Federal Elementary Flow List
Stored: Federal Elementary Flow List
| Type | Program |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | Partnership |
| Top Organization | Environmental Protection Agency |
| Creation Legislation | None |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | The Federal Elementary Flow List standardizes nomenclature for life cycle assessment data to enable interoperability across federal datasets and tools. It aims to improve consistency and accessibility of environmental impact analyses by providing a comprehensive, structured flow list for LCA practitioners. |
| Program Start | 2019 |
| Initial Funding | Not publicly specified |
| Duration | Ongoing |
| Historic | No |
The Federal Elementary Flow List (FEDEFL) is a standardized dataset and framework launched in 2019 under the Federal Life Cycle Assessment Commons (FLCAC) to enhance the interoperability of life cycle assessment (LCA) data across U.S. federal agencies and beyond.
Developed through a collaboration led by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with support from the USDA, DOE, and others, FEDEFL defines over 15,000 elementary flows—resources and emissions entering or leaving systems—using a structured nomenclature of flowables, contexts, and units, accessible via tools like the fedelemflowlist Python package.[1] Its adoption, notably in FLCAC repositories like the USLCI Database since 2020, marks a shift toward unified LCA standards, with updates like FEDEFL v2.0 in 2022 enhancing mapping capabilities.
Goals
- Standardize elementary flow naming and structure to ensure LCA data compatibility across agencies.
- Facilitate seamless data exchange and analysis within the FLCAC repository and external LCA platforms.
- Support evolving LCA needs through regular updates and community-driven enhancements.[2]
Organization
The Federal Elementary Flow List is a partnership effort within FLCAC, primarily driven by the EPA’s Office of Research and Development, with contributions from USDA’s National Agricultural Library, DOE’s NREL, and other federal entities. It lacks a single top organization or dedicated leadership title, operating under FLCAC’s interagency community of practice, with figures like Wesley Ingwersen (EPA) noted as key contributors.[3] Funding integrates into FLCAC’s agency-specific budgets, supporting development via tools like GitHub and the openLCA Collaboration Server.
Partners
History
FEDEFL originated from FLCAC’s 2018 MOU, building on earlier LCA coordination and a 2016 DOE workshop identifying interoperability gaps, with its first version (v1.0) released in 2019.[4] It addressed inconsistent flow naming in datasets like USLCI, with v1.0.3 mapped to global standards by 2021 and v2.0 in 2022 improving matches via the GLAD network. Managed via GitHub, it continues to evolve, supporting federal LCA standardization with plans for broader adoption into the 2030s.
Funding
Initial development in 2019 lacked a specified budget, relying on existing FLCAC agency resources—e.g., EPA’s ORD and DOE’s EERE allocations.[5] Ongoing support comes from these budgets, funding maintenance, updates, and integration into platforms like lcacommons.gov, with no end date as it aligns with FLCAC’s long-term mission.
Implementation
FEDEFL is implemented via the fedelemflowlist Python package and openLCA formats, accessible since 2019 on lcacommons.gov, standardizing flows across FLCAC repositories like USLCI and NETL’s CO2U data.[6] It progresses through versions—v1.0 (2019), v2.0 (2022)—with updates managed on GitHub, offering JSON-LD and Excel downloads. The program is ongoing, adapting to LCA advancements with no fixed end.
Related
External links
- https://www.lcacommons.gov/lca-collaboration/FEDEFL
- https://github.com/USEPA/Federal-LCA-Commons-Elementary-Flow-List
- wikipedia:Life-cycle assessment
Social media
References
- ↑ "FEDEFL Overview". USDA National Agricultural Library. https://www.lcacommons.gov/lca-collaboration/FEDEFL.
- ↑ "FLCAC Overview". Department of Energy. https://www.energy.gov/eere/analysis/federal-lca-commons.
- ↑ "About FLCAC". USDA National Agricultural Library. https://www.lcacommons.gov/about.
- ↑ "FLCAC MOU". USDA National Agricultural Library. https://www.lcacommons.gov/lca-collaboration/MOU.
- ↑ "FLCAC Overview". Department of Energy. https://www.energy.gov/eere/analysis/federal-lca-commons.
- ↑ "Federal LCA Commons". USDA National Agricultural Library. https://www.lcacommons.gov.