Product Carbon Footprint (PCF): a practical guide for teams that ship real products

TL;DR — A product carbon footprint (PCF) totals the greenhouse-gas emissions (in CO₂e) of a single product across its life cycle. It’s requested by buyers, used in programs like CBAM, and underpins construction EPDs. Calculate it with activity data × emission factors following ISO 14067 and the GHG Protocol Product Standard.

Jump to: What PCF means · Where it’s used · How to calculate · Do you need it? · Pitfalls · Data checklist · Climate Seal · FAQ · Sources

What PCF means

A product carbon footprint (PCF) is the total GHG emissions associated with a product across defined life-cycle stages—typically raw materials, manufacturing, logistics, use, and end-of-life—reported in CO₂e.

Conceptual equation: PCF = Σ (activity data × emission factor) across included stages, with clear allocation, data quality, and uncertainty rules per the standards.

Key rulebooks:

ISO 14067 (built on ISO 14040/44 LCA principles)
GHG Protocol — Product Life Cycle Standard (PDF: direct link)

Where PCFs are used

Customer & investor disclosure. Buyers with Science Based Targets (SBTi) often require product-level emissions. SBTi criteria: when Scope 3 ≥ 40% of total emissions, targets must cover ≥ 67% of Scope 3 (source).
Regulation. The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has a transitional reporting phase (2023–2025); from 2026, importers surrender CBAM certificates tied to embedded emissions.
Construction & EPDs. Environmental Product Declarations are based on PCF/LCA aligned with EN 15804 (Type III declarations under ISO 14025). Good explainers: One Click LCA · Circular Ecology.
Voluntary claims & comparisons. Early framework PAS 2050 still informs practice.

How a PCF is calculated

Follow ISO 14067 / GHG Protocol steps:

1. Goal & scope. Define the product, functional unit (e.g., “1 kg of resin”), system boundary (“cradle-to-gate” vs “cradle-to-grave”), reference year, assurance needs.

2. Life-cycle inventory (LCI). Gather primary data (energy, fuel, yields, scrap, wastes, transport) and pair with vetted emission factors (materials, electricity, fuels, processes). Track biogenic carbon where relevant.

3. Allocation rules. For multi-output processes, apply mass/energy/economic allocation or system expansion—document your choice.

4. Impact calculation. Multiply activity data × emission factors for each stage; roll up to the functional unit.

5. Uncertainty & data quality. Quantify representativeness and uncertainty; run sensitivity checks; consider third-party critical review for public claims.

6. Reporting. Provide boundary diagrams, assumptions, allocation, data sources, and a reproducible calculation trail; for EPDs, follow the relevant PCR and verification rules.

PCF vs corporate inventory: A corporate GHG inventory totals Scope 1, 2, 3 emissions for the company in a year. A PCF follows one product through its life cycle. PCFs enable apples-to-apples comparisons of designs/materials/suppliers and feed credible supplier-specific data into customers’ Scope 3 reporting.

Do you need a PCF?

You likely do if any apply:

You sell into the EU and your goods contain CBAM-covered materials (steel, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, electricity, hydrogen).
Your customers ask for product-level emissions or are SBTi-committed.
You publish EPDs or market “low-carbon” SKUs in construction/industrial supply chains.
You want claims like “30% lower embodied carbon than last year’s model” backed by ISO 14067 / GHG Protocol, not vague marketing.

If none apply, a corporate inventory may be enough for now—but a quick screening PCF on your top products usually reveals cost-saving hotspots.

Common pitfalls

Mismatched boundaries. Comparing cradle-to-gate with cradle-to-grave.
Hidden allocation. Changing allocation rules can flip “best” suppliers—state your rule and test sensitivity.
Generic factors everywhere. Electricity market mix, time-of-use, and supplier-specific data can be material.
No audit trail. Keep invoices, meters, calculation steps, and uncertainty bands—expected under ISO 14067/14040.

A minimal PCF data checklist

Product BOM (weights/yields) or recipe/formulation
Energy by process (meters/estimates), fuel use, utility contracts
Process throughput, scrap/rework, recovery
Logistics routes, modes, distances (inbound/outbound)
Packaging specs and end-of-life assumptions
Priority supplier contacts for high-impact inputs

What Climate Seal does

Get credible PCFs fast, then use them to win business and plan real reductions.

Faster: Auto-map rules & emission factors and run batch PCF modeling from your BOM/energy/logistics data—then generate one-click buyer/customs reports (useful for CBAM).
Credible: Each model includes a 0–100 data-quality score, uncertainty bands, auto-fix hints, and evidence packs aligned with ISO 14067 and the GHG Protocol Product Standard.
Frictionless supplier data: A low-friction, low-cost pipeline for verification-grade supplier data, plug-and-play for SBTi target tracking and abatement planning.
Actionable: Side-by-side comparisons of materials, processes, and suppliers so design, procurement, and finance can pick the lowest-emissions (often lowest-cost) option.

Call to action: Want audit-ready PCFs without six months of spreadsheets? Book a Climate Seal walkthrough and we’ll build a pilot on one of your SKUs.

FAQ

Carbon emission vs carbon footprint—what’s the difference?

Emissions are the gases released (e.g., kg CO₂). A footprint is the sum of those emissions across a boundary (e.g., a product’s life cycle).

*What are Scope 1, 2, 3 emissions?

Scope 1: direct fuel/process emissions; Scope 2: purchased energy; Scope 3: value-chain emissions (up/downstream). See the GHG Protocol.

What is Science Based Targets (SBTi)?

Targets aligned with climate science and validated by SBTi; when Scope 3 ≥ 40%, targets must cover ≥ 67% of Scope 3 (criteria).

How do PCFs relate to TCFD/ISSB?

TCFD recommendations (now embedded in IFRS S2) ask for decision-useful climate metrics; product-level data supports credible transition plans and capex choices.

Do PCFs require carbon offsets?

No—PCF is an accounting result. Offsets (if used) are reported separately. Focus first on abatement (materials, energy, logistics).

Where can I see product carbon footprint examples?

Construction EPDs (EN 15804) publish module-by-module footprints; many manufacturers share BOM-based examples in buyer portals.

Sources

ISO — Carbon footprint of products (ISO 14067:2018): https://www.iso.org/standard/71206.html

GHG Protocol — Product Life Cycle Standard (overview): https://ghgprotocol.org/product-standard

GHG Protocol — Product Life Cycle Standard (PDF): https://ghgprotocol.org/sites/default/files/standards/Product-Life-Cycle-Accounting-Reporting-Standard_041613.pdf

Science Based Targets — Standards & Guidance: https://sciencebasedtargets.org/standards-and-guidance

European Commission — CBAM: https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en

EN 15804 explainers: https://oneclicklca.com/en/resources/articles/en-15804-changes-epds , https://circularecology.com/en-15804-a2-epd-update.html

BSI — PAS 2050: https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/specification-for-the-assessment-of-the-life-cycle-greenhouse-gas-emissions-of-goods-and-services

TCFD — Recommendations: https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/recommendations/

IFRS — ISSB/IFRS S2*: https://www.ifrs.org/issued-standards/ifrs-sustainability-standards-navigator/ifrs-s2-climate-related-disclosures/

Product Carbon Footprint (PCF): Meaning, Methods & When You Need It