EN ISO 14046:2016

Environmental management - Water footprint - Principles, requirements and guidelines (ISO 14046:2014)

ISO 14046:2014 specifies principles, requirements and guidelines related to water footprint assessment of products, processes and organizations based on life cycle assessment (LCA).
ISO 14046:2014 provides principles, requirements and guidelines for conducting and reporting a water footprint assessment as a stand-alone assessment, or as part of a more comprehensive environmental assessment.
Only air and soil emissions that impact water quality are included in the assessment, and not all air and soil emissions are included.
The result of a water footprint assessment is a single value or a profile of impact indicator results.
Whereas reporting is within the scope of ISO 14046:2014, communication of water footprint results, for example in the form of labels or declarations, is outside the scope of ISO 14046:2014.

Umweltmanagement - Wasser-Fußabdruck - Grundsätze, Anforderungen und Leitlinien (ISO 14046:2014)

Diese Internationale Norm legt Grundsätze, Anforderungen und Leitlinien im Zusammenhang mit der Ermittlung des Wasser-Fußabdrucks von Produkten, Prozessen und Organisationen auf der Grundlage einer Ökobilanz fest.
Diese Internationale Norm stellt Grundsätze, Anforderungen und Leitlinien zur Durchführung und Berichterstattung einer Ermittlung des Wasser-Fußabdrucks als eigenständige Untersuchung oder als Teil einer umfassenderen umweltbezogenen Analyse zur Verfügung.
In die Ermittlung werden nur die Emissionen in Luft und Boden einbezogen, die sich auf die Wasserqualität auswirken, und nicht sämtliche Emissionen in Luft und Boden.
Das Ergebnis einer Ermittlung des Wasser-Fußabdrucks ist ein einzelner Wert oder ein Profil von Wirkungsindikatorwerten.
Während die Berichterstattung im Anwendungsbereich dieser Internationalen Norm enthalten ist, fällt die Kommunikation von Wasser-Fußabdruckwerten, zum Beispiel in Form von Kennzeichnungen oder Deklarationen, nicht in den Anwendungsbereich dieser Internationalen Norm.
ANMERKUNG   Spezifische Anforderungen und Leitlinien im Fall von Organisationen sind in Anhang A angeführt.

Management environnemental - Empreinte eau - Principes, exigences et lignes directrices (ISO 14046:2014)

L'ISO 14046:2014 spécifie les principes, les exigences et les lignes directrices relatifs à l'évaluation de l'empreinte eau des produits, des processus et des organisations basée sur l'analyse du cycle de vie (ACV).
L'ISO 14046:2014 fournit les principes, les exigences et les lignes directrices pour la conduite et le compte rendu d'une évaluation de l'empreinte eau en tant qu'évaluation autonome, ou en tant que partie d'une évaluation environnementale plus complète.
Seules les émissions dans l'air et le sol ayant un impact sur la qualité de l'eau sont incluses dans l'évaluation, et non l'ensemble des émissions dans l'air et le sol.
Le résultat d'une évaluation de l'empreinte eau est une valeur unique ou un profil de résultats d'indicateurs d'impact.
Bien que le compte rendu entre dans le domaine d'application de l'ISO 14046:2014, la communication des résultats de l'empreinte eau, par exemple sous la forme d'étiquettes ou de déclarations, n'entre pas dans le domaine d'application de l'ISO 14046:2014.

Ravnanje z okoljem - Vodni odtis - Načela, zahteve in smernice (ISO 14046:2014)

