Life cycle assessment
Midpoint Impact (Category)
In life cycle assessment, an impact indicator measured partway along the cause-effect chain — such as global warming potential — before aggregation into endpoint damages.
Definition
A midpoint impact category is a life cycle impact assessment indicator representing a single environmental issue — global warming, acidification, water use, eutrophication — located partway along the environmental mechanism between emissions/resource use and final damage. Midpoints are aggregated further along damage pathways into endpoint categories (human health, ecosystems, resource availability). The ReCiPe method, for example, defines 18 midpoint and 3 endpoint categories.
References
midpoint vs endpoint structure, ReCiPe 18/3 categories, uncertainty trade-off
Overview
What it means
Midpoints carry lower modelling uncertainty but are harder to interpret for non-specialists; endpoints are intuitive but introduce additional assumptions. The choice between them shapes how LCA results are communicated.
How it is used
LCA practitioners select midpoint indicators for technical comparisons and product footprints, and endpoints for policy communication; methods such as ReCiPe, Environmental Footprint and GLAM differ in category sets.
Why it matters
Midpoint indicators are the working currency of environmental footprinting — the numbers behind carbon, water and environmental product declarations.
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