Product Carbon Footprint Protocol
Product CarbonFootprint ProtocolRequired data and documentation to enable footprint communication and product labelling.Part 2: Requirements forCommunication
2The Carbon TrustAbout the Carbon TrustThe Carbon Trust is an independent company established in 2001. Its mission is to accelerate the moveto a sustainable low carbon economy by working with business, the public sector, and investors.The Carbon Trust carries out a wide range of activities, including working directly with business toreduce greenhouse gas emissions, explaining the strategic implications of climate change and investingin new technologies and businesses that will help to tackle climate change.
ForewordProduct Footprint CertificationThe Product Carbon Footprint Protocol (PFProtocol) builds on the experience of theCarbon Trust product carbon footprintcertification programme in establishingrequirements for greenhouse gas (GHG)emission measurement, management andreduction.other greenhouse gases emitted during its life.It includes production, use and disposal.Devised by the Carbon Trust, the Carbon Label1is a way for companies to show they havemeasured and/or reduced the carbon footprintof a good or service.The PF Protocol delivers clear requirementsand guidance for organisations seeking tomeasure and reduce their product’s emissions,and is provided in two parts: Part 1:setstheminimumrequirements for footprint certification; and Part 2: establishes requirementscommunication and labelling.forThis PF Protocol is freely available for use byorganisations and programme operators tosupport their continuing efforts to reduce GHGemissions from their activities.About the Carbon LabelEverything we buy, produce and use has acarbon footprint. The carbon footprint of a goodor service is the total carbon dioxide (CO2) andUse of the Carbon Label logo, or other claims of conformance is restricted to those organisations that have achieved certification of their product’s carbonfootprint by Carbon Trust Certification or its accredited and licensed certification partners.1
4 Introduction1 IntroductionPart 2 of the Product Carbon Footprint (PF) Protocol establishes criteriaand options for effective communication and labelling. It builds on thecertification definitions, principles, and requirements in Part 1.There are currently three global standards ortechnical specifications focussing on productcarbon footprinting:consistency whilst preventingclaims of precision or certainty.1.1 PAS 2050 (2011) 2GHG Protocol Product StandardISO 14067Each of the above documents has a slightlydifferent approach to the requirements forcommunicating the results of a footprintcalculation. However, the core principles foreach are derived from ISO 14020, 14021,14025 and DEFRA’s Green Claims Guidance.See section 5 for details. Part 2 of the PFProtocol is intended to provide a consistent setof requirements compatible with these wideranging communication frameworks.Part 2 of the PF Protocol isorganised in four sections1.Introduction2.General Public Communications3.Comparison Claims4.ReductionThe specific aims of the PF Protocol are toenable suitable communication of quantifiedinformation covering footprints and planned orachieved reductions. In order to do so, theProtocol sets rules for comparability and tradeoffs between simplicity and completeness.The PF Protocol Part 1 defines clearrequirements for data and calculations. Part 1hence provides the basis for Part 2. Thecombinationprovidesconfidenceand2misleadingIf using PAS 2050:2008, refer to the “Code of Good Practice” and “Code of Good Practice Interpretation Document”
General public communications 52 General public communicationsThe PF Protocol is primarily intended to be applied to publiccommunication of footprints. Effective, communication of quantifiedinformation on-pack or otherwise at point-of-sale is inherently morecomplex than, for example, making a simple statement of achievement.2.1Public Communication OptionsCompanies are permitted to communicate thecertified results and/or claim a reductioncommitment/achieved reduction, as introducedin Table 2.Expiry or withdrawal ofcertification means companies will no longer bepermitted to make related public statements inassociation with the Carbon Trust.Table 1 – Footprint RoundingLife cycle GHG emissions(CO2e) per functional orreference unitRound tonearest: 10g, 20g1gFootprint measurements must conform to therequirements laid out in Part 1. 20g, 40g2g 40g, 100g5g2.2 100g, 200g10g 200g, 400g20g 400g, 1.0Kg50g 1.0Kg, 2.0Kg100g 2.0Kg, 4.0Kg200g 4.0Kg, 10.0Kg500getc.etc.Preparing Footprint ResultsPresenting simple, quantified environmentalinformation in any public arena should be donewith care. A single footprint number relies ona great deal of background information thatitself cannot effectively be communicated at thepoint of sale.Any assumptions andcommentary regarding the footprint must beavailable upon request, so that consumers mayunderstand issues around (amongst others)precision and uncertainty. See section 2.1 forfull reporting requirements.In order to manage precision and uncertainty ina straightforward manner, final footprints forpublic use must be rounded according to the listin Table 1. The rules generate up to anapproximate /- 5% rounding impact.Disclosure of results directly to anotherbusiness within a supply chain should be doneusing the raw, unrounded footprint values.A change to a calculated footprint that alters therounded result is considered to be material.