Ta mednarodni standard določa načela, zahteve in smernice v zvezi z ocenjevanjem vodnega odtisa izdelkov, procesov in organizacij na podlagi ocenjevanja življenjskega cikla (LCA).
Ta mednarodni standard podaja načela, zahteve in smernice za izvajanje in poročanje o ocenjevanju življenjskega cikla, samostojno ali kot del obsežnejše okoljske ocene.
V oceno so vključene le emisije v zrak in tla, ki vplivajo na kakovost vode.
Rezultat ocenjevanja vodnega odtisa je enkratna vrednost ali profil rezultatov kazalnika vpliva. Za razliko od poročanja, ki je zajeto v tem mednarodnem standardu, sporočanje rezultatov vodnega odtisa, na primer v obliki označb ali deklaracij, v tem standardu ni zajeto.
OPOMBA: Posebne zahteve in smernice za organizacije so podane v dodatku A.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 09-Feb-2016
• ICS: 13.020.10 - Environmental management
• ICS: 13.020.60 - Product life-cycles
• Technical Committee: CEN/SS S26 - Environmental Management
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Due Date: 10-Feb-2016
• Completion Date: 10-Feb-2016
• Ref Project: SIST EN ISO 14046:2016 - Environmental management - Water footprint - Principles, requirements and guidelines (ISO 14046:2014)

Standards Content (sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
01-junij-2016
5DYQDQMH]RNROMHP9RGQLRGWLV1DþHOD]DKWHYHLQVPHUQLFH,62

Environmental management - Water footprint - Principles, requirements and guidelines

(ISO 14046:2014)
Umweltmanagement - Wasser-Fußabdruck - Grundsätze, Anforderungen und Leitlinien
(ISO 14046:2014)
Management environnemental - Empreinte eau - Principes, exigences et lignes
directrices (ISO 14046:2014)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 14046:2016
ICS:
03.100.70 Sistemi vodenja Management systems
13.020.10 Ravnanje z okoljem Environmental management
13.060.01 Kakovost vode na splošno Water quality in general
SIST EN ISO 14046:2016 en

2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
EN ISO 14046
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
February 2016
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 13.020.10; 13.020.60
English Version
Environmental management - Water footprint - Principles,
requirements and guidelines (ISO 14046:2014)

Management environnemental - Empreinte eau - Umweltmanagement - Wasser-Fußabdruck -

Principes, exigences et lignes directrices (ISO Grundsätze, Anforderungen und Leitlinien (ISO

14046:2014) 14046:2014)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 25 January 2016.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this

European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references

concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN

member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by

translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management

Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,

Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,

Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and

United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels

© 2016 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 14046:2016 E

worldwide for CEN national Members.
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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
EN ISO 14046:2016 (E)
Contents Page

European foreword ....................................................................................................................................................... 3

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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
EN ISO 14046:2016 (E)
European foreword

The text of ISO 14046:2014 has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 207 “Environmental

management” of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and has been taken over as

EN ISO 14046:2016.

This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an

identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by August 2016, and conflicting national standards shall

be withdrawn at the latest by August 2016.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of

patent rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent

rights.

According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the

following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,

Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,

France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,

Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,

Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice

The text of ISO 14046:2014 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 14046:2016 without any modification.

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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 14046
First edition
2014-08-01
Environmental management — Water
footprint — Principles, requirements
and guidelines
Management environnemental — Empreinte eau — Principes,
exigences et lignes directrices
Reference number
ISO 14046:2014(E)
ISO 2014
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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
ISO 14046:2014(E)
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2014

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior

written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of

the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail [e-mail]
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2014 – All rights reserved
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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
ISO 14046:2014(E)
Contents Page

Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................iv

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................v

1 Scope ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1

2 Normative references ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

3 Terms and definitions ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

3.1 Terms relating to types and classifications of water .............................................................................................. 1

3.2 Terms relating to water ................................................................................................................................................................... 3

3.3 Terms relating to life cycle assessment and water footprint assessment ............................................ 3

3.4 Terms relating to interpretation and reporting of water footprint results ........................................ 5

3.5 Terms relating to products, product systems, processes and organizations..................................... 6

3.6 Terms relating to data and data quality ............................................................................................................................ 8

4 Principles ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

4.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

4.2 Life cycle perspective ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8

4.3 Environmental focus .......................................................................................................................................................................... 9

4.4 Relative approach and functional unit ................................................................................................................................ 9

4.5 Iterative approach ................................................................................................................................................................................ 9

