Is Product Carbon Footprint Important?

Growing concern over climate change has led companies across all sectors to rethink the production, distribution, and communication of their products. Product carbon footprint has moved beyond a niche technical topic to become a strategic requirement in markets advancing towards decarbonization.

Measuring, tracking, and communicating the emissions of each product released to the market is now essential for attracting conscious consumers, accessing financing, and complying with increasingly stringent regulations. To ensure credibility, it’s important to follow standards like ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, which define the principles and requirements of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and ISO 14067:2018, which provides guidelines for quantifying and communicating product carbon footprints.

What Is a Product Carbon Footprint?

A product’s carbon footprint represents the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (especially CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O) released throughout its entire life cycle, expressed in kilograms of CO₂ equivalent (kgCO₂e).

There are three main approaches to defining system boundaries and emissions assessed:

• Cradle-to-Gate: Covers emissions up to the point the product leaves the factory. It’s a more accessible option for organizations just starting this journey.
• Cradle-to-Grave: Covers the entire product life cycle through to its final disposal. This provides a complete diagnosis of emission hotspots, including during customer use.
• Cradle-to-Cradle: Incorporates reuse and recycling pathways, aligning with circular economy principles and post-consumer responsibility.

In many cases, the largest share of emissions occurs beyond the factory gates, making a comprehensive analysis of the entire value chain essential.

Traceability and Transparency: Non-Negotiable Principles

Regardless of the chosen approach, two principles are indispensable: traceability and transparency.

• Traceability means understanding, with clarity, where and how emissions occur at each stage of the value chain, enabling more efficient and targeted reduction actions.
• Transparency involves making this information accessible and understandable to consumers, investors, and regulators.

The carbon footprint highlights the key emission hotspots and, therefore, where reductions are most achievable. From an economic perspective, it acts as a strategic lever. By measuring emissions, companies identify energy inefficiencies, material waste, and logistical bottlenecks—factors that, once addressed, generate direct cost savings.

Additionally, monitoring carbon footprint requirements stimulates product innovation, leading to the development of low-carbon materials and reusable packaging, opening up new revenue streams.

Ongoing measurement also strengthens regulatory resilience: organizations that already monitor their emissions tend to adapt more quickly to mandatory reporting requirements, avoiding non-compliance costs and gaining competitive advantage.

Market Examples and Practical Applications

Several companies have already incorporated product carbon footprint into their strategy:

• Braskem publicly reports the emissions associated with its main products, helping industrial clients make more conscious choices.
• Logitech prints the total climate impact of its devices on product packaging, making this information easily accessible to end consumers.
• In Brazil, plant-based beverage brand Nude launched the #mostrasuapegada (“Show Your Footprint”) campaign in 2022, encouraging other companies to adopt similar practices. Their packaging clearly displays the generated emissions, supported by explanatory reports. The initiative is backed by organizations like Future Climate Group.

Companies that invest in emission transparency and traceability position themselves as leaders in the transition to a low-carbon economy, gaining competitive advantage in increasingly demanding and conscious markets. It’s a strategic investment—crucial for addressing climate challenges and ensuring sustainable, long-term business growth.

References:

• ISO 14040:2006 – Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework. Available at: https://www.iso.org/standard/37456.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• ISO 14044:2006 – Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines. Available at: https://www.iso.org/standard/38498.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• ISO 14067:2018 – Greenhouse gases – Carbon footprint of products – Requirements and guidelines. Available at: https://www.iso.org/standard/71206.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• PAS 2050:2011 – Specification for the assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services. Available at: https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/assessment-of-life-cycle-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-horticultural-products-supplementary-requirements-for-the-cradle-to-gate-stages-of-ghg-assessments-of-horticultural-products-undertaken-in-accordance-with-pas-2050
• Logitech – Carbon Impact Labeling (2024). Available at: https://www.logitech.com/en-eu/sustainability/carbon-labeling-measuring.html
• Braskem – Carbon Footprint. Available at: https://www.braskem.com.br/imgreen/pegada-de-carbono
• Movimento Mostra Sua Pegada. Available at: https://www.mostrasuapegada.com.br/