Input Output Analysis

A number of Input Output databases based on national economic and environmental statistics are now available in SimaPro.

Input output databases have the advantage over process data that they cover the complete economy. In SimaPro, you can simply combine Input Output data with the normal process data in SimaPro, to create hybrid LCA's.

Input Output analysis

Economic Input Output (IO) tables map the economic flows between sectors in an economy. When you combine these tables with environmental data for each industry sector, you can do Environmental Input Output Analysis. The results express the environmental load per unit value of a sector.

As a “top-down” approach Environmental Input Output Analysis allows a complete allocation of all activities to all products, and has the advantage of being complete with regard to inclusion of all relevant activities related to a product.

Our SimaPro software includes various Input Output databases. SimaPro can quickly calculate looped models and has all the features to analyze results in detail.

Advantages of Input Output data

When you use Input Output databases it is no longer necessary to make cut-offs, i.e. to exclude part of the product system. Another advantage is their consistency in terms of the way data are collected. Since data are collected for the same environmental exchanges and in the same way consistently for all processes in the economy, you avoid problems of inconsistency and false results, i.e. that a process shows up as important because data on a specific substance emission is available for that specific process, while it is not available for the other processes.

Disadvantages of Input Output data

The disadvantage of IO databases for LCA is that processes are relatively aggregated, i.e. at the level of product groups rather than individual products. However, this disadvantage can be overcome by the use of hybrid analysis.