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Product carbon footprint – GHG Protocol and ISO 14067

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A full emissions inventory, a clear report and ideas to cut emissions. Ready for ESG, CSRD and customer requests

Prepared under the GHG Protocol Product Standard and ISO 14067

A report ready for customers, tenders, CSRD and supply chain questions

Full support: from data collection to your own calculator for the next years

Talk to us about your product carbon footprint.

Definition

What is a product carbon footprint?

A product carbon footprint (PCF) is the total greenhouse gas emissions from the life cycle of a product, shown in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e).

We calculate it with the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. So the result can include more than emissions from your factory. It can also include logistics from the extraction of raw materials, the use of the product and its disposal.

We calculate the product carbon footprint under the GHG Protocol Product Standard. If your customer, a certification body or a label programme asks for ISO 14067, we prepare the calculation and the report in that form too. Both methods are very similar, so you get the result in both without double work. Read our guide to calculating a product carbon footprint to see the steps.

These are the most common scopes of a carbon footprint report:

Cradle
to gate

The B2B scope. It covers the whole production process: raw materials, transport and production.

Gate
to gate

A very basic scope. It covers only production and preparing the product for shipping.

Cradle
to grave

The full life cycle. It covers raw materials, production, use and final disposal. Consumers want this scope, and ecodesign rules can require it.

When

When should you calculate a product carbon footprint?

Your customers ask for it

Your customers need supplier data for their own product footprints.

Tenders and purchasing rules

CO₂ is one of the criteria in many tenders.

Preparing for CSRD and ESG

Investors, banks and regulators ask for emissions data.

Input data

What data do we need?

Good data collection makes the project run smoothly.

If you collect data yourself, our supplier data checklist helps: a list of questions and a ready email template.

Cradle to gate
—Materials and packaging used in production
—Transport of these materials
—Products made
—Energy used in production
—Waste from production
Gate to gate
—Electricity used in production
—Fuels used in production
—Waste from production
—Products made
Cradle to grave
—Materials and packaging used in production
—Transport of these materials
—Products made
—Energy used in production
—Waste from production
—Transport to the customer
—Energy used when the product is in use
—How the product is disposed of at the end of its life
Team

Meet the team

Experienced EXERGY specialists run every project with our own proven methods. We do not give consulting work to subcontractors. We have worked in this field since 2017.

Meet the team →
Process

How do we work with you?

We keep the project on track. This is our process:

Week 0–1

Project start

—We agree the goal, scope and standard (GHG Protocol or ISO 14067)
—Kick-off meeting
Weeks 2–4

Data collection

—Data collection
—Data check
—Data corrections
Weeks 2–3

Analysis and calculation

—Carbon footprint calculation
—Analysis of results
—Report
Week 1

Report and next steps

—We present the report
—We discuss the results and conclusions
Case study

See our case studies

Services
Marketing agency, small and medium-sized company

A small marketing agency went from “we care about the planet” to hard data. It now has a strong ESG result and an argument that helps in tenders.

Read the case study →
Manufacturing
Plastic packaging manufacturer

How a plastic packaging manufacturer brought all climate topics together: the carbon footprint, a reduction strategy, climate risks and reporting to demanding customers.

Read the case study →
Contact

Looking for a carbon footprint specialist?

Contact us. Leave your details and our consultant will come back with a proposal.

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We use your details only to reply to your enquiry. More in our privacy policy.

See also

See also

Services

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

A verified declaration of your product's environmental impact.
Services

Life cycle assessment (LCA)

The full environmental impact of a product under ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.
Services

Product carbon footprint verification

An independent check of your PCF under ISO 14067.

Services

Transport carbon footprint under ISO 14083

Emissions from transport and logistics, well to wheel, all modes, ready for Scope 3.

Services

LCA critical review

An independent review of an LCA study under ISO 14044 and ISO/TS 14071, needed for public comparisons.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

1. A customer asked for our carbon footprint. What does it mean?+
The request can mean one of several analyses. It can be the carbon footprint of your organisation, most often Scopes 1 and 2. It can be the footprint of a product, for example from cradle to gate. It can also be an emissions intensity figure, for example per euro of revenue or per unit of product. Before you reply, ask your customer what information they need. This avoids misunderstandings.
2. Which standards do you use to calculate a carbon footprint?+
To make results reliable and comparable, companies use recognised methods: the GHG Protocol, ISO 14064-1 for organisations and ISO 14067 for products. These standards say which emissions to include, how to collect data and how to present the results. Your report is then useful inside your company and for your partners.
3. How often do you calculate a product carbon footprint?+
It depends on how fast your product and its production change. If the recipe, suppliers and technology stay the same, one study can stay valid for several years. If the recipe, the packaging or the transport changes, the result gets out of date and you should update it. Many companies calculate the product footprint at big product updates or before key tenders. Some calculate it every year, so the figures they share always show the real impact.
4. What do “cradle to gate” and “cradle to grave” mean?+
They set the boundaries of the study. “Cradle to gate” covers everything until the product leaves the factory: raw materials, transport, energy and production. “Cradle to grave” also covers distribution, use by the customer and the end of life. The choice depends on the goal of the study and on what your customers expect.
5. What data do you need to calculate a product carbon footprint?+
The key data is: amounts and types of raw materials, transport, energy used in production, and the type and weight of packaging. For the full life cycle, we also need data on use and disposal. The more accurate the data, the more reliable the result.
6. What do companies use product carbon footprint results for?+
For many things. The results go into tenders, sustainability reports and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), and they help in talks with customers. Some companies also compare their products and look for places to cut emissions.
7. What is ISO 14067, and when is it required?+
ISO 14067 is the international standard for the carbon footprint of a product (CFP). It covers the whole life cycle: raw materials, production, transport, use and disposal. It is based on the LCA standards ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, but it looks only at greenhouse gas emissions. Export customers, certification bodies and label programmes ask for ISO 14067 most often.
8. ISO 14067 or the GHG Protocol Product Standard: which one should you use?+
Both methods are very similar and give comparable results. European customers and formal certification ask for ISO 14067 more often. The GHG Protocol Product Standard is more common in the supply chains of US companies. We calculate so that you can report the result in both, with no double work for you.