Import databases · EcoSpold

Import EcoSpold databases

EcoSpold is not one format. EcoSpold 1 and EcoSpold 2 are two distinct XML structures from different eras, used by different sources. Pick the version that matches your file before following its import page.

Import EcoSpold 1 Import EcoSpold 2
Diagram: EcoSpold 1, One XML, EcoSpold 2, .spold files, OR, Identify the XML structure, Identify the activity files.
Two EcoSpold structures, distinct inputs.Identify the source structure before choosing an import path.

EcoSpold 1 or EcoSpold 2: which one do you have?

EcoSpold 1

  • One or more process datasets per XML file, under an ecoSpold root.
  • Used by ecoinvent versions 1 and 2, and by BAFU's published Swiss inventories.
  • References other processes by name and category rather than a stable UUID.

EcoSpold 1 format reference →

EcoSpold 2

  • One .spold activity dataset per file, normally packaged as a collection.
  • The exchange format ecoinvent version 3 and later use.
  • Links activities to each other and to flows through explicit UUIDs.

EcoSpold 2 format reference →

Detection, not guessing

Inspect the XML namespace and dataset structure rather than guessing from the archive name. VoLCA reports the detected format during upload. Only upload data you are entitled to use, to an engine whose access controls are appropriate for that data.

Where each version comes from

Public, Switzerland

BAFU publishes EcoSpold 1

The Swiss Federal Office for the Environment distributes its life-cycle inventories as EcoSpold 1 XML.

Import BAFU 2026v1 →

Licensed

ecoinvent publishes EcoSpold 2

ecoinvent version 3 and later distribute their background database as EcoSpold 2 .spold datasets, under a license you hold yourself.

Import ecoinvent →

Frequently asked questions

How do I tell which EcoSpold version a file uses?

Open the XML. EcoSpold 1 can carry one or more process datasets per XML file; EcoSpold 2 ships one .spold file per activity dataset with UUID-based links. VoLCA also detects the version itself from namespace and content, not the filename.

Can EcoSpold 1 and EcoSpold 2 be imported together?

Upload each as its own database. If one references the other as background, set depends in its configuration so suppliers resolve across them.

Does either EcoSpold version include an LCIA method?

No. Both carry inventory data only, activities, exchanges, and links. Import and verify a characterization method separately.

Know your version now?

Import EcoSpold 1 Import EcoSpold 2 All import paths Export EcoSpold databases