When it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from autos, using tailpipe emissions as the sole measurement may miss the mark badly, according to a study published in Environment Science and Technology (ES&T). ES&T published a University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) study, Parametric Assessment of Climate Change Impacts of Automotive Material Substitution, providing important recognition by the scientific community of the validity of Life Cycle Assessment as a more holistic means for evaluating a vehicle’s carbon footprint when compared to more traditional measurements of tailpipe emissions.

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Jody Shaw, Manager-Automotive Marketing at U.S. Steel Corporation, talks about the benefits of steel from a life cycle assessment basis

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Dr. Roland Geyer, an assistant professor at the UCSB’s David Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, conducted a study which evaluated the complete emissions effect that various automotive materials, such as conventional mild steel, Advanced High-Strength Steel, various composites and aluminium, have on life cycle GHG emissions. Using an LCA approach reveals that the lightest material is not necessarily the least carbon intensive. In this video, Dr. Geyer explains why.

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