Draft agenda for the 43rd Session of the Informal Working Group on Automotive Life Cycle Assessment (IWG on A-LCA) meeting on July 6th, 2026, from 11:30~14:30 CET. The agenda includes welcome and introduction, adoption of the agenda and last meeting minutes, decision on Document Package, decision on Open Items, decision of the latest document, next steps including Report to GRPE and Revision of ToR, and closing.

The 42nd IWG on A-LCA session met to review the document package for GRPE submission. The group discussed three submission options: a working document with open issues; agreed provisions only with open issues in a separate informal document; or agreed provisions only with open issues remaining within the IWG. No final decision was taken. Further discussions are required on Pre-consumer Scrap, Chain of Custody, Electricity Modelling, OVC-HEV, FCV, Battery and Powertrain Replacement. A dedicated electricity modelling meeting will be held on 30 June 2026, and the 43rd session is confirmed for 6 July 2026.

Three options are presented for the document package. Option 1 proposes a Working Document to be submitted by 22 July 2026, with non-agreed items excluded from both memorandum and Informal Document, and a new section created to record non-agreement items. Option 2 proposes a Working Document submitted by 22 July 2026 and an Informal Document drafted by interest parties including Japan for submission during the 95th GRPE in October, titled Interim Guidance for A-LCA to assist practitioners with CFP calculation. Option 3 proposes a Working Document submitted by 22 July 2026 and an Informal Document produced by A-LCA IWG for submission during the 95th GRPE in October, with the same title and aim.

A-LCA IWG plans to submit a Working Document by 22nd July 2026 containing only items agreed by the entire IWG, with non-agreed items on CoC, Electricity Modeling, and Battery Replacement handled under one of three options: Option 1 creates a memorandum within the working document for non-agreement items; Option 2 submits a separate Informal Document titled Interim Guidance for A-LCA to help practitioners with CFP calculation; Option 3 similarly submits an Informal Document produced by A-LCA IWG during 95th GRPE in October, with both options reserving non-agreement items in the Working Document as discussion-starters for future work.

The IWG on A-LCA will discuss agreement on a document package to be submitted to GRPE, review the latest CoC covering general aspects including pre-consumer scrap, electricity/energy modeling, and OVC-HEV/FCV and battery/powertrain replacement, and determine next steps.

Proposal to establish Chain of Custody provisions for Automotive Life Cycle Assessment specifying five models—Identity Preserved, Segregation, Controlled Blending, Mass Balance, and Book and Claim—representing standardized approaches for collecting and managing company-specific information across supply chain settings. The Book and Claim model shall not be used. Government authorities reserve rights to define implementation rules specifying how Chain of Custody approaches are applied, based on alignment with global standards such as ISO and the GHG Protocol and the upcoming revision of the EF Recommendation (2279/2021). Minimum requirements shall be established for Mass Balance application to prevent diverse interpretations and misuse.

The 41st IWG on A-LCA session (26 May 2026) discussed the document package for submission to GRPE. Japan presented approaches for handling unresolved sections through working documents and supplementary explanatory material. The United States proposed including only consensus text in working documents. No final decision was taken. The group continued review of Table 1, Chain of Custody, Electricity and Energy Modelling, OVC-HEV and FCV methodology, and battery and major powertrain component replacement, with no agreement reached on these topics. The 42nd session is scheduled for 15 June 2026 and the 43rd for the week of 6 July 2026.

This document proposes a new Mutual Resolution No. 5 concerning Automotive Life Cycle Assessment. The use stage section (6.3) establishes methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption during vehicle operation across various levels, considering system boundaries encompassing tank-to-wheel and well-to-tank impacts, plus maintenance and consumables. Service life values are defined regionally based on average vehicle age at recycling. Energy consumption utilizes regional certification protocols adjusted by discrepancy and deterioration factors. The methodology addresses leakages including hydrogen and methane emissions, maintenance of consumables and parts with specified frequencies, and excludes major powertrain component replacement by default unless justified.

Working draft of notes concerning future activities to update the initial resolution on A-LCA.

Agenda items include review of the latest document by SG7 leader, confirmation of closed items and assignments for the next session, and next steps.

