Carbon Footprint and the Product Passport

The carbon footprint is one of the most visible and most-scrutinised pieces of data in the Digital Product Passport. For both consumers and regulators, the question "how much greenhouse gas did this product emit?" is increasingly central.

What is a product carbon footprint (PCF)?

The product carbon footprint (PCF) is the sum of greenhouse gases a product emits across its life cycle, expressed in CO₂ equivalent. The calculation is a carbon-focused subset of a life-cycle assessment (LCA) and usually rests on the GHG Protocol or ISO 14067.

Scopes (1-2-3)

• Scope 1: direct emissions (fuel at your own facility).
• Scope 2: purchased energy (electricity).
• Scope 3: indirect emissions — purchased materials, logistics, use. For most products the largest share sits here and requires supply-chain data.

Relationship to CBAM

The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) puts a carbon cost on imports of carbon-intensive products such as cement, steel, aluminium and fertiliser. CBAM reporting and the DPP's carbon data rest on the same underlying measurements; a manufacturer doing one is largely ready for the other. That is the double return of collecting carbon data.

Why does correct declaration matter?

A wrong or exaggerated carbon claim carries greenwashing risk and raises the cost of non-compliance. So the carbon value in the passport must be presented verifiably, together with its calculation boundary and method.

For exporters

Collecting carbon data also makes visible the tangible benefit of circularity improvements: as recycled content rises, PCF usually falls. That is a strong story for both compliance and marketing. To get started, see the data-collection checklist.

Frequently asked questions