In this episode, I talk with Julie Sinistore, Ph.D., senior vice president at WSP in the U.S., about what life cycle assessment (LCA) really means and how project managers can use it to uncover hidden environmental impacts and make smarter, more sustainable decisions.
Engineering Quotes:
Here Are Some of the Questions I Asked Julie:
- For those who may not be familiar, what exactly is a life cycle assessment (LCA), and how can it help project managers understand the environmental impact of a product or service?
- How can LCA guide more sustainable design decisions for products or infrastructure, and what tools or types of data are most helpful in that process?
- What new trends are you seeing in sustainability, particularly when it comes to AI, electricity use, data centers, or agriculture?
- Can you share a real-world example where using LCA led to a major improvement in sustainability?
- If you could change one thing about how industries approach sustainability, what would it be and why?
Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About How Life Cycle Assessment Transforms Project Success:
- A life cycle assessment examines the environmental impact of a product or service from raw materials to end-of-life. It helps project managers identify the true sources of emissions and waste, often revealing that manufacturing and energy use are bigger issues than transportation.
- Using LCA early in the design process helps project managers compare options and choose more sustainable materials and methods. High-quality data is more important than expensive software and makes it easier to understand the environmental trade-offs of each decision.
- Sustainability in data centers is gaining attention, with new cooling technologies reducing energy demands. AI is also improving sustainability work by automating tasks like data collection and analysis, making environmental assessments more efficient and accurate.
- An LCA of animal-free whey protein showed a dramatic reduction in emissions, energy, and water use compared to traditional dairy. This data helped the company clearly demonstrate its environmental benefits to partners and investors.
- Focusing only on carbon can lead to unintended consequences in other areas like water usage or air quality. A balanced, holistic approach allows teams to make smarter decisions that consider the full range of environmental impacts.
More Details in This Episode…
About Julie Sinistore, Ph.D.
Julie Sinistore, Ph.D., is a senior vice president and technical fellow at WSP USA, where she leads cutting-edge sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA) initiatives. With expertise spanning carbon and water foot printing, environmental product declarations, and decarbonization strategy, she has worked across sectors including tech, bio-based fuels, agriculture, and construction.
Julie holds a Ph.D. in biological systems engineering and an M.Sc. in agroecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a B.Sc. from Rutgers University. She is a published researcher and educator, having taught sustainability and engineering courses at UC Berkeley, UW Madison, and Rutgers.
A global thought leader, Julie serves on the GHG Protocol’s Scope 3 Technical Working Group and the ISO TAG for environmental standards. She is also a certified EPD verifier and former board member of the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment.
Sources/References:
WSP in the US
Microsoft
Perfect Day
WRI
Connect with Julie Sinistore, Ph.D., on LinkedIn
AEC PM Certification
AEC PM Connect
Project Management Accelerator™
Engineering Leadership Accelerator™
Keynote Speaking
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