How HiQLCD Approaches Data Quality and LCA Modelling
Understand the sources, quality criteria and modelling principles behind HiQLCD - and what to check when selecting background data for Chinese supply chains.
Source: HiQLCD Database Generic Methodology Report, dated 15 December 2025. This article summarizes the documented approach, not dataset-specific quality scores or a completed independent audit. Check its applicability to the database version and datasets used in your study.
Background data should fit the supply chain you are assessing
Choosing LCA background data is not only about finding a matching product name. Geography, production technology, time coverage and modelling assumptions all affect whether a dataset is appropriate for your study.
HiQLCD is a China-focused life cycle inventory database. Its methodology combines localized data sources, defined quality criteria and documented modelling rules to help practitioners assess these factors.
China-specific sources, with attention to regional and technological differences
The methodology identifies five main source categories: authorized enterprise data, industry statistics, publicly available enterprise information, peer-reviewed literature, and co-created or shared datasets.
These sources serve different purposes. Enterprise-specific information can describe a particular production process, while statistical data can support representative industry averages.
Where relevant, datasets distinguish production technologies and regional conditions. For foundational sectors such as electricity and coal, the methodology describes regional or provincial modelling to capture differences in energy mixes and resource characteristics.
For your study: check the dataset's geography, technology and time coverage - not just its product name.
Quality assessed across five dimensions
HiQLCD's data quality framework considers:
- Technological representativeness: how closely the data reflect the production technology.
- Temporal representativeness: how closely the data match the relevant period.
- Geographical representativeness: how closely the data reflect the target location.
- Reliability: the dependability of sources, collection methods and verification.
- Completeness: how well the data cover the relevant activity and its normal variation.
Each dimension uses a five-level scale, from 1 - the highest quality - to 5 - the lowest.
This framework provides a structured way to evaluate suitability. It does not mean that every dataset has the same quality or is equally appropriate for every application.
Checks address both inventory data and modelling logic
The documented validation process includes mass, energy, water and relevant element balances, alongside checks for missing flows, inconsistent units and implausible values.
Review also considers the wider process chain: whether upstream inputs are connected, combustion emissions are included, and transport, waste treatment and co-products are modelled appropriately.
When information is missing, the methodology allows approaches such as literature research, stoichiometric calculations, representative proxies and expert estimates. The selected approach and its assumptions should be documented rather than hidden.
The review framework describes development-team checks, specialist review and independent external review. Any claim about a completed review should be accompanied by its actual scope, date and applicable database version.
System models are selected for the study's purpose
HiQLCD's methodology describes three system models:
- Allocation, Cut-off by Classification: an attributional approach with defined allocation and recycling rules.
- Substitution, Consequential: an approach using substitution assumptions to examine changes and scenarios.
- Allocation, Cut-off, EN15804: an approach addressing the modelling requirements described for EN15804 applications.
These models can assign different burdens to co-products, recycled materials and waste treatment. They should not be treated as interchangeable. Selection should follow the study's goal and applicable methodological requirements.
Documentation supports traceability - and informed use
The methodology specifies documentation covering process descriptions, geography, time coverage, reference flows, system boundaries, sources and modelling assumptions. It adopts the ILCD data structure to support structured documentation and data exchange.
For repeatable work, record the dataset, database version, system model and impact assessment method used.
China-specific inventory data also do not automatically make every impact assessment method China-specific. Method selection remains part of the practitioner's assessment.
Background datasets support an LCA; they do not replace the need to evaluate foreground data, project boundaries or applicable product category rules. Using a database alone does not guarantee certification, verification or acceptance under a particular programme.
Evaluating HiQLCD for your project? Start with representative datasets and review their coverage, documentation and modelling assumptions against your intended use.
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