Product carbon footprint (PCF) and life cycle assessment (LCA) explained
What a product carbon footprint is, how life cycle assessment works under ISO 14040, 14044 and 14067, cradle-to-gate versus cradle-to-grave, EPDs, and why export buyers ask Indian suppliers for PCFs.
Which standards govern a product carbon footprint?
| Standard | Role |
|---|---|
| ISO 14067:2018 | Principles, requirements and guidelines for quantifying and reporting the carbon footprint of a product, including partial footprints, in line with ISO 14040 and 14044 |
| GHG Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard (2011) | Requirements for product GHG inventories, widely used alongside ISO 14067 |
| ISO/TS 14027 | How to develop product category rules (PCRs) |
| ISO 14026 | How to communicate footprint information |
| ISO 14064-3:2019 | Verification and validation of GHG statements, including product statements |
| ISO 14025:2006 | Type III environmental declarations, the basis for EPDs |
As of October 2026 these product standards are also being aligned. On 9 February 2026, GHG Protocol announced the nomination of participants to a joint working group with ISO to develop an updated, harmonised product-level GHG accounting standard. No completion date has been given.
Sources: ISO 14067:2018 Greenhouse gases: Carbon footprint of products (ISO catalogue); ISO 14040:2006 Life cycle assessment: Principles and framework (ISO catalogue); ISO 14040:2006/Amd 1:2020 (ISO catalogue); ISO 14044:2006 Life cycle assessment: Requirements and guidelines (ISO catalogue); ISO 14044:2006/Amd 2:2020 (ISO catalogue); ISO 14064-3:2019 (ISO catalogue); GHG Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard (2011); European Commission: Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism; Regulation (EU) 2023/956 establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism (EUR-Lex); Central Electricity Authority, CO2 Baseline Database for the Indian Power Sector, User Guide Version 22.0 (August 2026); ISO 14068:2026 Climate change management: Carbon neutrality (ISO committee page; replaces ISO 14068-1:2023)
This article was prepared with AI assistance and checked by the GreenEye team against the sources shown in each section.
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