The 40th session of the IWG on A-LCA met on 12 May 2026 to review the consolidated draft document. The group discussed transportation and distribution, Chain of Custody, electricity and energy modelling, OVC-HEV and FCV methodology, and battery and powertrain replacement provisions. No agreement was reached on several issues, which remain open. The leading team will organise small-group discussions on transportation and pre-consumer scrap. The United States will provide simplified electricity modelling text and proposed replacement battery text. Next sessions are scheduled for 26 May and 15 June 2026.

Proposal to amend para. 6.3.1. to clarify use stage system boundaries, revise para. 6.3.2.1. regarding service life methodology and regional adaptation, delete and rewrite para. 6.3.3. on use stage consumption to introduce level concepts for certification values and restructure discrepancy and deterioration factor determination, reserve sections on vehicles with dual-mode powertrains and fuel cell and OVC-HEV deterioration calculations pending further development, amend para. 6.3.3.2.2.2. addressing OVC-HEV battery degradation (reserved), add para. 6.3.6.7. on swappable parts (reserved), and update Table 14 to include parts and/or components defined by vehicle manufacturer as mandatory for Level 3/Level 4 assessments, supported by GRPE/2026/2.

Updated text for the use stage of the proposed Mutual Resolution No. 5 concerning Automotive Life Cycle Assessment (A-LCA) addressing use stage methodology, including system boundaries encompassing in-use energy consumption and GHG emissions covering well-to-tank and tank-to-wheel impacts, maintenance and consumables impacts, and leakages; defining service life values by contracting parties based on official data on vehicle age at recycling; establishing level concepts for selecting regional certification energy consumption values and determining discrepancy and deterioration factors to represent real-world performance; specifying methodologies for calculating in-use energy consumption for vehicles with single and dual-mode powertrains including off-vehicle charging hybrid electric vehicles; addressing methane, hydrogen, and fluorocarbon emissions; providing maintenance scope including consumables and maintenance parts with associated frequency determination; excluding replacement of major powertrain components by default unless justified; and requiring collection of specified activity data and GHG emission factors. Full text of the draft MR5 previously submitted as GRPE/2026/2.

A-LCA Informal Group will discuss how to deal with non-agreed items, review draft working documents, refine working documents if necessary, and finalize working documents, with a Document Package to be distributed by May 28th, draft working documents by June 19th, and working documents by July 17th, culminating in confirmation of open items at the 95th GRPE session in October.

The agenda includes discussion on a document package to be submitted to GRPE, and review of the latest leading document covering general aspects, electricity/energy modeling, OVC-HEV/FCV, and battery/power train replacement.

A-LCA IWG plans to submit a Working Document by 22 July 2026 containing only items agreed by the entire IWG, with non-agreed items handled under Option 1, 2, or 3. Option 1 creates a memorandum section within the Working Document for non-agreed items. Options 2 and 3 submit the Working Document and a separate Informal Document titled Interim Guidance for A-LCA during the 95th GRPE in October, aimed at helping practitioners with CFP calculation until reserved items are resolved.

The agenda includes review of electricity/energy modeling, OVC-HEV/FCV, and battery/power train replacement.

Proposal to establish a new Mutual Resolution No. 5 (M.R.5) concerning Automotive Life Cycle Assessment (A-LCA) to provide an internationally harmonised methodology for determining carbon footprint of light-duty vehicles across all life cycle stages—material production, parts production and vehicle assembly, use, and end-of-life—using a level concept that distinguishes four levels of detail based on data availability and study purpose, applicable to different powertrain types and energy pathways, with provisions for energy modelling, recycling methodology, discrepancy and deterioration factors, maintenance assessment, and third-party verification requirements for Levels 3 and 4.

The A-LCA IWG will confirm open items and agree how to deal with nonagreed items by 12 May. A draft working document will be distributed by 12 June for review and refinement during the week of 6 July. The working document will be finalized by 17 June and distributed for final confirmation by 17 October, with presentation at the 95th GRPE session on 22 October.

The leading team was assigned to revise Table 1 and circulate a new proposal, integrate editorial changes accepted from US Environmental Protection Agency, and update the document following agreed deletions and wording changes. Contracting Parties are to provide input on Table 1 revision and participate in small-group discussions on pre-consumer scrap treatment, waste vs co-product classification, and Figure 4 applicability. Open issues to be revisited include market-mediated effects definition, system boundary terminology, and recycled content methodology. The European Commission cannot support adoption at this stage.

