Life Cycle Thinking in the Brazilian Automotive Industry

Due to the strengthening of environmental laws and an increasing concern about sustainability into society, it becomes important in modern corporate management to address these issues and recognize them as a major competitive advantage. The demand for products with enhanced environmental profiles is becoming an essential goal within new product concepts and development.

When a new truck line was launched to the market in 2006, the opportunity arose to conduct the first study in the Brazilian automotive industry, which should provide a holistic view of the environmental profile of a product during its entire life through life cycle analysis (LCA). This paper presents the results of the application of this new approach to heavy-duty vehicles.