6 General public communicationsTable 2 - Communication OptionsCommunication optionRequirements in addition to conformitywith Part 1 of this Protocol‘The Product Carbon Footprint of this product has If the level of assurance is listed as “limited”been certified by Certification Body ’.on the contract and verification statement,this must be clearly indicated in allcommunications.The list or a subset of the list of certified numbers, To support publication of product footprintreductions and products may be published.information, it is necessary to generate andmake available upon demand an InventoryReport or other supporting information asrequired by the relevant footprint standard.Comparison between certified products.Further details are defined in section 3Comparison claims below.Companies may claim: ‘The footprint reduction of Information regarding the measures taken toX% achieved by this product has been certified by generate reductions must be included within Certification Body ’.the Inventory Report. See section 4 ,Reduction.A company’s commitment to reduce the footprint(s) This is a future-oriented claim and must notof certified product list .be quantified. See section 4.3.1 Setting outfuture intentions.A claim to business clients regarding cradle-to-gate The boundary limitations of a Cradle-to-Gatefootprints of certified products.(Business-to-Business) footprint must beclear.If the use phase is not included in the productfootprint it cannot be communicated to thegeneral public, only to a business.2.3Supplementary Rule HierarchyIn addition to the methods for presentingfootprint results discussed above, the use ofsupplementary or product category rules helpsto ensure consistency and transparency ofpublic information.The following hierarchy of rules must beapplied when deciding which published rulesare applicable:1.Generic (e.g.calculation)transportemissions2.Sector specific (e.g. bakery products)3.Product specific (e.g. bread)
General public communications 72.4Requirements for Third PartyVerificationfootprint and have readily available informationregarding any biogenic storage.Public disclosure must always be accompaniedby a valid verification statement from a thirdparty, which must at least be available uponrequest. The verification statement must bebased upon decision-making processescovering the following areas: 2.5Conformity to the relevant productfootprint standardProduct definitionData requirements, scope, quality andmaterialityReductioncalculationsandcomparisons, if applicableInventory reportingPreparing to use a LabelGeneral information can be found on ourwebsite3, and detailed usage requirements areavailable upon request.The Carbon Label may optionally beaccompanied by a text box. The content maycover comparison claims, cradle to gateinformation, reduction information, mitigationactions suggested for consumers etc. and mustbe reviewed and approved by Carbon TrustCertification Ltd.Cradle to grave footprints may be used uponboth primary (consumer) and secondarypackaging. However, cradle to gate footprintsmay only be applied to secondary packaging inorder to avoid misleading interpretation.Any cradle to gate footprint must be clearlyindicated as such, be presented as a t-label4Emissions net of any temporary biogenic storage expected to be released within the full life-cycle of the product
8 Comparison claims3 Comparison claimsA common reason for releasing footprint results into the public domainis as the basis for some form of comparison. Members of the public willalso likely make their own tacit comparisons to pre-existing informationor assumptions. It is crucial therefore that the basis for thesecomparisons is as clear and consistent as possible to avoid misleadingclaims.Comparison claims can be grouped into 5categories as follows. Certified reductionclaims are covered in section 4 .3.1managing a confidential generic footprint,normally only the resulting average footprintwill be disclosed to the company making theclaim.Brand Compared to Brand3.3It is possible to compare a product footprintwith one published by a competitor. Any suchcomparison can only be made against afootprint generated with equivalent rules andassumptions. As such, this is a “Type III”comparison claim as defined by ISO 14025. Tomake such a public comparison requiresagreement from all brand owners involved.3.2Comparison with GenericProductsIf a