Building a career in LifeCycle Assessment- expert advice from 10 diverse practitioners
“How can I get started in LCA? Is it mandatory to have a Masters or PhD in the domain?”
– a Canadian professional eager to get started in LCA.
“Considering a career in LCA. Please tell me about your experience! (SO many questions. Please answer if you can!)”
– A Redditor looking to transition to LCA.
Questions like these are quite common among different sustainability communities, especially LCA ones. Because it’s a very niche job domain- people often have questions around how to get started- educational qualifications? Whether a career here is AI-proof? Does it pay well? Are there any mandatory softwares? How does one stay updated? Where do you find a sense of community?…..
At first glance the domain seems very technical and data-oriented, creating a widespread perception is that it’s very difficult to get into. Anything below a PhD or Masters wouldn’t be feasible. But is that really true?
To understand the practical reality, we compiled real-life experiences from 10 different professionals who have built their careers in LCA + some original research. The 10 respondents come from very diverse backgrounds- based out of India, North America and Europe; and their work experiences varying between <5 years to 20+ years.
By the end of this guide you should have some confidence in the path you intend to pursue, and whether a career in LCA would meet your aspirations or not.
Why should LCA appeal to you?
Before we get into the hows, whats, and wheres, let’s ask why you should consider a career in LCA?
Short answer- it would be a great combination of impact, money and expertise. Longer answer- multiple comprehensive research reports from Microsoft, BCG, Linkedin, etc show- the gap between available sustainability talent and company’s demand for it is widening every year. And much in favour of candidates.
Additionally, as LCAs are being integrated across supply chain operations and affecting management decisions, the role offers a front row seat to interact with key people across the company. Also, quiet likely you already figured it pays decently well already, with significant jumps expected over the next few years as there are more companies scrambling for limited talent.
So, how do you get a start in LCA?
Yes, you have heard it right. Getting a Masters or PhD in Environmental Engineering really seems like the most logical path. But the good news is only 3 out of 10 respondents got their start that way. The other 7 found their path through self-learning, lucky internship opportunities, discovered it accidentally while pursuing an MBA or rare few who just like to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty.
Because LCA is still a niche (though definitely growing in popularity and demand), most hiring managers value academic credentials. But practical experiences and certifications also greatly improve you odds.
Bharat Mahajan, an LCA consultant at Mondra, explains his motivation, career path and experience-
“I got started in this domain during my Master’s in Environmental Engineering at IIT Roorkee, where I developed a strong interest in sustainability. While working on projects related to waste management, resource efficiency, and circular economy, I came across Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a structured way to scientifically measure environmental impacts across the entire product life cycle. I found it fascinating because it combines technical rigor with real-world application, helping organizations make informed and sustainable decisions. After completing my degree, I wanted to put this knowledge into practice in an industry setting. That’s what led me to join my current organisation as a Life Cycle Analyst, where I now work on projects that assess carbon footprints, improve supply chain sustainability, and support businesses in meeting their climate and sustainability goals.”
Rajesh Hegde, founder of Climate-Rubik, on the other hand a very different experience-
“I started my own firm with an engineering colleague in Canada to take up LCA projects as a client wanted LCA disclosure of their products for the public. Doing LCA is academic background agnostic as anyone in applied or natural sciences can do LCA. It does not require licensing or certification to get started.”
August, an active member on the r/LCA subreddit chose quite a unconventional start-
“I got started by conducting whole building LCA, following EN15978. That’s a softer way to start doing LCA, as many steps have been removed from the entire LCA process. From there, the work evolved into EPD’s, product analysis and LCA research, moving beyond the construction sector.”