4.6 Transparency ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 9

4.7 Relevance ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

4.8 Completeness ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

4.9 Consistency ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9

4.10 Accuracy ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9

4.11 Priority of scientific approach ................................................................................................................................................... 9

4.12 Geographical relevance .................................................................................................................................................................... 9

4.13 Comprehensiveness .........................................................................................................................................................................10

5 Methodological framework ....................................................................................................................................................................10

5.1 General requirements ....................................................................................................................................................................10

5.2 Goal and scope definition ...........................................................................................................................................................11

5.3 Water footprint inventory analysis ....................................................................................................................................15

5.4 Water footprint impact assessment ...................................................................................................................................20

5.5 Interpretation of the results .....................................................................................................................................................24

5.6 Limitations of water footprint ................................................................................................................................................25

6 Reporting ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................25

6.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................25

6.2 Additional requirements and guidance for third-party reports ................................................................26

6.3 Comparative assertion and comparative studies ...................................................................................................29

7 Critical review ......................................................................................................................................................................................................29

7.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................29

7.2 Need for critical review ................................................................................................................................................................30

7.3 Critical review by internal or external expert ...........................................................................................................30

7.4 Critical review by panel of interested parties ...........................................................................................................30

Annex A (normative) Additional requirements and guidelines for organizations ...........................................31

Bibliography .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................33

© ISO 2014 – All rights reserved iii
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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
ISO 14046:2014(E)
Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards

bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out

through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical

committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International

organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.

ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of

electrotechnical standardization.

The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are

described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the

different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the

editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of

patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of

any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or

on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).

Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not

constitute an endorsement.

For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity

assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical Barriers

to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information

The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee ISO/TC 207, Environmental

management, Subcommittee SC 5, Life cycle assessment.
iv © ISO 2014 – All rights reserved
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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
ISO 14046:2014(E)
Introduction
Water is an essential natural resource.

The issue of water and its management has become increasingly central to the global debate on sustainable

development. This interest has been driven by growing water demand, increasing water scarcity in

many areas and/or degradation of water quality. This drives the need for a better understanding of

water related impacts as a basis for improved water management at local, regional, national and global

levels.

It is therefore desirable to have appropriate assessment techniques that can be used in an internationally

consistent manner.

One of the techniques being developed for this purpose is the water footprint assessment.

There is a growing demand for assessing and reporting water footprints. Various methodologies exist to

do so and currently these methodologies emphasise different aspects related to water. There is therefore

a need to ensure consistency in assessing and reporting water footprints.

This International Standard is expected to benefit organizations, governments and other interested

parties worldwide by providing transparency, consistency, reproducibility and credibility for assessing

and reporting the water footprint of products, processes or organizations.
A water footprint assessment conducted according to this International Standard:
— is based on a life cycle assessment (according to ISO 14044);

— is modular (i.e. the water footprint of different life cycle stages can be summed to represent the

water footprint);
— identifies potential environmental impacts related to water;
— includes relevant geographical and temporal dimensions;
— identifies quantity of water use and changes in water quality;
— utilizes hydrological knowledge.
A water footprint assessment can assist in:
a) assessing the magnitude of potential environmental impacts related to water;

b) identifying opportunities to reduce water related potential environmental impacts associated with

products at various stages in their life cycle as well as processes and organizations;

c) strategic risk management related to water;

d) facilitating water efficiency and optimization of water management at product, process and

organizational levels;

e) informing decision-makers in industry, government or non-governmental organizations of their

potential environmental impacts related to water (e.g. for the purpose of strategic planning, priority

setting, product or process design or redesign, decisions about investment of resources);

f) providing consistent and reliable information, based on scientific evidence for reporting water

footprint results.

A water footprint assessment alone is insufficient to be used to describe the overall potential

environmental impacts of products, processes or organizations.

The water footprint assessment according to this International Standard can be conducted and reported

as a stand-alone assessment, where only impacts related to water are assessed, or as part of a life cycle

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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
ISO 14046:2014(E)

assessment, where consideration is given to a comprehensive set of environmental impacts and not only

impacts related to water.

