On the one hand, Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) and Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) are not regulatory requirements within the PPWR. On the other hand, without a certified carbon footprint, you can no longer make a compliant, comparative environmental statement. And there are other reasons for calculating it. We show you two reliable ways – and how you achieve two objectives at once.
Why the product carbon footprint is important
If you want to do good and talk about it, the EU directive “Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition” (EmpCo) requires you to scientifically substantiate sustainability claims and create transparency in your environmental information. This applies regardless of whether the planned additional Green Claims Directive will be implemented or not.
Apart from that, there are other reasons for a certified product carbon footprint (PCF): Within the supply chain, the PCF is becoming the next hard currency after quality and price. Pressure from the supply chain also arises when your customers need or want to calculate product emissions and are dependent on the corresponding values along their supply chain.
Approaches and experience reports
As part of ISO 14067 certification processes for our customers, we have gained some experience in determining a compliant Product Carbon Footprint (PCF). There are basically two viable approaches:
- You derive the PCF from the CCF using software.
- You commission an external provider.
We have taken both approaches together with customers and can therefore provide you with a well-founded experience report with the pros and cons of the two options.
Deriving PCFs from the CCF
- The software solution we use as BP Consultants (CAD; Carbon+Alt+Delete) was originally designed to calculate the CCF.
- These company emissions can be assigned to defined products within the software and with the help of distribution keys.
- As a simplified example: The company’s energy consumption is divided into 20 percent product A, 30 percent product B, and 50 percent product C.
- The entire PCF calculation is therefore in one place and is mapped using the software.
- You have full access to the data, have your own logins, and can adjust all parameters, such as the distribution keys, yourself.
- You have a software solution that you can also use to calculate your CCF in a compliant manner.
- The CAD software can only be licensed through us.
Outsourcing PCF creation
- You commission an external provider (such as BV – Bureau Veritas) to collect the data and perform the calculations for the defined products.
- Transparency in the process is severely limited, as you cannot see exactly what happens to the collected data, how the calculation is performed, etc.
- At the end of the process, you (only) receive the report and the results in absolute figures. You have no access to the software or emission data used.
- You only receive your PCF and not your CCF.
Pros and cons at a glance
Conclusion
We can support you in both approaches and have already successfully implemented both with our customers. Get in touch with us and we will help you to determine which approach is best for your company.