direct product comparison is not possible ordesired, a specific brand’s product may becompared against a generic product with thesame function, e.g. “Average Soda” comparedto a company’s specific soft drink.To gain this type of generic number, companiesmust use comparable, anonymised published orunpublished footprints.A minimum of two existing product footprintsare required to calculate the generic footprint.If Carbon Trust Certification is responsible forImpact on Company’s ownProduct SystemRather than making comparisons to otherproducts, an alternative available is to compareintra-product scenarios.For example,everything else being equal, companies maycompare the footprint of 1Lt coke bottles madeof PET or glass. Both or just one of the PET orglass variants may exist as a sold product.3.4Comparisons of IndividualParts of the Life CycleIf companies wish to focus the message upon aparticular element of a footprint, Carbon TrustCertification allows the comparison of partialfootprints. For example, the comparison of theuse phase of a 32 inch LED TV with the usephase of a 32 inch LCD TV.Companies must ensure that any materialupstream life cycle emissions are comparable toensure the claim is not misleading. If oneproduct has a lower use phase but much higher
Comparison claims 9manufacturing or distribution emissions theclaim may be considered misleading.3.5Impact on a Different ProductSystemRather than comparing a product’s footprintwith another, companies may disclose theimpact their product has on the emissions of asystem it works with. For example: Additives can affect the efficiency ofcentral heating systems.Fleet fuel efficiency software affectsthe fuel economy of driven vehicles.In this case, the product will often have a lowembodied footprint in comparison with thesystem that it affects. To that end, this type ofcomparison has two elements which must beperformed:1.2.Calculate the product’s footprint toprovide transparency on the relativeimpact of the product’s embodiedemissions compared to the impact onthe system; and,Generate a comparison between twouse phase scenarios, either:a. With and without the productor;b. With 2 variants of the product.Full transparent reporting of the assumptionsused is required.If only the second element of the comparison iscalculated, ISO 14064 Part I will apply.
10 Reduction4 ReductionClaims about planned or actual footprint reductions require specific andcareful management. This section defines our requirements for makingand managing fair, clearly defined reduction claims.4.1Calculating AchievedReductionsPart 1 of the PF Protocol provides requirementsfor calculating quantified reductions. There areno requirements regarding the size of anyachieved quantitative reduction.When quantification is not possible (e.g.significant data quality clashes), reductionsmay be disclosed on a qualitative basis inagreement with Carbon Trust Certification.The basis for achieved, qualitative reductionclaims must be disclosed.4.2Consumer ReductionsNot all reductions may occur in a company’ssupply chain or own operations. If suitableevidence can be provided, consumer-drivenreductions may be applicable. Evidence isrequired describing a programme of change ormarketing campaign that will lead to a modifieduse-phase in future, e.g. new cookinginstructions.4.3Managing ReductionProgrammesCompanies must ensure that any reductionclaim is resolved before the original footprintbecomes obsolete (e.g. the validity perioddefined by the product footprint standardexpires).4.3.1Setting out future intentionsClaims about future reductions must besupported by a suitable, publically disclosed,reduction plan (for example within anInventory Report).A failure to demonstrate planned reductionsremoves the option to make future claims, untilthis failure is addressed. A company may usealternative communications (e.g. regardingfootprint measurement or project-basedactivities).4.3.2Banking large reductions for thefutureIf large reductions of at least 5% are made theresults may be used over up to 4 subsequentyears, assuming no significant subsequentlyincrease. In other words, if an initial reductionof more than 5% is achieved, this may be reused twice, assuming a 2-year footprint validityperiod. This is known as “banking”. Claims ofthis nature must reference the original footprintyear, so that the time period covered by areduction claim is clear.
