Headline: Environmental Assessment of CO2 Capture and Utilisation

This chapter provides an introduction to the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) for a reliable environmental assessment of CO2 capture and utilisation (CCU). Utilisation of CO2 as chemical feedstock aims at saving fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by providing an alternative carbon feedstock and closing the carbon cycle. However, these features do not necessarily render CO2 utilisation routes environmentally favourable since both CO2 capture and activation might require substantial amounts of energy. This chapter should enable the reader to understand the general concept of LCA and to identify the key environmental factors driving CCU.