Product Carbon Footprint (CFP) – Calculation Services 

The carbon footprint of a product describes the total greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout its life cycle. These include emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). 

What Is a Product Carbon Footprint? 

A product’s carbon footprint comprises direct and indirect production, transportation, use, and disposal emissions. It can be calculated for the entire life cycle (cradle-to-grave) or, for example, limited to production stages only (cradle-to-gate). 

The results are expressed in kilograms of CO₂ equivalent (kg CO₂ eq), which reflects the greenhouse gases’ global warming potential (GWP) and their impact on climate change. 

Carbon footprints can be calculated for a product, product group, service, or entire company. Learn more about corporate-level carbon footprint here.

How Is a Product Carbon Footprint Calculated? 

The calculation follows internationally recognised standards: 

• ISO 14067 

• The GHG Protocol’s Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard 

Both are based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology defined in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. 

In addition, category-specific rules (Carbon Footprint Product Category Rules, CF PCR) may apply. 

Using recognised standards improves transparency, reliability, and comparability across similar products. 

Steps of Carbon Footprint Calculation: 

1. Goal and Scope Definition 

Clarify the purpose of the calculation and its intended use. Define system boundaries and assumptions: 

• Why is the footprint being calculated? 

• How will the results be used? 

• Which life cycle stages and emission sources are included? 

2. Inventory Analysis 

Collect input data based on the relevant life cycle stages. Use primary data (from your production processes) and secondary data (e.g. databases). Create a model using LCA software or a simpler calculator like Excel. 

3. Impact Assessment 

Calculate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with material and energy flows across life cycle stages. Convert the results into CO₂ equivalents. 

4. Interpretation and Reporting 

Report all steps according to the selected standards. Identify key emission sources and provide suggestions for improvement where relevant. 

5. Verification (Optional) 

A third-party carbon footprint verification is recommended, especially if the results are used in public comparisons or B2C marketing. The verifier reviews the accuracy of the calculations and reporting, increasing trust and credibility. 

Why Calculate a Product or Service Carbon Footprint? 

• Insight: Understand the climate impacts of your value chain and identify key emission sources. 

• Optimisation: Improve product design, supply chain efficiency, and energy/resource use. 

• Target Achievement: Support your climate goals with detailed emission data. 

• Reporting: Provide carbon data for customer requests and sustainability reporting, even if your company is not subject to mandatory reporting. 

• EU Taxonomy: The EU Taxonomy requires assessing and verifying climate impacts for certain activities. 

Ecobio’s Carbon Footprint Services:

• Product Carbon Footprint Calculation: Based on the results, we calculate your product or product group’s footprint according to the applicable standards and support product development. 

• Service Carbon Footprint Calculation: We assess your service’s footprint, tailored to your needs, and identify the most significant contributing factors. 

• Corporate Carbon Footprint Calculation: Learn more.

• Verification: We offer independent third-party verification of your carbon footprint calculation. 

• In-House Expert Support: Our experts are available for customised projects based on your needs at a fixed rate or by the hour.