The Nexus databases for ecoinvent 3.12 (Cutoff, APOS, Consequential system model), as well as the EN15804 add-on that is based in ecoinvent 3.12 got an update. All databases got corrections for the uncertainty calculations and the EN15804 add-on databases got corrections and improvements for the EPD modeling.
When using uncertainty calculations from Monte-Carlo-Simulations or from pedigree uncertainties in the results/reports or when using the EN15804 add-on it is suggested to update the databases to the new version. Because no inventories, processes or UUIDs are changes, the own models can be simply exported from the previous database and imported into the new one, where the provider and linkings will be automatically set again. The new versions are labeled with the release date inside the database zolca file name “2026-04-14”.
The following changes are done in the Nexus updates and the change-log can be also found in the download section of Nexus when clicking on “Show release notes” next to the database of interest.
Update for all ecoinvent 3.12 databases
- updated “ecoinvent Data Quality System” with corrected uncertainty factors, which is the square root of the previously used uncertainty factors
- added the base uncertainty in the pedigree uncertainty calculation window to all exchanges with uncertainty values
- added the pedigree uncertainty to exchanges with previously empty uncertainty values (because the base uncertainty got removed due to unreasonable high values)
- added the base uncertainty and pedigree uncertainty (both are merged by the sum of the variances) to all exchanges with uncertainty values (previously they always had the base uncertainty only)
Update for all EN15804 add-on (ecoinvent 3.12) databases
- changed the naming of “00 PCR – Global warming potential except emissions and uptake of biogenic carbon (GWP-IOBC/GHG)” to “PCR – Global warming potential except emissions and uptake of biogenic carbon (GWP-IOBC/GHG)” without the numbering of 00
- changed the ordering number for MFR from 29 to 28
- changed the ordering number for MER from 28 to 29
- added possible sources for databases, data formats and compliance standards according to the ILCD+EPD format
- changed the code for ADP-fossil back to ADPF according to ILCD+EPD format
- changed the code for ADP-minerals&metals back to ADPE according to ILCD+EPD format
- removed all long-term emissions from the environmental impact characterization (they were accidentally included in the last version and already removed in version 3.11)
- removed all biogenic carbon characterization from GWP-total, GWP-biogenic, GWP-IOBC/GHG indicators because biogenic carbon uptake and emission must be modeled manually in the foreground
- the removed biogenic carbon characterization factors are for “Carbon dioxide, in air”, “Carbon dioxide, non-fossil”, “Carbon dioxide, non-fossil, resource correction”, “Carbon monoxide, non fossil”
- removed the “Manual biogenic carbon balancing” characterization factor from the outdated “EN15804+A1” Method where the manual biogenic carbon modeling is not needed
- replaced the inventory indicator flow (elementary flow in openLCA) for “Manual biogenic carbon balancing” with “Manual biogenic carbon input” and “Manual biogenic carbon output” in the characterization factor tables
- removed the inventory indicator flow (elementary flow in openLCA) for “Manual biogenic carbon balancing” from the database
- added “Manual biogenic carbon input” and “Manual biogenic carbon output” characterization to the GWP-IOBC/GHG indicator with a characterization factor of zero to highlight that it is set to zero on purpose by the PCR