Adaptive LCI data completion: Integrating neural processes and active learning for enhanced life cycle assessment

Accurate and comprehensive Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data underpins the reliability and accuracy of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) results. However, LCI data is often incomplete due to data unavailability, which affects the reliability and accuracy of LCA results. To address this issue, this paper introduces a novel approach for LCI data completion based on Neural Processes (NPs) combined with active learning for efficient adaptive refinement of LCI data completion. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms the state-of-the-art XGBoost-based method significantly, achieving up to 99% improvement in prediction accuracy. This means that by reducing data requirements by approximately 50% whilst improving predictive accuracy, the proposed AI model can provide more reliable LCA results in less time.