Life Cycle Assessments for social enterprises: Lessons from the TRANSFORM programme

LCA Report

Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) are widely regarded as the gold standard for quantifying environmental performance. Yet their application within early- and growth-stage enterprises reveals both strengths and tensions that are rarely discussed in practitioner forums.

This report synthesises insights from nine enterprises operating across sanitation,  circular materials, and waste-to-value  systems. All undertook LCAs within the  context of an innovation and scaling programme. The purpose of this external reflection is not to question the value of  LCAs, but to examine how they function in practice, particularly when applied to enterprises at varying stages of maturity.

Download the LCA report for more information.

LCA Insight Paper

In this insights paper, TRANSFORM shares lessons from applying Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) with early- and growth-stage enterprises. It offers practical guidance for practitioners working with these enterprises on how to use LCAs more effectively, aligning them with enterprise maturity and communicating results in ways that investors and partners can interpret and use meaningfully.

Download the LCA insight paper to explore the five lessons from the TRANSFORM programme.