Databases

As a major contributor to Australia’s life cycle inventory infrastructure, Lifecycles has played a leading role in strengthening AusLCI as a credible, fit-for-purpose database for Australian life cycle assessment. This work ensures national data aligns with global standards, enabling practitioners to confidently assess robust, regionally relevant information.

The AusLCI database, an initiative of the Australian LCA Society (ALCAS), was originally established almost 20 years ago, bringing together industry, government, and academia to develop standardised environmental data for Australian products in line with ISO 14040 methodologies.

Through the recent LCAgMetrics project, Lifecycles delivered one of the most substantial upgrades to AusLCI data. This expanded Australia’s on-farm life cycle inventory by adding underrepresented agricultural sectors and critical post-farm processes - addressing long-standing data gaps and lifting the credibility of agricultural LCAs nationally.

With the release of AusLCI Version 47, the database now includes more than 2,900 processes, spanning major commodities and infrastructure, including:

• Transport, electricity, natural gas and water supply

• Construction materials such as asphalt, concrete and plasterboard

• Common processing inputs

• Grains, livestock, dairy, horticulture, rice, cotton and sugar

• Supporting agricultural processes such as irrigation systems and tractor operations.

These datasets have been implemented in SimaPro as both unit process and system process databases. Where Australian background data is unavailable, processes are transparently link to ecoinvent data. This ensures consistency in modelling assumptions while allowing future ecoinvent updates to be seamlessly overlaid.

Data downloads

Both versions are available in SimaPro to ecoinvent license holders.

• Version 1 has a modified version of ecoinvent 2.2 in the background, which has been regionalised entirely to be within the Australian context. 

• SimaPro Backup File  AusLCI_V1.47 released Jan 2026

• Version 2 has the latest version of ecoinvent in the background, using unmodified global or rest of world processes. Users should be aware of the End User Licence Agreement of the ecoinvent database.

• SimaPro Backup File AusLCI V2.47 released Jan 2026

• Installation instructions

• AusLCI database manual

• AusLCI Annual Electricity Report 2025

For SimaPro users, an EN15804 compliant version of AusLCI V2 + ecoinvent 3 is also available to purchase. Please get in touch for pricing here.

SHDB can serve as a valuable tool to conduct risk assessments around complex social issues. The Social Hotspot Database consists of a multi-regional economic input-output data which provides local and global supply chains and links these to a broad range of social metrics aligned per sector and per country.   
The Social Hotspot Database is a tool that supports not only supply chain managers, but has applications for policy-makers, development organizations, investors and donors as well. 
This information is not produced to provide an incentive to divestment in high-risk regions. On the contrary, the data made available should direct attention to social issues that are in need of enhanced engagement. 

Examples of  SHDB applications are listed below:

• Prioritize site-specific data collection and audits.

• Produce product category and commodity sustainability assessment.

• Inform Socially Responsible purchasing processes (e.g. questions to be asked when sourcing).

• Advise investment opportunities.

• Provide perspective and context to site-specific assessment results and sustainability reporting.

• Develop sponsored programs designed to improve the social conditions of production.

• Communicate about governmental policy and programs.

• Assess/report on the scope of a certification or social footprint results.

• Educate about the social conditions of production.
  

In particular, recent applications of the SHDB by our users include:

• ​Project sustainability assessments: a UK university used it for a biorefinery sustainability assessment. A large number of consultants and academics located on 4 continents report using the SHDB portal in their projects.

• Supply chain social due diligence: the US Cradle to Cradle Institute certification encourages participating companies to use the SHDB to conduct supply chain social risk reviews.

• Trading partners sustainability performance assessment: an EU government agency is using the tool to perform an initial assessment.

Pricing

Different price options are available depending on country development and affiliation, however only Australian prices are shown below. There is separate pricing for the SHDB and annual service contracts.

All prices are in Australian dollars, exclusive of GST.

Licence types:
Public / Private sector                             $10,619
Public / Private sector additional       $4,549
Multiple academic                                   $7,579
Single academic                                      $4,549

Service contracts:
Public / Private sector                             $4,549
Public / Private sector additional        $2,649
Multiple academic                                  $3,409
Single academic                                    $2,279

Please find our subscription order form here.

​*Prices updated as of October 2025.