The short version
Below280 originated as the LCA service of Narec (now known as ORE Catapult).
Where did we come from?
In 2003, the UK National Renewable Energy Centre was founded in Blyth, Northumberland. Then, in 2008, the Distributed Energy department was founded, focusing on LCA and onshore renewable energy. As Narec transitioned into ORE Catapult, the Distributed Energy department spun out as a separate company, which was eventually called Decerna. Decerna evolved into Decerna Group, providing a wide range of services to the sustainability sector, acting as both a consultancy and a developer. By 2026, the range of services had become so diverse it made sense to then separate the LCA services off as a separate company, that is, Below280.
What do we do?
We provide a range of services related to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Across our many forms, we have been undertaking LCA for almost twenty years. We provide a wide range of LCA-related services, including Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and carbon capture due diligence. We not only provide consultancy, but also training, education and workshops.
What makes us unique?
We are not an organisation that provides tick-box, quick LCAs; our team includes a range of scientists and engineers, enabling us to truly understand the product or service we are investigating. We provide in-depth scientific LCA studies, and we mirror that with our training. We are involved in various research projects, and publish scientific articles and book chapters, crossing the line between commercial consultancy and academia. If you want an in depth LCA provided by experts who understand your product, we are the right people.
What do we use?
We are strong believers in open source, which allows for transparency on a level that other options do not provide, which is especially important for due diligence. We use openLCA, and are the UK partner for GreenDelta, the developers of openLCA. In addition, we are gradually developing our own open software solutions to work with openLCA.
Who do we work with?
Our clients are varied, from start ups who wish to ensure they develop something as sustainable as possible, through to major investors and developers of carbon capture systems. We work on commercial projects and in depth funded research programs covering a wide range of consultancy and educational elements of understanding environmental impacts.
How do you work with us?
Whatever your interest, be it commercial, research, consultancy, training, or just want to say hello, please contact us oninfo@below280.com