IMPACT World+ is a globally regionalized life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) method developed at CIRAIG in collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). It builds on a midpoint-damage LCIA framework with four distinct complementary viewpoints: midpoint impacts, damage impacts, damages on human health and ecosystem quality, and damages on water and carbon areas of concern.

IMPACT World+ Version 2.0 – Renewed Operationalization

Through the complete redesigning of the operationalization of IW+, version 2.0 features a better homogeneity between impact indicators as well as between the IW+ scientific article and its operationalization.

Redesigned operationalization: An automated way was implemented to compute the characterization factors (CFs) into files compatible with various LCA software and databases, in accordance with the method description in the article.

Update of characterization factors: The impacts were classified into short term (0-100 years) and long term (over 100 years) in a more homogeneous manner. 

Specific updates include:

• • for Marine eutrophication – some new air emissions were characterized;

• • for Ionizing radiations – new substances and compartments were accounted for, and new flows were characterized;

• • for toxicity impact categories – CFs for metal emissions into groundwater sub-compartments were set to zero;

• • for water impact categories – regionalized CFs were added for new sub-regions covered in LCA databases.

IMPACT World+ Version 2.0.1 – Tailored Interpretation Levels

Version 2.0.1 introduces a nuanced approach to interpretation and updated characterization factors for climate change (midpoint).

Three versions of IW+ are now available for different levels of interpretation:
  • the Footprint version (a simplified version for practitioners with a lower level of expertise in LCA);
  • the Expert version (for experienced users interested in the damage level);
  • the Midpoint version (for experienced users interested in the midpoint level).

Update of characterization factors: Values from the up-to-date IPCC Sixth Assessment Report were incorporated into the midpoint characterization factors for climate change and a CF for unspecified land was integrated for the land occupation and transformation indicators.

How to get started?

Both IMPACT World+ Versions 2.0 and 2.0.1 are available for download on our website as files directly usable in LCA software (openLCA, SimaPro, brightway2) or with databases (ecoinvent, Exiobase). Version 2.0.1 Footprint is also available by default in the latest released ecoinvent v3.10.