Environmental sustainability, life cycle assessment (LCA), and net zero are all concepts that many companies are including in their vocabularies and operations. Raising awareness, education, and advocacy of environmental LCA is at the heart of the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA), a non-profit membership organization. The ACLCA recently released the book The Power of Life Cycle Assessment to showcase the role of LCA in sustainability, and I had the opportunity to interview one of its authors, Shelly Severinghaus.
Disclosure: In this sponsored interview, Shelly Severinghaus discusses LCA, her career journey, the impact of ACLCA, insights from co-writing a book, and practical tips for holding companies accountable for transparency in their messaging.
Interview with Shelly Severinghaus
Over the past 14 years, Shelly has dedicated herself to the field of sustainability, with a focus on product life cycle assessments for 12 of those years. She has a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Government (2008), and began her career in sustainability career as an analyst, honing her skills in conducting greenhouse gas inventories, researching emissions factors, and crafting tools and reports.
In 2011, she transitioned to EarthShift, where her focus changed from corporate carbon footprints to the intricate world of product life cycle assessments (LCA). While the methodological approach remained constant—defining the goal and scope, gathering and analyzing data, interpreting results, and effectively communicating the findings — LCA opened up a broader spectrum of impact categories, including human health and ecosystem-related impacts.
For product LCAs, the scope expanded to include raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal, with the invaluable assistance of LCA software tools like SimaPro. Shelly proudly earned the certification of LCA Practitioner (LCACP) in 2013 from the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA) and subsequently became an active member of the ACLCA Certification Committee, a position she’s held since 2016.
When EarthShift evolved into Long Trail Sustainability, where did your career go from there?
[It] led me from the role of an analyst to that of a consultant, and eventually, a senior consultant. During my tenure, I collaborated with a diverse range of clients, including well-known brands like Klean Kanteen and SimpleHuman. My work involved scoping and executing LCA projects to assess environmental impacts, both for internal purposes (screening LCAs) and external claims (full LCA with ISO critical reviews). I also conducted ISO Critical Reviews for numerous LCAs and developed user-friendly tools to empower non-LCA experts to explore “what-if” scenarios and understand the consequences of their choices.
Additionally, I oversaw the LTS training program, where I had the privilege of educating hundreds of professionals and academics on conducting LCAs and effectively utilizing the SimaPro LCA software tool. I also managed the North American SimaPro technical support team and oversaw the DATASMART Life Cycle Inventory package.
In 2022, I embarked on a new chapter as a Project Manager in Sustainable Design Engineering for TrueNorth Collective, a consultancy founded with the vision of accelerating sustainability as serious business, where I continue to support consulting clients on LCA projects and engage in Design for Sustainability initiatives, as well as sustainability program building. Recent projects include product LCAs for Whirlpool KitchenAid Small Appliance, an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Generator for JSW Steel USA, and Design for Sustainability pilot projects for Ingersoll Rand.
Beyond my professional endeavors, I proudly serve as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, where I am committed to advancing sustainability initiatives in the community. I live in Vermont with my husband and our two children and enjoy outdoor recreation including backcountry skiing and mountain biking.
How is the ACLCA making a difference in the area of life cycle management? Please tell us more about the ACLCA.
The American Center for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA) is the largest and most well-recognized nonprofit membership organization for environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) professionals in North America. ACLCA provides education, awareness, advocacy, and communications to build capacity and knowledge of LCA. ACLCA’s mission is to increase capacity, knowledge, and use of LCA.
ACLCA is a strong community of practice that includes a membership made up of industry, academia, consulting, government, NGOs, and students. ACLCA’s Committees provide members a forum for sharing, learning, and developing tools, resources, and guidance to support the application of LCA and life cycle thinking. ACLCA ‘s annual meeting is where the latest research, innovations, case studies, and discussions on LCA take place.
In addition, ACLCA hosts the LCA Institute, Environmental LCA in Design Symposium and numerous other events and activities. ACLCA is the only organization offering certifications in LCA. They include LCA Certified Professional (LCACP), Certified Life Cycle Executive (CLE) and Certified Life Cycle Reviewer (CLAR).
Did you learn anything unexpected while co-writing The Power of Life Cycle Assessment, and, if so, what?
Perhaps not unexpected but I found writing the book that I do my best thinking in nature. A quick fix for writer’s block was taking a moment to go for a neighborhood bike ride or ski.
This has always been true for me. Connecting with nature is one of my best analysis tools. I don’t solve complex modeling issues or figure out the best way to respond to an issue by staring at my computer screen; I solve it when I’m moving outside. A short “lap out back” in our woods during the workday not only rejuvenates me, but it also gives me the space I need to process.
How can we hold companies accountable for transparency in their messaging?
As consumers, keep asking for fact-based accounting and product life cycle assessments. As citizens, keep pushing for policies and legislation to not only require product transparency and reporting, but go further to mandate reductions in environmental impacts.
As responsible human beings, make environmentally preferable choices whenever possible, thus driving positive change and influencing the range of sustainable products available.
Where can we find out more about ACLCA?
You can find out more about ACLCA on their website and LinkedIn.
Where can we get a copy of The Power of Life Cycle Assessment?
You can order your copy of The Power of Life Cycle Assessment on ACLCA’s website and Amazon.
A Few Last Words from Shelly Severinghaus
One of the things I’ve learned through product LCA is that typically most product impacts occur in the raw material and manufacturing phases and it’s almost always beneficial to keep products in use longer. Let’s continue to demand “Right to repair” laws and don’t be afraid to repair your own belongings!
You’d be amazed at what you can fix with a basic sewing kit, a screwdriver, and YouTube videos. I’ve sewn up holes in clothes and yoga bolsters, and even looked up error codes and replaced broken parts on our dishwasher. It’s so empowering! And has the added benefit of saving money and keeping our stuff out of the landfill.
Top photo courtesy of Shelly Severinghaus.
Thank you!
I love this, and am so onto it.
My Art Gowns are all made from Textile Trash, and now display the tag – Sustainable Glamour”.
I’m working on a mission statement ( a short succinct paragraph or 1 sentence is difficult, but I’m getting there).
Then, I’m joining WEAD as a creative.
Women’s Eco Artists Dialogue.
Sustainable Glamour ~ LOVE it. Your gowns are more beautiful than ones made of brand-new fabrics, and they benefit the planet, which is even mroe to LOVE about them xo You’re doing amazing!