Reduction 114.3.3Intention and causalityAll sources of emission change must beincluded, as specified in Part 1 section 4.1.3.Some events which affect reductionprogrammes are unavoidable and are classed as“force majeure”. Events included in thisdefinition are:Fire, flood, earthquake, storm, hurricane orother natural disaster (including pests anddiseases), war, invasion, act of foreign enemies,hostilities (whether war is declared or not), civilwar, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, militaryor usurped power or confiscation, terroristactivities, government sanction, blockage,embargo, interruption or failure of energysuppliers.In this case, reduction assessment may bedelayed by up to a year.Other, operational, events may cause a failureto reduce. In this case, it is possible to pausereduction claims until corrective action is taken,or use alternative communications (e.g.regarding footprint measurement or projectbased activities).
12 References5 ReferencesFurther relevant information on product emissions assessment, communication and certification maybe found in the following referenced documents: ISO 14064-1:2006 Greenhouse gases – Part 1: Specification with guidance at the organization levelfor quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals ISO 14064-3:2006 Greenhouse gases – Part 3: Specification with guidance for the validation andverification of greenhouse gas assertions ISO 14065:2013 Greenhouse gases – Requirements for greenhouse gas validation and verificationbodies for use in accreditation or other forms of recognition ISO 14025:2006 Environmental labels and declarations – Type III environmental declarations –Principles and procedures Publicly Available Specification PAS 2050:2011, BSI Greenhouse Gas Protocol: Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard (2011), WRI &WBCSD ISO/TS 14067:2013 Greenhouse gases – Carbon footprint of products – Requirements andguidelines for quantification and communication Green Claims Guidance (2011), DEFRA The Carbon Footprint Label: Style guidelines (2013), Carbon Trust Code of Good Practice for Product Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Reduction Claims (2008), CarbonTrust
carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of a good or service is the total carbon dioxide (CO 2) and 1 Use of the Carbon Label logo, or other claims of conformance is restricted to those organisations that have achieved certification of their product’s carbon footprint by Carbon Trust Certi
Calculate your carbon footprint and make changes to reduce it Students will explore the concept of a carbon footprint, calculate their yearly carbon footprint and create a picture informing others how to reduce or offset their carbon footprints. Learning outcomes By the end of this activity, students will: calculate their carbon footprint and .
Carbon Footprint drawing Crayons, markers, or colored pencils in the suggested colors The Carbon Footprint Survey will ask a series of questions that will direct the participant to color lines around the footprint drawing. The more greenhouse gases you produce, based on your answers, the bigger the carbon footprint grows.
Carbonfree Product Certification – Carbon Footprint Protocol – Version 6.0 FINAL May 2015 1 Carbonfree Product Certification Carbon Footprint Protocol The original version of this document was created in 2007 by the Edinburgh Centre for
4 4 ISO 14067:2015 - Greenhouse gases - Product carbon footprint - Quantification and communication requirements and guidance 5 Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard (WBCSD) 6 BSI PAS 2050: 20116 - Specification for the assessment of life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services Carbon Footprint The Carbon Footprint (CF) is a method consistent with LCA ISO 14040 and .
from a climate perspective is carbon foot-print. A building carbon footprint includes both operation emissions and the emissions associated with producing the material. A building material carbon footprint is often referred to as “embodied carbon.” Note that embodied carbon refers to th
1 Product carbon footprint (PCF) – a carbon footprint of a product or service rather than an organization. 2 Carbon Footprint – measurement of global greenhouse gas emissions associated with a product, service, organization, region, industry, nation, etc. Carb
Fig. 1 Carbon footprint hotspots of global and regional consumptions in mainland China in 2012. a shows carbon footprint (CF) hotspots of foreign final consumption. b–d show carbon footprint hotspots of the consumption of the United States, Hong Kong, and Japan, respectively. Among all foreign regions,
BEAM Team Memo Rosalind Arwas Carolyn Perkins Helen Woodhall A very warm welcome to the March/April 2021 edition of The BEAM. This time last year, the spring edition unexpectedly almost became our last but, as the