Madhvi Agarwal, founder at Verdantika shares her journey from oil & gas to sustainability-
“I have spent over a decade in supply chain and project management domains within the oil and gas industry. In recent years, I’ve expanded my expertise to include sustainability and governance functions, driven by a commitment to fostering positive environmental and social impact in corporate settings. When I transitioned into the sustainability domain, my first six months were spent immersing myself in the fundamentals of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This involved understanding core concepts, mapping their relevance to ongoing EPC projects and exploring how LCA studies could reduce supply chain emissions and enhance sourcing efficiency. To build practical skills, I pursued formal certifications with TERI, New Delhi and received hands-on training in SimaPro, which gave me the grounding to apply LCA frameworks in real-world project contexts.”
Another active member of the r/LifeCycleAssessment subreddit, IamuandwhatIseeismee emphasizes the need to read books-
“the most important resources to start: books! (Life Cycle Assessment – Theory and Practice, The LCA Compendium, Environmental Life Cycle Assessment by Olivier Jolliet, etc.)”. They also suggest that for beginners one of the best resources to get started would be- the LCAList.
See, diverse people, diverse career trajectories. But there’s more.
More paths to the LCA trip
It’s always tempting to speculate and share your own ideas about getting started, but real experiences drive confidence. So, we asked our collaborators if their friends and colleagues took some less traveled paths.
As Mohammed Alhaj, a Senior Scientist at BD shared about his colleagues getting their start-
“I’ve seen people get into LCA through a variety of paths. Some of my colleagues started in engineering or product design roles and later specialized in LCA once they realized how critical it was to their work. Others entered through internships or consulting firms where sustainability assessments were part of the projects. A few also took short professional certifications, like those offered by ACLCA or European training centers, which helped them transition into the field more quickly.”
Transitioning from Supply Chain and EHS roles is also quite doable, as Madhvi Agarwal, (Verdantika’s founder) saw-
“Some of my colleagues have come in through environmental engineering or academic research backgrounds, while others transitioned from roles in quality, EHS, or supply chain management where sustainability started becoming a priority. In many cases, it’s a mix of formal training on many other softwares like OpenLCA, Sphera LCA FE (previously GaBi), real time project exposure and self-driven learning that helps them build expertise. I personally took the supply chain sustainability route, but I think the strength of this field is that it benefits from different perspectives converging on the same problem.”
Nilesh Dayalapwar, an ESG & Sustainability Manager at Capegemini observes, even the short courses can be good starting points-
“Some of my colleagues got into sustainability through different paths. A few did short courses on platforms like Coursera or edX. Others took third-party certifications like LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), C2C, etc. Some started with internships or projects in sustainability teams, which helped them build experience and move into full-time roles.”
Every step counts- even if it’s a short course or a small project.
Soft skills & practical experience matter more
Apart from the hard experience, here’s what’s needed to grow and thrive in LCA-
Poul Lindqvist, CEO at Environmental Impacts Academy who has helped 50+ professionals get trained in LCA observes-
“Be curious, start small and learn about LCA methodology first, only then software tools. Don’t attempt to do your first LCA alone, get some expert support in one way or another.”
Rofan Alghamdi, an Environmental Engineer from Columbia University suggests finding collaborators and co-learners could be helpful-
“There’s a free bootcamp called AirMiners. It’s very helpful, you meet weekly with 5–6 people interested in the topic, and before each meeting you review the provided material to get the most benefit from the discussion.”
Rajesh Hegde, Climate Rubik’s founder suggests another way to impress potential employers-
“Certain sectors may not have well published LCA data in open source LCA databases, secondary research becomes important then to extract the data from academic work. Doing a LCA case study for such a sector can be useful to show on your resume.”
August, Denmark based LCA specialist shares from his experience the importance of shifting from pure theory to implementation-
“Trying out the software is a big step. You can read all about LCA, but actually working with software is where you begin to see things connect.”
Lastly, Mohammed Alhaj, shares the importance of connecting all the dots to find long-term success on this path –
“One thing I’ve learned is that technical skills alone aren’t enough.. being able to communicate LCA results in a clear, relatable way is often what makes you stand out. Companies don’t just want numbers; they want to understand what those numbers mean for their business decisions. I also found that networking within sustainability-focused communities, like Climatebase or Work on Climate, opens doors you wouldn’t expect. And finally, starting small really helps.. even doing a basic analysis of one material or product stream can give you the confidence and practical experience to grow.”
