LCANZ 15th Birthday!
Friday 14, June 2024
Reflections and celebrations of 15 years
On 14 June 2024 we turn 15. It seems a good time to reflect and to celebrate, with some help from our friends!
LCA wasn’t a well known term in the early 2000s in New Zealand. Those who were working in the field were often the only one in their organisation who knew anything about it, which could be lonely. They developed their networks with like-minded people in other organisations and met up to indulge in the luxury of talking LCA with those who ‘got it’.
These informal roundtables led to bigger ideas, and the group decided to launch LCANZ in June 2009. Our aim was to build a network, share knowledge and experience, grow awareness, and promote life cycle thinking in businesses and policy making. Find out more on our Mission page.
The original committee members – Sarah McLaren, Peter Garrett, Gael Olgivie, Andrew Barber, John McArthur, Alistair Mowat, Jake McLaren, Andrew Alcorn and Barbara Nebel – quickly grew our network and laid the foundations for all that followed. Many have remained closely involved and continued to contribute to our ongoing growth and development. Particularly John and Barbara who are both still on the LCANZ committee!
Since 2009, we have:
- Held 8 LCA conferences, and a webinar series when COVID prevented us getting together in person
- Launched EPD Australasia, together with ALCAS
- Introduced a Certification programme for LCA experts
- Issued guidance papers for Best Practice
- Provided Case Studies with examples of LCA in practice in New Zealand
- Provided submissions to government policies
- …and recently launched the LCA mentoring programme
We’re celebrating our achievements with this short video. Thanks to so many of our friends and supporters who sent well wishes! We’ve included all of these below.
The video is pretty big, so please use the ‘full screen’ option to see it properly.
Birthday messages
Congratulations to LCANZ from the Australian Life Cycle Assessment Society (ALCAS) on reaching your milestone of 15 years. Having trod a similar path, your Australian counterparts can appreciate the significance of this milestone.
It has come out of a shared objective to promote the use of LCA to inform good decision making, and succeeded due to significant contributions from dedicated volunteers. Now that our societies are seeing increased interest in LCA and are supporting a buoyant community of LCA practitioners, we look forward to more opportunities for reciprocal activities.
All the best for your next 15 years from your colleagues over the ditch.
Marguerite Renouf, ALCAS President
HERA is very proud to have been a part of the LCANZ journey and we congratulate the association on its achievement of 15 years in operations!.
Troy Coyle, CEO HERA
Stort GRATTIS from EPD International AB! To many more years that may follow!” “Stort GRATTIS from EPD International AB! To many more years that may follow!
Sebastiaan F. Stiller, CEO EPD International AB
Congratulations to LCA NZ. I had the honor to attend and present at 3 of your conferences. I was pleased with the enthusiasm, excitement, and solid interest to create a climate to act. The conversations were not about what and why – but HOW – Act now. Have a wonderful celebration. Pura Vida .
Jim Fava, the Father of LCA
A salute to your 15th hard-working year in providing this critical information to New Zealanders. Don’t stop – there’s much more to do!
Steve Thompson
Congratulations LCANZ!
From all at the Sustainable Business Network
Thanks for the memory Barbara. I well remember the frustration of ‘doing’ LCA but having no focus point to discuss who, what and how other people were getting on with LCA projects. We would go to other conferences and huddle in meeting rooms “talking LCA”. Then the light came on, with Tim Strange (and others) convening a meeting at MED in December 2008 – well represented and very enthusiastic. From there it flew…
John McArthur, Inaugural Treasurer and Committee Member
Happy birthday LCANZ!! It’s been great to be in the Committee and see how we can use life cycle thinking and life cycle assessment to take evidence-based decisions and collectively improve the sustainability of our businesses. My highlight from the recent years is how embodied carbon is now something many of us know, talk, and do something about. Thanks to everyone involved in LCANZ to make positive change happen.
Ferran de Miguel Mercader, Committee member
Happy 15th birthday LCANZ! Thank you to everyone involved over the years for building a wonderful life cycle community in Aotearoa. The organisation has provided a safe space to share knowledge with peers, connect and ‘geek out’ on all things LCA, of which I think it can be very proud of.
Kelly McClean, Committee Member
Happy 15th birthday LCANZ. You are doing tremendous work helping the construction and property sector understand carbon. I very much look forward to seeing you continue and thrive for another 15.
Andrew Eagles, CEO New Zealand Green Building Council
Happy Birthday LCANZ!
I wasn’t there when you were conceived, but I’ve enjoyed supporting you through the ‘difficult teenage years’!
Emily Townsend, Committee Member and Past President
Congratulations to everyone who has supported the LCANZ network over the years.
Sarah McLaren, Founding Committee Member