Advance your career as an LCACP. LCACP certification allows the LCA practitioner to demonstrate a level of expertise in LCA practice and a commitment to the ACLCA Code of Ethics.

The LCACP Certification is a technical professional credential achieved by demonstrated experience and advanced knowledge in the field of LCA and a commitment to the ACLCA Code of Ethics. The LCACP is reserved for professionals with a combination of educational qualifications, years of direct work experience, and publication of critically reviewed ISO-conformant LCA studies.

The LCACP credential is not an educational certificate intended to certify students or practitioners new to the field. A Life Cycle Assessment Practitioner Affiliate Certification is being developed by ACLCA for early career LCA practitioners.

Here’s how to begin the process

1. Review pre-requisites for LCACP Exam below
2. Submit application with proof of prerequisites met and pay the application fee
3. Once prerequisites have been approved, pay the exam fee (discounts for ACLCA Members!)
4. Reserve exam date and time (Proctored LCACP exam is available online)

The Exam

The LCACP exam us a closed-book 3.5-hour multiple choice exam in English. There are 184 questions. The examination covers General LCA knowledge, ISO standards, LCI, LCIA, Project management, Data quality management, Post-impact calculations, LCA modeling/software, Statistics, Ethics, and Emerging issues.

Exam Locations

• The LCACP exam can be taken anywhere in the world at your convenience.

LCACP EXAM PRE-REQUISITES

Prerequisites may be met by any one of the following:

1. A college degree at the undergraduate (4-year) or graduate (2 year) level in LCA, environmental science or environmental engineering, and
   • A minimum of 3 years of direct LCA-related work experience, and
   • Direct participation in 6 or more LCAs that are either critically reviewed or published in a peer-reviewed journal.
2. A college degree at the undergraduate (4-year) level in any field with a minor in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, and
   • A minimum of 3 years of direct LCA-related work experience, and
   • Direct participation in 8 or more LCAs that are either critically reviewed or published in a peer-reviewed journal.
3. LCA skills gained through work experience:
   • A minimum of 4 years of direct LCA-related work experience, and
   • Direct participation in 12 or more LCAs that are either critically reviewed or published in a peer-reviewed journal.

*NOTE: Details and restrictions regarding acceptable documentation for prerequisites fulfillment:

• Work experience is substantiated by an attestation letter from employer(s).
• College degree and education qualifications are evidenced by submission of diploma and transcripts.
• “Critically reviewed" refers to independent (internal or external) critical review for conformance to ISO 14044.
• Submission of proof of LCAs may be: (1) internally or externally independently reviewed ISO-14044 conformant LCA Report with critical review appendix or reviewer-signed letter of conformance to ISO 14044; (2) published EPD showing LCA Project Report was independently reviewed to ISO 14044; and (3) peer-reviewed technical journal article in a reputable scientific journal (e.g., International Journal of LCA, Science, Nature).
  • Applicant must be listed as the LCA author or co-author on all submitted documentation
  • LCAs must represent diversity in products, services, and technologies studied (e.g., multiple LCAs studying the same product categories do not fulfill prerequisites)
  • EPDs (or their originating LCAs) may make up no more than half of the LCA work presented as proof of participation.
    • Repetitive EPDs will be counted as one. i.e., only one EPD stemming from a multiple-EPD LCA report will be accepted as proof of participation in that one LCA.
    • Multiple EPDs for the same product and with similar scope will be counted as one item, regardless of how many background LCA reports, EPDs or manufacturers were involved.
  • Publications in trade journals and non-scientific conference proceedings do not fulfill prerequisites for peer-reviewed journal articles. Multiple publications on the same item or LCA will be counted as one item.
  • LCAs completed using streamlined LCA software (including LCA building software or other pre-verified platforms) - where the user does not have to make decisions regarding methodology (e.g., data quality, allocation, interpretation, etc.) – do not fulfill prerequisites and may not be counted toward the number of LCAs, whether peer-reviewed or not, as they do not demonstrate sufficient understanding of all aspects of LCA required for LCACP certification. This includes pre-verified EPD tools - such as those used by the concrete and asphalt sectors in the US).

Documentation will be reviewed by the ACLCA Certification Committee members. In case of conflicting views on the evidence submitted, ACLCA’s verdict is final.

• LCACPs must maintain membership in ACLCA. LCACPs must honor and sign the ACLCA Code of Ethics.
• LCACP prerequisites are subject to review and update every 12 months by ACLCA.

ALL SUBMITTED MATERIALS ARE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL. Submission of all materials verifying the prerequisites must be completed no later than one month before the planned exam date and may be emailed to certification@aclca.org

RECERTIFICATION – THREE-YEAR RENEWAL CYCLE

The LCACP certification requires renewal at three-year intervals. During those three years, LCACPs must earn continuing education units (CEUs) in accordance with the recertification policy. There are many opportunities to receive continuing education (CE), (e.g. including LCA Courses, conferences, registered ACLCA webinars, LCA Annual Conference) all of which are outlined in the ACLCA_Recertification_Process 2020.

We have also provided below information and links to ACLCA Registered Courses and  ACLCA Webinars.

ACLCA REGISTERED COURSES

RECORDING CEUS

LCACPs must submit the form for recertification and pay the renewal fee. They must keep records for the CEUs earned for three years. Failure to recertify will cause a removal of the LCACP from the website, and the exam will have to be taken again in the event that the individual seeks to regain certification. ACLCA reserves the right to audit records for the recertification system.

Download the LCACP CEU Credits Tracking Template

Pay for the LCACP renewal

Please contact certification@aclca.org with any questions.