Brazilian inventory data in ecoinvent 3.8: a step forward in regionalization
Geographical representativeness is an important aspect of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data quality. When data from another country are used to represent Brazilian activities, differences in the energy mix, technology, logistics and operating conditions can influence the results.
The ecoinvent 3.8 database, released in 2021, incorporated Brazilian datasets developed through the Projeto Pedra Fundamental, in collaboration with Rede ACV and partners. The work aimed to improve the representation of activities relevant to the Brazilian economy.
Which activities were covered?
The released datasets included activities related to the extraction, import and distribution of crude oil and natural gas; biodiesel production; diesel distribution for transport; and road freight transport by truck. The crude-oil supply mix used in refinery operations was also updated.
Adding regionalized data can reduce reliance on international proxies and improve the consistency between an inventory and the geographical context of the system being studied. However, a national dataset is not automatically representative of every facility, region or time period.
What should practitioners check?
LCA practitioners should assess the represented technology, temporal and geographical coverage, sources, reference unit, system boundaries and fit with the study's goal and scope. Adaptations should be documented, and the availability of newer data should be checked.
ecoinvent is updated periodically. Version 3.8 is a historical milestone, not the current database version. Version 3.12 was released in November 2025, and the official database page already lists version 3.13 in 2026. When reproducing or updating a study, record the version actually used and assess whether changes to datasets affect the results.
Regionalization is an ongoing process: the closer the data match the real system, the more transparent and useful the interpretation of results is likely to be.