGE’s work with environmental issues. It facilitates the work and increases measurability. It can be used at different levels, and one can start with rough calculations or models and then delve into more detail and customize data. Increased measurability leads to greater motivation and more focused work in the right place. Numbers can have a significant impact and lead to changes that might not otherwise be implemented.
