The Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India chaired a meeting on September 16, 2026, to review a project aimed at developing a Life Cycle Assessment framework and GHG calculator web application for urban local bodies.
On September 16, 2026, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, presided over a meeting to assess the outcomes and recommendations of the project 'Development of LCA Framework for Solid Waste Management (SWM) Technologies in India'. The initiative, which began in 2024 with support from the Office of the PSA, was undertaken jointly by IISc Bengaluru, IIT Madras, and IIT (BHU) Varanasi. The project aimed to create a contextual and nationally relevant Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework, along with a GHG calculator web application, to aid urban local bodies in planning, comparing, and optimising solid waste management systems with lower carbon footprints.
The project team presented findings from the LCA study, covering various waste management technologies and supported by case studies from several cities. A demonstration video showcased the key features of the developed app and its ability to help urban local bodies quantify emissions associated with different SWM technologies and operating scenarios. The team also presented scenario comparison modules for evaluating alternative waste management pathways and identifying low-emission options, along with detailed LCA insights into Indian SWM technologies such as biomining, anaerobic digestion, waste-to-energy, and landfilling.
The GHG calculator app developed under this project offers several features for urban local bodies. It analyzes emissions from existing solid waste management practices, covers common processes like anaerobic digestion, incineration (waste-to-energy), composting, recycling, and landfilling. The app provides net emissions, avoided emissions, logistic emissions, carbon footprint, different GHG emission data (methane, carbon dioxide, NOx, black carbon). It also allows urban local bodies to visualize best practice waste management scenarios with minimum GHG emissions and the lowest carbon footprint. The app can be used for environmental assessments of new projects, detailed project reports from various consultants, and filling mandatory environmental performance metrics required for tenders.
Prof. Sood emphasized the importance of the LCA framework and the application developed under the project, stating that these tools could provide urban local bodies with a science-backed basis for planning and support their transition towards smart, resilient, and low-emission solid waste management systems across the country.
Dr Maini highlighted the project’s alignment with the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban and stressed the need for institutional mechanisms that can support the wider implementation of such solutions nationwide.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
