This backgrounder provides a general overview of life cycle assessment and examines the various analyses of oilsands greenhouse gas emissions conducted to date, and concludes with a recommended checklist for performing a robust life cycle assessment of oilsands greenhouse gas emissions to inform public policy decisions.
This checklist, prepared for a U.S. audience, outlines that life cycle assessment can provide decision-makers with information that can be critical in making important decisions about policy and infrastructure that impact global greenhouse gas emissions.