Chapter 07 · Materials & footprintsLife Cycle Assessment & Product Footprinting
Sensitivity analysis
Definition
Sensitivity analysis tests how changes in assumptions, data or methods affect assessment results and conclusions.
References
This reference provides supporting context for how “Sensitivity analysis” is defined and used.
Overview
What it means in practice
Sensitivity analysis should be read as a life-cycle and product-footprinting term. Its meaning depends on the study goal, scope, data source, method and interpretation context.
In practice, users should state the boundary, baseline, data source and method. That keeps sensitivity analysis useful as a reference without overstating the result.
Why it matters
Sensitivity analysis matters because footprinting language determines what is counted, compared and communicated. Clear definitions make assumptions visible and reduce the risk of misleading comparisons.
Common misconception
A common error is to treat Sensitivity analysis as a neutral technical label. The stronger approach is to explain the modelling choice and how it changes the result.
Review questions
What boundary, baseline or comparison is being used? What evidence supports the term? What assumption or limitation would change how a reader interprets it?
How it is used
Designers, manufacturers, procurement teams, life-cycle practitioners and waste managers use “Sensitivity analysis” in product design, procurement, footprinting, material selection, production and end-of-life decisions.
In each case, the user should state the product system, life-cycle stages, functional unit, geography, timeframe and measurement method; otherwise, the same term may be applied to materially different situations. In this context, it refers to sensitivity analysis tests how changes in assumptions, data or methods affect assessment results and conclusions.