A product carbon footprint (PCF) is the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by one product over its life cycle. It adds up emissions from extracting raw materials, making components, assembly, transport, use and end of life, and converts them into a single number in kilograms of CO2 equivalent (kg CO2e).
It is narrower than a full environmental footprint, which also looks at water, land use and pollution. A PCF looks only at climate change, which is why it is often the first footprint companies calculate and the one customers and regulators ask for most.
How a product carbon footprint is calculated
A PCF is a life cycle assessment limited to climate impact. The two main methods are ISO 14067:2018 and the EU's Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method, set out in Commission Recommendation (EU) 2021/2279. The steps are similar:
- Define the product and functional unit, for example one jacket, or one kWh delivered by a battery over its life.
- Set the system boundary. Cradle to gate stops when the product leaves the factory; cradle to grave includes use and end of life.
- Collect activity data: materials and their weights, energy use in each process, transport distances and end-of-life routes. Company-specific data from suppliers is more accurate than generic database values.
- Apply emission factors to turn each activity into kg CO2e.
- Add up and document the result in a footprint study, with assumptions and data quality.
Most of a product's footprint usually sits in its supply chain, in materials and component manufacturing. That makes supplier data the deciding factor in an accurate PCF.
Where EU rules require it
Batteries. Article 7 of the EU Battery Regulation requires a carbon footprint declaration per battery model and manufacturing plant for electric vehicle batteries, rechargeable industrial batteries above 2 kWh (except those with exclusively external storage) and light means of transport batteries. It is expressed in kg CO2e per kWh of energy delivered over the battery's service life, followed later by performance classes and maximum thresholds. The dates for each category depend on Commission delegated acts that set the calculation and verification method. The declaration is part of the battery passport.
ESPR products. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) lists carbon footprint and environmental footprint among the parameters that a delegated act can use for information requirements or performance limits. Where a delegated act requires it, the footprint goes into the Digital Product Passport.
Claims. The Empowering Consumers Directive applies from 27 September 2026. It bans claims that a product has a neutral, reduced or positive impact on the climate when the claim is based on offsetting. A PCF based on real reductions is the solid ground for any climate statement.
What it means for your products
- You need supplier data. Ask suppliers for their own footprints for materials and components, with the method and boundary they used.
- Footprints change. New suppliers, materials or energy sources change the result, so keep the calculation up to date and versioned. Under the Battery Regulation the declaration is made per battery model and per manufacturing plant.
- Data has to travel. Formats such as the UN Transparency Protocol carry emissions data between supply-chain partners in a machine-readable, verifiable way.
- Lower-carbon materials help twice. Using recycled content often lowers the footprint and helps meet recycled content targets.
How to prepare
- Choose a method (ISO 14067 or PEF) and stick to it across your range so results are comparable.
- Start with your highest-volume or regulated products, such as batteries.
- Request primary data from your main suppliers and record where generic data fills gaps.
- Keep a footprint study for each product, with version history, ready for verification and passports.
How Veribl helps
Veribl stores each product's carbon footprint with its supporting study and shows it in the Digital Product Passport, in the access level the rules require. Battery passports include the carbon footprint data of the Battery Pass data model, and suppliers can share their own footprint data through the supplier portal.
See battery passports in VeriblOfficial sources
Frequently asked questions
How is a product carbon footprint calculated?
With a life cycle assessment limited to climate change. You define the product and functional unit, set the system boundary (cradle to gate or cradle to grave), collect activity data such as materials, energy and transport, multiply it by emission factors and add up the results in kg CO2e. ISO 14067 and the EU PEF method set the rules.
What is the difference between cradle to gate and cradle to grave?
Cradle to gate covers emissions from raw material extraction until the product leaves the factory. Cradle to grave adds distribution, use and end of life. Business-to-business data exchange often uses cradle to gate, while consumer-facing and regulatory footprints often cover the full life cycle.
Do batteries need a carbon footprint declaration?
Yes. Article 7 of the EU Battery Regulation requires a carbon footprint declaration for electric vehicle batteries, rechargeable industrial batteries above 2 kWh (except those with exclusively external storage) and light means of transport batteries. It is expressed in kg CO2e per kWh of energy delivered over the battery's service life, and the dates for each category depend on Commission delegated acts setting the calculation method.
Is the carbon footprint part of the Digital Product Passport?
It can be. ESPR lists carbon footprint among the parameters a delegated act can require for a product group, and the battery passport includes the carbon footprint declaration. Which products must show it is decided in each delegated act.
Can I call a product climate neutral if I offset its emissions?
Not in the EU from 27 September 2026. The Empowering Consumers Directive bans claims that a product has a neutral, reduced or positive greenhouse gas impact when the claim is based on offsetting emissions.
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