In this International Standard, the term “water footprint” is only used when it is the result of an impact

assessment.

The specific scope of the water footprint assessment is defined by the users of this International Standard

in accordance with its requirements.
NOTE 1 In this International Standard, the term “product” includes services.

NOTE 2 In this International Standard, the term “environmental impacts” includes categories generally found

in impact models used in life cycle assessment, such as impacts on ecosystems, on human health and on resources.

NOTE 3 Reporting is different from communication. Requirements and guidelines for reporting are included

in this International Standard, but requirements and guidelines for communication, such as environmental labels

or declarations, are outside the scope of this International Standard.
vi © ISO 2014 – All rights reserved
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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 14046:2014(E)
Environmental management — Water footprint —
Principles, requirements and guidelines
1 Scope

This International Standard specifies principles, requirements and guidelines related to water footprint

assessment of products, processes and organizations based on life cycle assessment (LCA).

This International Standard provides principles, requirements and guidelines for conducting and

reporting a water footprint assessment as a stand-alone assessment, or as part of a more comprehensive

environmental assessment.

Only air and soil emissions that impact water quality are included in the assessment, and not all air and

soil emissions are included.

The result of a water footprint assessment is a single value or a profile of impact indicator results.

Whereas reporting is within the scope of this International Standard, communication of water footprint

results, for example in the form of labels or declarations, is outside the scope of this International

Standard.

NOTE Specific requirements and guidelines for organizations are given in Annex A.

2 Normative references

The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are

indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated

references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

ISO 14044:2006, Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Requirements and guidelines

3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1 Terms relating to types and classifications of water
3.1.1
freshwater
water having a low concentration of dissolved solids

Note 1 to entry: Freshwater typically contains less than 1 000 mg/l of dissolved solids and is generally accepted

as suitable for withdrawal and conventional treatment to produce potable water.

Note 2 to entry: The concentration of total dissolved solids can vary considerably over space and/or time.

3.1.2
brackish water

water containing dissolved solids at a concentration less than that of seawater (3.1.4), but in amounts

that exceed normally acceptable standards for municipal, domestic and irrigation uses

Note 1 to entry: The concentration of total dissolved solids in brackish water can vary from 1 000 mg/l to

30 000 mg/l.
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SIST EN ISO 14046:2016
ISO 14046:2014(E)

Note 2 to entry: The concentration of total dissolved solids of many brackish waters can vary considerably over

space and/or time.
3.1.3
surface water

water in overland flow and storage, such as rivers and lakes, excluding seawater (3.1.4)

3.1.4
seawater
water in a sea or an ocean

Note 1 to entry: Seawater has a concentration of dissolved solids greater than or equal to 30 000 mg/l.

3.1.5
groundwater

water which is being held in, and can be recovered from, an underground formation

[SOURCE: ISO 11074:2005, 3.2.2, modified — Note has been removed.]
3.1.6
fossil water

groundwater (3.1.5) that has a negligible rate of natural recharge on the human time-scale

Note 1 to entry: The term “non-renewable water” is sometimes used for this concept.

3.1.7
water body

entity of water with definite hydrological, hydrogeomorphological, physical, chemical and biological

characteristics in a given geographical area
EXAMPLE Lakes, rivers, groundwaters, seas, icebergs, glaciers and reservoirs.

Note 1 to entry: In case of availability, the geographical resolution of a water body should be determined at the

goal and scope stage: it may regroup different small water bodies.
3.1.8
drainage basin

area from which direct surface runoff from precipitation drains by gravity into a stream or other water

body (3.1.7)

Note 1 to entry: The terms “watershed”, “drainage area”, “catchment”, “catchment area” or “river basin” are

sometimes used for the concept of “drainage basin”.

Note 2 to entry: Groundwater drainage basin does not necessarily correspond in area to surface drainage basin.

