Life Cycle Talks: Staying ahead in the evolving EU environmental policy landscape
Join us for the next Life Cycle Talks with An De Schryver, principal expert in the consultancy team at PRé Sustainability. In her upcoming talk, An will talk about the environmental policy landscape in Europe and the challenge to stay informed, or rather, the challenge to know what is affecting your industry and how to prepare.
In anticipation of the talk, we spoke with An De Schryver to learn more about her work and the insights she will share.
Tell us a bit about your work and what you focus on!
“My work as a consultant in the field of LCA is very broad and ranges from large methodology development for industries, to biodiversity assessments, LCA trainings and client policy support. Together with my colleagues, I closely follow the EU policy landscape and work on compliancy of LCA projects and software. We support clients in identifying relevant LCA-related regulations and help them prepare for upcoming requirements. Furthermore, I lead the development of sector-specific modelling rules for the space industry within the context of the European Commission’s Product Environmental Footprint recommendation (PEFCR development, initiated by DG DEFIS and carried out in close collaboration with the space industry).”
What kind of impact do you hope your work will have?
“At PRé, we strive for impact, which I find really motivating. The development and use of LCA within industry and policy is moving forward so quickly, and my work as a consultant in this field is very diverse. By analyzing how existing and upcoming regulations affect our clients, and by designing strategies for how to comply with them, I hope to help industries be better prepared and confident in how to move forward. Other projects, like the Space PEFCR, are highly relevant as they directly affect the entire industry. When writing sector guidelines, I focus on clarity, materiality and applicability, so that the industry can perform footprint calculations in a consistent and comparable way.”
And finally, why do you think a life cycle perspective matters today?
“In January 2006 I started my first job in LCA, a milestone of 20 years coming up soon. Things have evolved a lot. Using a life cycle perspective is becoming business as usual, which shows its relevance. Trying to quantify impact, while avoiding burden shifting and being cautious with results, are for me the key ingredients to help us move in the right direction and hopefully leave some nature for future generations.”
Life Cycle Talks with An De Schryver
The talk takes place on 5 December 2025, 13:00-13:30 CET, online via Zoom.
Title: EU environmental policy landscape in a nutshell
About Life Cycle Talks
Life Cycle Talks is a series of talks presenting the research front to keep you up to date with the science and application of the life cycle perspective.