Picking the right tools
In a nutshell, there are very few general-purpose popular softwares that are widely used in the industry, though one can start with a decent understanding of Excel.
Vinod Ramanarayanan, Senior Sustainability Manager at Titan notes-
‘Sima pro, Sphera LCA FE (previously GaBi), Open lca are the most popular tools. Familiarising yourself with the tool and understanding LCA published papers is very important to build a career in this domain.’
Rajesh Hegde adds some more context about getting yourselves familiarized with databases in addition to tools-
“Access to LCA software from Sphera is helpful as it an industry standard. Knowing open source LCA databases like EC3 tool for construction materials, Hestia for agriculture products, Ecoinvent and Climatiq for industrial sectors etc will help in procuring activity emission factors as required for the client project.”
Mohammed Alhaj touches upon the value-add of AI-
“From my experience, it’s really valuable to get comfortable with SimaPro, Sphera LCA FE (previously GaBi), and OpenLCA. Those are the big three that come up most often. OpenLCA is a great entry point since it’s free and widely used. Beyond that, being strong in Excel and knowing how to responsibly utilize AI goes a long way, especially when you want to customize analyses or handle large datasets. And of course, having access to databases like ecoinvent is essential because the quality of your data makes or breaks your assessment.”
Madhvi Agarwal suggests a sequential order to learning and skilling, to prevent yourself from getting tied up in analysis-paralysis –
“I would recommend starting with a strong foundation in Excel as it’s indispensable for structuring data and running preliminary analyses. From there, build proficiency in widely adopted LCA tools such as SimaPro, Sphera LCA FE (previously GaBi) and OpenLCA which are aligned with ISO 14040/14044 methodologies and have broad industry acceptance. It’s equally important to get familiar with key emissions factor databases like Ecoinvent. There are emerging AI-enabled platforms also such as Carbon Graph. This is some very exciting and relevant stuff to dive into but it is best to first master the fundamentals before moving on to advanced, AI-driven modeling.”
9 out of 10 practitioners feel positive about the future of LCA
This might be very surprising, especially in an age where AI is disrupting many industries and political winds don’t seem aligned to sustainable action. But, 90% respondents seemed confident about a thriving career in LCA.
Pooja RV, the creator & host of Get Set Green podcast has spoken to many many eco-entrepreneurs shares her enthusiasm-
“I feel optimistic about it because LCA or sustainability is no longer a separate domain, it is now linked to and a requirement in every domain, so there will be ample number of opportunities given the right skills and experience.”
Nilesh Dayalapwar based on his experience at Capegemini highlights his belief on how AI tools are aiding certain processes-
“The future of sustainability, especially in LCA, looks very promising. With AI and automation, tools like Makersite are making LCA faster, scalable, and more data-driven. This shift is reducing manual work and improving accuracy. To stay ahead, combining IT skills (like data handling, automation, or Python) with LCA knowledge is a big advantage. Learning digital tools and staying updated with tech trends will be key to growing in this field.”
Poul Lindqvist while optimistic about the overall outlook, hints for some caution-
“There will be a lot of demand for competent LCA practitioners relatively soon. However I am concerned about low-quality (AI) automation solutions that spit out thousands of LCA’s or EPD’s.”
Rajesh Hegde senses that LCA’s fate will also be similar to most other jobs-
“LCA work is ripe for AI automation. So, this line of work doesn’t seem too bright in the future.”
August acknowledges the rapid pace of change with a case for human-aided decisions-
“LCA is under rapid development. Many “standard” procedures, such as simple EPDs and ghg-calculations are seeing the use of AI. But a lack of cross-indicator knowledge, cause-and-effect implications and interpretation is still missing from most AI results. With the rise of AI, I see a future in which it’s tantamount to provide valuable and transparent advice, not just results. In general I feel good about the future. We need humans to solve complex systems, and I just see AI as a tool to help out in simpler cases.”
