Product Environmental Footprint (PEF): A complete overview

Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) is part of the “Single Market for Green Products Initiative” initiated by the European Commission. Its goal is to make it easier for companies to put green products on the European market, and for consumers to identify them.

The PEF methodology is designed to be a standardised “rulebook” for measuring the environmental performance of a product. It is fundamentally based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), meaning that it allows users to determine the environmental footprint of a product from raw material extraction through manufacturing, use, and end-of-life.

The method includes detailed requirements on:

• Modelling choices and system boundaries
• Data collection and data quality
• Quantification of impacts using life cycle impact assessment

As PEF is a universal methodology, it can in principle be used to determine the environmental impact of any product on the European market and compare them.

To streamline and harmonise reporting within industries, rules for similar products are organised in documents called PEF Category Rules (PEFCRs). A PEFCR is created at industry level, usually by an (European) industry association or similar market organisation.

Many industries are already working with PEF and are now creating their own simplified tools and approaches. Industries that are new to the methodology should start by looking into the development of the PEFCRs needed to create PEFs in the future.

At the moment, PEF is in the “transition stage”. The European Commission is evaluating where to use the PEF/OEF methodology in policy and how to support implementation in practice.

From policy developments it is clear that PEF is gaining traction as the foundation for product environmental impact assessment in the EU and will likely gain a more prominent role in regulations.

Examples of EU policies and initiatives that already foresee the use of the PEF method for environmental impact measurement include:

• The Taxonomy Regulation

• The Sustainable Batteries Initiative

• The Green Consumption Pledge

In addition, the 2020 Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) indicates that the Commission may propose that organisations support environmental claims using the PEF/OEF methods.

PEF method as a basis for PEFCRs to streamline & harmonise PEF studies within a product group

The first step is familiarising yourself with the satus in your industry:

• Does a PEFCR exist for your product category?
• Are there already methodologies or tools for your products?

If you want to stay up to date on the general development of the product and organisational environmental footprint methodologies, you can subscribe to our newsletter, where we cover these topics on a regular basis.

A PEF study follows a clear, structured LCA process which starts with the collecting data on how your product is made and used. Following this, a life cycle model following the relevant PEFCR is created, and impacts across all required environmental categories are calculated and aggregated into a single PEF score. The study is documented in a PEF-compliant report and independently reviewed if you want to use the results externally.

You can find a step-by-step overview on our dedicated PEF study process page.

Ecomatters has been involved in developing the PEF/ OEF rules over the last 9 years. We are direct members of the PEF Technical Advisory board and are active in PEFCR development.

We have experience in:
• Developing PEFCRs
• Developing simplified calculation tools
• Executing PEF studies
• PEFCR supporting studies
• Developing EF-compliant databases
• Review of PEFCR, PEF studies, and EF-compliant datasets

If you are looking for experienced support, Ecomatters can help you in understanding how PEF impacts your company. We are happy to discuss this with you and to help you to understand your position. Please check out our related projects or get in contact with us to know more.