Program Structure
The overall program length is 7 weeks of learning and 2 one-week breaks between courses. The required study hours per week are 7-8. The program will be offered 2 times a year (Oct-Dec and Feb-Apr) and can be taken in smaller sections (course-by-course) if students cannot commit to the entire program in one offering.
There will be a synchronous online “Coffee Hour”. These sessions are optional but strongly encouraged as an opportunity for students to meet the instructor, check in on their progress, get their questions answered, and network with one another. The “Coffee Hour” sessions are recorded and posted afterward.
Coffee Hour sessions for LCACF 2025 Spring – Thursdays, 11:30 am -1:00 pm PST
Courses
- Course 1: Introduction to LCA of Clean Fuels (3 weeks)
- February 3 – 21, 2025
- Course 2: Introduction to LCA within Clean Fuel Policy, Part 1 (2 weeks)
- March 3 – 14, 2025
- Course 3: Introduction to LCA within Clean Fuel Policy, Part 2 (2 weeks)
- March 24 – April 4, 2025
Courses must be taken in sequential order, as they build on one another, but may be taken in different offerings within a two-year time frame to receive the micro-certificate.
Completion Requirements
To successfully complete the program, students must complete all assignments and learning activities with an overall grade of 70% or above.
Failure to meet these requirements will result in non-qualification for course and program completion.
Timeline to Completion
Participants have the flexibility to set their own timeline to completion, within a maximum of two years.
Course Learning Outcomes
Course 1: Introduction to LCA of Clean Fuels
- Explain the origins of LCA and its use in fuel policy
- Apply the phases of LCA under the ISO 14040 standard
- Recognize and explain the fundamentals and key parameters of an LCA
- Argument the food vs. fuel debate
- Develop a process flow diagram for a product or service lifecycle
- Explain data requirements under ISO 14040
- Perform a basic lifecycle inventory and allocate emissions in multi-product systems
- Explain the origins of GWP and how to use them in an LCA
- Determine the carbon intensity of a fuel
- Interpret a fuel carbon intensity
Course 2: Introduction to LCA within Clean Fuel Policy, Part 1
- Explain the clean fuel regulation landscape in North America
- Apply LCA is used within the clean fuel policy
- Explain the LCA requirements under the Canadian Clean Fuel Regulations
- Perform a carbon intensity calculation under the Clean Fuel Regulation
- Explain the functionality of and how to navigate openLCA and the Fuel LCA Model
- Perform a lifecycle analysis of a fuel in the Fuel LCA Model
Course 3: Introduction to LCA within Clean Fuel Policy, Part 2
- Perform a carbon intensity calculation under the BC-LCFS
- Explain the capabilities of GHGenius and how to navigate the model
- Perform a lifecycle analysis of a fuel in GHGenius
- Determine the value of GHG reductions under clean fuel programs
- Perform a techno-economic assessment of fuels to support business decisions
- Identify areas within a fuel’s lifecycle that have the biggest impact on the carbon intensity