Note 3 to entry: The geographical resolution of a drainage basin should be determined at the goal and scope stage:

it may regroup different sub drainage basins.
3.1.9
elementary water flow

water entering the system being studied that has been drawn from the environment, or water leaving

the system being studied that is released into the environment
[SOURCE: ISO 14044:2006, 3.12, modified]
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3.2 Terms relating to water
3.2.1
water use
use of water by human activity

Note 1 to entry: Use includes, but is not limited to, any water withdrawal (3.2.2), water release or other human

activities within the drainage basin (3.1.8) impacting water flows and/or quality, including in-stream uses such as

fishing, recreation, transportation.

Note 2 to entry: The term “water consumption” is often used to describe water removed from, but not returned

to, the same drainage basin. Water consumption can be because of evaporation, transpiration, integration into a

product, or release into a different drainage basin or the sea. Change in evaporation caused by land-use change

is considered water consumption (e.g. reservoir). The temporal and geographical coverage of the water footprint

assessment (3.3.2) should be defined in the goal and scope.
3.2.2
water withdrawal

anthropogenic removal of water from any water body (3.1.7) or from any drainage basin (3.1.8), either

permanently or temporarily

Note 1 to entry: The term “water abstraction” is sometimes used for this concept.

3.2.3
water degradation
negative change in water quality (3.2.4)
3.2.4
water quality

physical (e.g. thermal), chemical and biological characteristics of water with respect to its suitability for

an intended use by humans or ecosystems
3.3 Terms relating to life cycle assessment and water footprint assessment
3.3.1
water footprint
metric(s) that quantifies the potential environmental impacts related to water

Note 1 to entry: If water related potential environmental impacts have not been comprehensively assessed, then

the term “water footprint” can only be applied with a qualifier. A qualifier is one or several additional words used

in conjunction with the term “water footprint” to describe the impact category/categories studied in the water

footprint assessment, e.g. “water scarcity footprint”, “water eutrophication footprint”, “non-comprehensive water

footprint”.
3.3.2
water footprint assessment

compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental impacts related to

water used or affected by a product, process or organization

Note 1 to entry: In this International Standard, the term “study” is often used as synonym for “water footprint

assessment”.
3.3.3
comprehensive water footprint assessment

water footprint assessment (3.3.2) that fulfils the principle of comprehensiveness

Note 1 to entry: The principle of comprehensiveness implies to consider all environmentally relevant attributes

or aspects of natural environment, human health and resources related to water, including water availability

(3.3.16) and water degradation (3.2.3).
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ISO 14046:2014(E)
3.3.4
life cycle

consecutive and interlinked stages of a product system, from raw material acquisition or generation

from natural resources to final disposal
[SOURCE: ISO 14044:2006, 3.1]
3.3.5
life cycle assessment
LCA

compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental impacts of a product

system throughout its life cycle (3.3.4)
[SOURCE: ISO 14044:2006, 3.2]
3.3.6
life cycle inventory analysis
LCI

phase of life cycle assessment (3.3.5) involving the compilation and quantification of inputs and outputs

for a product throughout its life cycle (3.3.4)
[SOURCE: ISO 14044:2006, 3.3]
3.3.7
water footprint inventory analysis

phase of water footprint assessment (3.3.2) involving compilation and quantification of inputs and outputs

related to water for products, processes or organizations as stated in the goal and scope definition phase

Note 1 to entry: This includes, where relevant, air, water and soil emissions that impact water quality (3.2.4).

3.3.8
system boundary

set of criteria specifying which unit processes are part of a product system or the activities of an

organization
[SOURCE: ISO 14044:2006, 3.32, modified]
3.3.9
cut-off criteria

specification of the amount of material or energy flow or the level of environmental significance

associated with unit processes or product system to be excluded from a study
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.18]
3.3.10
water footprint impact assessment

phase of a water footprint assessment (3.3.2), following the water footprint inventory analysis (3.3.7),

aimed at understanding and evaluating the magnitude and significance of the potential environmental

impacts related to water of a product, process or organization
[SOURCE: ISO 14044:2006, 3.4, modified]
3.3.11
impact category

class representing environmental issues of concern to which life cycle inventory analysis (3.3.6) results

may be assigned
[SOURCE: ISO 1404
...