The A-LCA Subgroup 2 convened for its 30th session on 22 April 2026. The IWG is addressing EC comments on SG2 and tackling open topics one by one. Web IWG meetings are scheduled for 28 April and 12 May. The timeline targets adoption at the 95th GRPE in October 2026, with Working Document submission to the 94th GRPE. SG2 will continue regular meetings with reduced hours until the next GRPE, focusing on sharing of IWGs and preparation for the Test Phase.

The 37th session reviewed a consolidated working document on automotive life cycle assessment integrating comments from Contracting Parties, stakeholders, and the European Commission. Key unresolved issues include electricity modelling, chain of custody, primary data share, logistics, battery replacement, and vehicle lifetime assumptions. The leading team will update the overview table and identify priority issues for discussion. The next session is scheduled for 9 April 2026, with an internal milestone of 19 June 2026 to resolve outstanding issues.

Updated proposal as of 18 March 2026.

The 36th session of the Automotive Life Cycle Assessment IWG reviewed progress on a harmonised global methodology. SG7 will consolidate all comments by 1 April 2026 for line-by-line IWG review. Key unresolved items include PHEV methodology, component replacement approaches, and electricity modelling. Industry emphasised the need for a single global methodology and technology neutrality. The United States noted insufficient definition of methodological aspects. The group agreed to prioritise technical issues first, then policy-related issues, with virtual sessions in April and May. A decision point is targeted for 19 June 2026, with possible adoption at the October GRPE session. The IWG mandate extends to December 2026.

The IWG on Automotive Life Cycle Assessment reviewed open issues in the working document, focusing on bracketed text requiring resolution. Key outstanding items include primary data provisions, chain of custody, electricity modelling, use-phase emissions, PHEV provisions, and traction battery treatment. A colour-coded classification procedure was introduced for Contracting Parties to indicate positions on bracketed sections. Unresolved items will be deferred to Phase 2. Positions must be submitted by 28 February, with the next session on 5 March 2026.

This document is also available with tracked changes.

Proposal to define service life for each region or country of usage based on average vehicle age at recycling point, establish methodologies for calculating deterioration factors for fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles and off-vehicle charging hybrid electric vehicles, exclude traction battery and fuel cell system replacement by default unless practitioners provide detailed justification grounded in empirical field study data or official manufacturer statements concerning durability and replacement practices, and clarify that for Japan, no statistics on service life in kilometres or years are currently available, requiring use of default regional values or peer-reviewed alternatives where Japanese data cannot be obtained.

The 27th session of GRPE A-LCA Subgroup 5 is scheduled for November 25, 2025. The agenda includes confirmation of the 26th meeting minutes and 27th agenda, SG5 Drafting update, CFF parameters and EoL emission factors availability in each region, and next actions. Main open issues include Hotspots, Functional Unit, Representative vehicle concept, Data quality, Primary data share, Electricity modelling, Multi-output allocation, and Methodology to define discrepancy and deterioration factors. SG5 will address coherency on Second life parts treatment with SG4.

This document is also available with tracked changes.

Proposal to establish a new Mutual Resolution concerning Automotive Life Cycle Assessment (A-LCA) to provide an internationally harmonised methodology for determining the carbon footprint of light-duty vehicles across all life cycle stages—material production, parts production and vehicle assembly, use, and end-of-life—considering energy use pathways from production to disposal, with a Level Concept offering four detail levels depending on data availability and study purpose, including definitions, abbreviations, system boundaries, data collection requirements, energy modelling approaches for electricity and fuels, allocation rules, waste treatment and recycling modelling using Circular Footprint Formula or Recycled Content Method, maintenance assessment, and verification procedures. The methodology applies to light-duty vehicles, uses a functional unit of 1 passenger per kilometre over vehicle lifetime, includes service life values from official data by Contracting Parties or peer-reviewed reports, accounts for discrepancy and deterioration factors in use phase calculations, addresses traction battery and fuel cell deterioration, specifies reporting requirements for all life cycle stages including biogenic emissions separately, and requires external third-party verification for Level 3 and Level 4 studies based on GRPE/86/Rev.1 through the Working Party on Pollution and Energy at its 93rd session.

