ISO 14067: A guide to calculating a Product Carbon Footprint

More and more companies are receiving questions about the CO₂ footprint of their product. The international standard ISO 14067 provides a standardised method for calculating this CO2-footprint. Performing this calculation reveals exactly where the product’s impact lies and makes it possible to take steps to reduce those product emissions.

• Definition: ISO 14067 specifies principles and guidelines for quantifying and reporting the carbon footprint of products (CFP), focusing solely on climate change impacts. ​
• Scope: The standard applies to CFP studies across various applications, ensuring consistency with life cycle assessment (LCA) standards like ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. ​
• Benefits: Implementing ISO 14067 enhances environmental credibility, identifies emission reduction opportunities, and supports compliance with environmental regulations. ​

1. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

ISO 14067 emphasises the use of LCA to evaluate GHG emissions throughout a product’s life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal. This cradle-to-grave approach ensures a thorough understanding of a product’s environmental impact. ​

2. Transparency and credibility

The standard requires clear documentation and reporting of the CFP, enhancing transparency and credibility. This provides stakeholders with insight and substantiates environmental claims.

3. Alignment with other standards

ISO 14067 aligns with other environmental management standards, such as ISO 14064-1, which focuses on organisational-level GHG inventories. This alignment ensures consistency and compatibility across various environmental assessments.

Organisations aiming to implement ISO 14067 should consider the following steps:​

1. Conduct a life cycle assessment: Perform a comprehensive LCA to identify all GHG emissions associated with the product’s life cycle.​
2. Develop reduction strategies: Use the LCA results to pinpoint emission hotspots and develop targeted strategies to reduce the product’s carbon footprint.​
3. Engage stakeholders: Communicate findings and (if desired) reduction plans to stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, and regulatory bodies, to demonstrate commitment to sustainability.​ However, be sure to have your LCA study independently reviewed first.

If you’re looking to quantify and understand the carbon footprint of your product to guide internal decision-making, a calculation aligned with ISO 14067 could be the ideal approach. Focused solely on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, ISO 14067 offers a more targeted and often more time- and cost-efficient method compared to a full ISO 14044-compliant LCA, which considers a broader range of environmental impacts.

If you would like to discuss working with Ecomatters on ISO 14067 implementation, contact us or schedule a call with one of our experts.