Product Carbon Footprint

Product Carbon Footprint (CFP) refers to the total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions released by a product throughout its life cycle, including all stages from raw material extraction, production (or service provision), distribution, use, to final recycling/disposal.

The main purposes of product carbon footprint evaluation are: (1) to identify emission sources and quantities, help enterprises explore emission reduction potential, enhance consumer communication, improve reputation, and strengthen brand value for effective GHG reduction; (2) to provide verification reports for downstream energy-consuming enterprises to reference in green supply chain management, enabling them to select lower-carbon products based on lifecycle carbon footprint indicators; (3) to support market communication by demonstrating carbon emission advantages, providing material support for green procurement in the industry.

Methodological standards for product carbon footprint include: (1) PAS 2050:2011 Specification for the assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services; (2) Greenhouse Gas Protocol: Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard; (3) ISO 14067:2018/GB/T 24067:2024 Greenhouse gases - Product carbon footprint - Quantification requirements and guidelines.

Product carbon footprint accounts for all lifecycle GHG emissions and is not intended for trading or inter-enterprise emission comparisons.

The evaluation process includes: (1) Goal and scope definition; (2) Inventory analysis; (3) Impact assessment of carbon footprint results; (4) Interpretation of results.