Learn the key terminology of the sustainability industry.
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardized, independently verified document communicating the environmental performance of a product, based on a full LCA and covering multiple impact categories beyond just carbon.
Embodied carbon is the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with extracting, processing, manufacturing, and transporting a product or material — the "carbon baked in" before a product ever enters use.
The EU Battery Regulation introduces mandatory PCF declarations for electric vehicle and industrial batteries, verified against ISO 14067, making it the most prominent real-world convergence of product carbon accounting and EU regulation.
Science Based Targets (SBTi) are corporate GHG reduction targets validated against 1.5°C-aligned climate science. They require deep absolute reductions across Scope 1, 2, and 3, and a verified emissions baseline to set and track them.
A Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) quantifies the total greenhouse gas emissions of a company across all three GHG Protocol scopes, the company-level counterpart to the product-level PCF.
Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources owned or controlled by a company; Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from purchased energy. Together with Scope 3, they form the complete GHG Protocol emissions framework.
LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and PCF (Product Carbon Footprint) are closely related but distinct. An LCA covers multiple environmental impact categories; a PCF focuses exclusively on greenhouse gas emissions across the lifecycle.
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is the EU's product-level data carrier under ESPR, requiring verifiable environmental information — including carbon footprints — to be accessible across the supply chain.
Net zero and carbon neutral are frequently confused. Net zero requires deep emissions reductions across the full value chain before any offsetting; carbon neutral typically refers to balancing residual emissions through offsetting in a given year.
CBAM's definitive phase began on 1 January 2026, requiring EU importers to purchase certificates for embedded emissions. Key deadlines, authorisation requirements, and €100/tonne non-compliance penalties explained.
CSRD reporting timelines and penalties vary by company size and EU member state. This article covers the updated Wave 1–4 deadlines post-Omnibus 2025 and what non-compliance actually costs.
Cradle-to-gate, cradle-to-grave, and cradle-to-cradle are the three primary system boundary choices in LCA and PCF calculations, defining which lifecycle stages are included in a carbon footprint assessment.
An emission factor is a coefficient that quantifies the greenhouse gas emissions associated with a specific activity, material, or process, expressed in CO₂e per unit of input or output.
The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is the EU's landmark sustainability reporting regulation, requiring companies to disclose Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and value chain impacts under standardized ESRS rules.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) holds producers accountable for the full lifecycle of their products, including collection, recycling, and end-of-life treatment.
Scope 3 emissions cover all indirect greenhouse gas emissions across a company's upstream and downstream value chain, from raw material extraction to end-of-life.
The carbon footprint quantifies GHG emissions in CO₂e to help companies measure, compare, and reduce their impact.
Primary data comes directly from emission sources, while secondary data uses industry averages and emission factors.
A Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) measures all greenhouse gas emissions across a product’s entire life cycle in CO₂e.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluates a product’s environmental impact across all life cycle stages, from raw materials to recycling.
Data integrity ensures that sustainability data is accurate, consistent, and verifiable, supporting transparency and credible ESG reporting.
CO₂e data management covers collecting, tracking, and reporting GHG emissions to support carbon accounting, transparency, and Net Zero goals.
CO₂ neutrality means balancing emitted and removed CO₂ by reducing GHG emissions and offsetting the remaining carbon through verified projects
CO₂e compares the climate impact of different greenhouse gases by converting them into an equivalent amount of CO₂.
Carbon Data Disclosure (CDD) means publicly reporting GHG emissions to improve transparency, meet ESG standards, and drive climate action.
The Circular Economy (CE) is an economic model focused on eliminating waste, maximizing resource efficiency, and regenerating natural systems.
Carbon accounting measures and tracks GHG emissions in CO₂e to identify decarbonization opportunities and improve ESG performance.
Access reliable CO₂e data to calculate, manage, and scale Product Carbon Footprints across your value chain.