Mohammed Alhaj suggests looking at the broader framework-
“I’m actually very optimistic about the future of LCA. It used to be considered a niche, academic tool, but now it’s becoming central to how companies operate. Regulations, investors, and consumers are all pushing for more transparency, and that means LCAs are no longer optional.. they’re expected. I do think AI and automation will streamline the calculations, but there will always be a need for people who can frame the right questions, interpret trade-offs, and connect the insights back to business strategy. That’s where the human side of this work will remain irreplaceable.”
Where can one find support and community?
Despite it’s growth, given the small number of people working in LCA, finding a sense of community and peer-learning becomes very important. Our collaborators shared their go to resources for community support and upskilling.
Nilesh Dayalapwar shares-
“There are some helpful websites and communities for LCA. OpenLCA offer great tools and resources. You can also learn a lot from LinkedIn groups, Sustainability Whats app groups, and read industry specific research papers. Joining these can help you stay updated and connect with experts.”
Pooja RV suggested looking up UNEP portal and GHG portal on a regular basis, while Rajesh recommends Climatiq website as a good resource to get lots of data support in one place.
Bharat Mahajan shares his recommendation- use different resources for different use cases-
“UNEP Life Cycle Initiative – global hub for LCA methodologies and case studies. European Platform on LCA (EPLCA) – practical resources, databases, and policy updates. GHG Protocol – standards and guidance on greenhouse gas accounting. GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) – for sustainability and corporate reporting frameworks.”
Poul suggests having a look at Alongside community, while Rofan is quite enthusiastic about support for Airminers bootcamp (we had written an article about Airminers experience earlier).
Madhvi Agarwal suggests to follow Simon Rauch and Bo (Pedersen) Weidema on LinkedIn to keep yourself up to date with what is latest in the LCA field.
August recommends continuous upskilling based on the market trends-
“Consequential LCA is a very hot topic, and is very much on the rise. The best examples and tutorials are definitely from 2.0-LCA consultants.”
Mohammed Alhaj recommends-
“Some of the most useful communities I’ve been part of include ACLCA, which offers certification and conferences, and Work on Climate, which is a very active Slack network full of sustainability professionals. I also keep up with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s work on circular economy. On LinkedIn, there are strong groups like “LCA and Environmental Assessment” where people share job postings and knowledge. And if you like staying on top of new methods, there are many journals worth following.”
Finally, where does one find good sustainability jobs?
While there are some great all-purpose job platforms, finding LCA jobs still requires a multi-step filtering approach. Based on experience, finding sustainability driven jobs hasn’t been easy, especially outside North America & Western Europe. We are developing a sustainability roles job board to help solve the problem. We are making good progress though it’s still very early days.
Rajesh shares his experience-
“I found Work on climate and Climate action tech slack groups along with LinkedIn to be helpful in finding consulting gigs in this domain.”
Rofan pitches in-
“LCA groups on LinkedIn– look up your country and join them”
Nilesh highlights-
“Networking is very important in this field. Use LinkedIn, follow blogs, and connect with alumni or professionals in sustainability.”
August suggests to widen the horizons-
“Don’t be afraid to search widely beyond your general sector! You’ll find that LCA is applicable to all sectors, so look out for where policies are being implemented right now! If you’re looking for jobs or internships dedicated directly to LCA, I would look for research projects at universities – but look through all their departments, not just their environmental department!”
Well, no one else had the answer. So, we built it ourselves. To discover sustainability domain jobs within India, please check out our candidate-friendly job board here- growthforimpact.co/jobs
Extremely grateful to the teams at Work on Climate, Climate Action Tech, r/LifeCycleAssessment and OpenDoorClimate to make these collaborative connections possible.
*rare tweaks were made for grammar and styling purposes.