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.
Why do export buyers ask Indian suppliers for PCFs?
- Their Scope 3: a buyer's purchased goods (Scope 3, Category 1) are your products. Generic averages are crude; your actual PCF lets them report more accurately and track your improvements.
- Their targets and customers: brands with climate targets compare suppliers and may give preference to lower-carbon inputs in sourcing decisions.
- EU rules on embedded emissions: the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), Regulation (EU) 2023/956, covers imports of cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen. Its definitive regime started on 1 January 2026, and EU importers must account for the embedded emissions of these goods. CBAM has its own calculation and verification rules, which are not the same as an ISO 14067 PCF, so a PCF helps but does not replace CBAM data. Our CBAM guide for Indian exporters explains the details.
- Product-specific EU laws: for example, the EU Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 requires carbon footprint declarations for certain battery types, including electric vehicle batteries.
- Green public procurement and tenders: some buyers ask for EPDs in tenders, especially for building materials.
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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