SGS green marks Series | Achieving climate goals: the importance of verifying product carbon footprints

Climate change is a priority for governments, businesses, and consumers. Ambitious targets for climate neutrality are being set by many nations, requiring the balancing of emitted greenhouse gases (GHGs) with equivalent offsets to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint. 

Moving towards carbon neutrality requires an effective way to measure a product’s carbon footprint. Businesses must be able to gain an understanding of GHG emissions and removals at every stage of the product life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal. This information will then allow them to calculate a product’s carbon footprint and identify areas for reduction, thereby providing the opportunity to enhance sustainability and contribute towards meaningful global climate goals. 

What is product carbon footprint?

Product carbon footprint (PCF) is a measurement of GHG emissions and removals along a product’s life cycle. Quantification is conducted in accordance with international standards, such as ISO 14067:2018 or the product standard issued by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which uses a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. It is an effective way to identify emission hotspots at the product level and provides companies with the information they need to choose between different designs and production methods in order to minimize their impact on the climate. 

Why do you need PCF?

Governments around the world are introducing regulations that require evidence of carbon management and reduction. For example, In the European Union (EU), there is the Carbon Border Tax, Battery Regulation, and proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). 

Simultaneously, consumers and procurement teams, especially in governments, are starting to demand products that can demonstrate sustainability and, in some instances, will request or require product carbon footprintsPCFs. Certain reporting schemes also require evidence of a company’s sustainability status, for example, the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and the EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Third-party verification

While it is relatively easy to make claims concerning sustainability, proving those claims can be difficult without a trusted methodology. This methodology must be scientific and based on recognized standards, and it should, ideally, be independently verified to bring legitimacy to the claim. Operating in this way, a company can build trust in its brand and product while avoiding the risk of greenwashing.

Credible independent verification provides reassurance that the stated carbon footprint and related attributes are accurately quantified and reported according to set standards. Verification schemes, such as the SGS Environmental Claim Verification Scheme (ECVS), will follow ISO 14064-3 – Specification with guidance for the verification and validation of greenhouse gas statements.

The benefits of third-party verification include:

• Enhancing transparency, accuracy, and consistency
• Compliance with relevant standards and methodologies
• Better communication of environmental performance to stakeholders
• Product differentiation in competitive markets
• Enabling access to schemes and environmental marks that require verified PCF reports

Products verified under SGS ECVS can then carry either the SGS Carbon Footprint or Carbon Reduced green mark. These can be applied to the product, its packaging, and promotional materials, demonstrating that claims around the PCF have been independently and scientifically assessed to ensure legitimacy. 

Products carrying either mark will have undergone a rigorous PCF assessment to international standards – e.g. ISO 14067:2018 or the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. This assessment result is then displayed on the mark, alongside the PCF measurement, expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Products carrying the Carbon Reduced mark will also display the reduction that has taken place.

SGS green marks

The SGS green marks are a proven way to demonstrate the validity of environmental attribute claims. Utilizing the globally recognized SGS logo, these marks demonstrate compliance with standards relating to a variety of claims, such as hazardous substances assessed, recycled content, PFAS screened, biobased, PVC free, industrial compostable, biodegradability, carbon footprint, and carbon reduced. 

Only products that have been independently evaluated as compliant against pre-defined standards can carry an SGS Green Mark. In addition to details of the claim and the standards used for evaluation, each mark also carries a QR code that gives the consumer access to information that verifies the label and the claim. 

At a time when governments and consumers are increasingly demanding evidence of carbon and GHG reduction in supply chains, the SGS ECVS and SGS green marks provide a simple and seamless solution to avoiding greenwashing and building trust in sustainability claims. 

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