Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)

Q: Is PEF the same as an LCA or an EPD?

No. LCA (life cycle assessment) is the general method for assessing a product's life cycle, set out in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. PEF is a detailed LCA method from the European Commission. It sets common calculation rules, a fixed set of impact categories and shared databases. This should make results easier to compare between products. An EPD is a different way to publish LCA results, as an environmental product declaration. In practice, it competes with PEF.

Q: Is PEF mandatory?

Today, no EU law makes PEF mandatory. The European Commission recommends it for assessing the environmental impact of products. Many experts expect EU product rules to use PEF in the future, for example under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). But this is still in progress, and not all details are fixed.

Q: How is PEF different from a product carbon footprint?

A product carbon footprint shows one thing only: how much greenhouse gas the product's life cycle emits. It covers emissions from raw materials, production, transport, use and disposal. The result says only how the product affects climate change. PEF looks at the impact on the environment much more widely. Besides greenhouse gases, it covers other problems too: use of natural resources, water and soil pollution, impact on ecosystems and water use. The PEF method is also more detailed, so it takes more work to prepare. It needs more indicators and more precise data on the whole life cycle. So the carbon footprint is only one part of a PEF study. A carbon footprint answers the question “how much CO₂ does the product cause?”. PEF answers a wider one: “what is the total impact of the product on the environment?”.

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We prepare a PEF study for your product

You get ready for the Digital Product Passport (DPP)

The study follows the European Commission method

Talk to us about a PEF study for your product.

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Definition

What is the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)?

The Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) is a method from the European Commission. It measures the impact of a product on the environment over its whole life cycle.

The study covers every stage of the product's life: raw materials, production, transport, use and waste.

The PEF method is based on life cycle assessment (LCA) under ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. It gives a full picture of the product's impact in many impact categories.

The detailed rules for the LCA come from the PEFCR: calculation rules for specific product categories.

PEF uses the same rules for modelling and reporting. So you can compare products in the same category and share your data in a credible way.

Scope

What does a PEF study involve?

The Product Environmental Footprint measures the impact of a product on the environment over its whole life cycle.

The PEF method looks at 16 impact categories, such as climate change, acidification, eutrophication and use of natural resources.

The results show which stages of the product's life cycle have the largest impact.

The study covers, among other things:

—Energy used in production

—Raw materials and other materials

—Greenhouse gas emissions

—Water use

—Waste

—Impact on ecosystems

Benefits

Why do a PEF study?

An EU method

PEF is the European Commission's method for documenting a product life cycle assessment.

See where the impact comes from

The study shows which stages of production and the supply chain have the largest impact on the environment.

Getting ready for the Digital Product Passport

Data on the product's impact on the environment will be a required part of the Digital Product Passport.

Input data

What data do we need for a PEF study?

Good data collection makes the project run smoothly.

Data we need

—Materials and packaging used in production

—Transport of these materials

—Products made

—Energy used in production

—Waste from production

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.

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Process

How do we work with you?

We keep the project on track with a proven process:

Week 1

Project start

—We agree the scope and goals of the project

—Kick-off meeting

Weeks 2–4

Analysis

—Data collection

—Data check

—Data corrections, if needed

Weeks 2–3

PEF report

—LCA calculations

—Document layout and design

—Draft PEF report

Week 1

Project close

—We go through the results with you

—Formal project close

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

Contact us

Let's talk about a PEF study for your product. Leave your details and our consultant will come back with a proposal.

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Frequently asked questions

Is PEF the same as an LCA or an EPD?+

No. LCA (life cycle assessment) is the general method for assessing a product's life cycle, set out in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. PEF is a detailed LCA method from the European Commission. It sets common calculation rules, a fixed set of impact categories and shared databases. This should make results easier to compare between products. An EPD is a different way to publish LCA results, as an environmental product declaration. In practice, it competes with PEF.

Is PEF mandatory?+

Today, no EU law makes PEF mandatory. The European Commission recommends it for assessing the environmental impact of products. Many experts expect EU product rules to use PEF in the future, for example under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). But this is still in progress, and not all details are fixed.

What is a PEFCR?+

A PEFCR (Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules) is a set of detailed calculation rules for a specific product category. It sets, for example, the system boundaries, how to allocate emissions, the data you need and the calculation methods. With PEFCRs, you can compare products in the same category more objectively.

How is PEF different from a product carbon footprint?+

A product carbon footprint shows one thing only: how much greenhouse gas the product's life cycle emits. It covers emissions from raw materials, production, transport, use and disposal. The result says only how the product affects climate change. PEF looks at the impact on the environment much more widely. Besides greenhouse gases, it covers other problems too: use of natural resources, water and soil pollution, impact on ecosystems and water use. The PEF method is also more detailed, so it takes more work to prepare. It needs more indicators and more precise data on the whole life cycle. So the carbon footprint is only one part of a PEF study. A carbon footprint answers the question “how much CO₂ does the product cause?”. PEF answers a wider one: “what is the total impact of the product on the environment?”.