I hate predictions and am the first to admit that there's not much point in them. Either you end up with egg on your face because you predicted something that didn't even come close to being true. Or you hit on something (either by luck or by judgement) that does come true and you can rest on your laurels - at least for a short time.
However, it does seem to me that momentum in the product lifecycle measurement arena is picking up speed. Many companies have already tackled their energy footprint, their company wide carbon measurement, and some have even gone as far as installing carbon accounting software (which is springing up in every sector).
So it's not a very off-the-wall idea to think that these activities will continue in 2011 and the next logical step is product level lifecycle measurement. There are a variety of reasons for a company to go all the way to product level: 1) they have to report to their client or their government, (2) they want to communicate to the consumer (although frankly we should just call this what it really is - a PR effort), (3) they have or want to participate in academic research either for kudos or for a fuller understanding of their impacts, (4) they recognize that the cost benefits they've realized at the macro level will continue at the micro level - and it all adds up.
So, I'll meet you back here in January 2012 and we'll see if this predication had any legs. In the meantime, have a happy and healthy New Year and let's hope (for the planet's sake) that sustainability - as a business practice - continues to gain even more traction in the year ahead. Onward and upward!
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