The methodology of life cycle analysis (LCA) received strong institutional support in 2001 when the European Union (EU) published its green paper on integrated product policy (IPP). In fact, the European Commission itself highlighted the LCA as a cornerstone for the development of that policy. However, little remains known about the effective implementation of this tool in Spain. In order to start filling this gap, a review of scientific papers published in four of the main international journals on the matter has been carried out.
Among the 2,030 papers identified, 142 have at least one Spanish author. The topics most frequently addressed by these papers are agriculture and food, waste management, water, and the LCA methodology itself. Among other findings the study reveals a delay in Spain in this field compared to other countries, a certain similarity in the issues discussed and, finally, that the interest shown by the academic world is higher than that shown by the private sector.