ABSTRACT
The functional unit (FU) is a fundamental component of any life-cycle assessment (LCA) or carbon footprint (CF), highlighted and described in both CF and LCA standards as one of the first decisions to be made in the scoping of a study. The FU can be critical in determining the relative rank and subsequent selection of alternative products based on a CF. The importance of the FU from the point of view of assessment can sometimes be understated, particularly given the many other areas of a CF study that need to be considered in order to obtain good, accurate, and ultimately useful study results. In a purely academic sense, LCA studies in modern academic literature are generally theoretically sound in the selection of FUs, but the argument can be made that some of the FUs selected are not ideal with regard to final selection.
