Changes in the environmental profile of a popular passenger car over the last 30 years - Results of a simplified LCA study

In this paper, we use life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to determine whether the strategy of material composition in a popular Volkswagen Golf model has reduced its environmental load over the last 30 years. The main parameter of our simplified model of LCA was the weight of the materials used to build the car, with the impact on the environment assessed in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. The obtained results indicate a systematically increasing impact on climate that is 49% greater in the Golf Mk6 than in the oldest model, the Golf Mk1. The increased load associated with the production stage is only compensated to a small degree during the operation of a car. For example, by replacing the Mk5 model with the Mk6 model, the environmental benefits begin only after 21 years of use.