An activity dataset is a set of data on exchanges all referring to the same activity or group of activities. This dataset contains comprehensive information about all the inputs and outputs associated with a particular process or activity, providing the fundamental building blocks for life cycle inventory analysis. Exchanges represent the flows of materials, energy, and emissions that enter and leave an activity, connecting it to other activities in the system or to the environment.
Activity datasets serve as the core data units in LCA databases, documenting the resource consumption, emissions, and waste generation associated with specific industrial processes, transportation activities, energy production, or other human activities. Each dataset typically includes quantitative data on all relevant exchanges, along with metadata describing the geographical scope, temporal validity, technological characteristics, and data quality.
By compiling activity datasets for numerous processes across different sectors and regions, LCA practitioners can build comprehensive product systems that model entire life cycles. These datasets enable the calculation of cumulative environmental impacts by linking activities together according to their input-output relationships, tracing the flows of materials and energy from raw material extraction through to final disposal.