OICA comments on SG4 Use Phase inputs to GRPE/2025/17 concern vehicle service life definitions, discrepancy and deterioration factors for real-world energy consumption, battery state-of-health degradation for off-vehicle charging hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen and methane leakage quantification, refrigerant emissions from air conditioning systems, and maintenance parts replacement methodologies. OICA advocates for regional flexibility in service life determination, OEM-specific data for discrepancy factors at Level 4, standardized approaches for battery and fuel cell deterioration, and structured hierarchies for assessing maintenance part replacements over vehicle operational lifetime.

Section 10 establishes that verification shall be conducted to confirm A-LCA results comply with the Resolution while ensuring transparency and consistency. For levels 1, 2, 3 and 4, a critical review shall be conducted according to ISO 14040:2006 paragraph 7 with additional focus on compliance. The verification statement shall be available on published A-LCA study reports. Verification covers methodology applied, input data used, interpretation of results, interpretation of robustness, reporting in background reports, and checking numerical calculation results. For levels 1 and 2, LCA practitioners should decide whether to perform internal or external critical review; for levels 3 and 4, external third-party review is mandatory. For levels 3 and 4, verification shall be conducted at OEM level and shall include definition of the LCA group and choice of representative vehicle. Verification at OEM level shall build on verifications of suppliers’ input data without re-verifying these data. The OEM’s LCA calculation system verification shall include data collection, internal sources, assumptions, calculation processes and tools applied. In case an LCA calculation system is verified and verification remains valid, no reverification is required for subsequent LCA studies based on that verified system. OEMs and suppliers shall make system verification statements available to contracting parties upon request.

Section 7.9 establishes a representative vehicle (RV) methodology for Automotive Life Cycle Assessment. The RV is a benchmark vehicle reflecting typical characteristics of a defined group of vehicles to reduce administrative burden while ensuring comparability. RV selection excludes high-performance, off-road, and special-purpose variants, then selects based on highest technical mass among remaining vehicles within an LCA group defined by vehicle structure family, powertrain type, and production region. Upstream, downstream, and end-of-life emission factors are calculated from the RV and applied to declared vehicles within the same LCA group. Traction batteries and hydrogen storage vessels are calculated separately.

Hotspot means a life cycle stage whose contribution to an impact category exceeds even distribution across all stages, or all stages collectively contributing more than fifty percent to any impact category. In vehicle LCA guidelines for Global Warming Potential, hotspots refer only to the production phase and are related to parts or components representing minimum twenty percent of Global Warming Potential of the production phase. Level three requires company-specific data for at least one hotspot material or component, with primary data preferred and secondary data traceable and based on field survey data when primary data unavailable.

A-LCA SG2 comments. Results of A-LCA based on this Resolution shall be completely and accurately reported without bias in accordance with paragraph 6 “Reporting” of ISO 14040: 2006. Results, data, methods, assumptions and limitations described in the background report shall be transparent and presented in sufficient detail to allow readers, reviewers, verifiers and the targeted audience to comprehend the determination process and its complexities and trade-offs inherent in the LCA. The background report is the basis for critical review and verification for all levels of the level concept. When results of the A-LCA are available to the public, required information shall be described within the background report and in a summary report, including general information, applicable methodology, vehicle configuration, geographic considerations, results, data sources and weighting factors, and reviewer or verifier signature.

The 28th session of the Informal Working Group on Automotive Life Cycle Assessment convened on 8th October 2025 from 12:00 to 15:00 via web. The agenda includes welcome and introduction, adoption of the agenda and last meeting minutes, review of open issues, review of all development of amendment proposal, and discussion of whether to keep the original schedule or extend activities until next GRPE.

“Hotspot” means a process or stage within a defined boundary exhibiting GHG emissions significantly higher than the average. A process or stage shall be included in the calculation if recognized as necessary to satisfy the requirement definition of the cut-off rule in 7.13, even if not considered a hotspot in GHG emissions calculation. Hotspots are defined in the 2017 UNEP report, and hotspot definition may be revised considering updated references.