Welcome

Learn about Product Carbon Footprints​

M2030 currently offer four learning courses, allowing you to choose a learning pathway based on your personal experience & level of understanding with PCFs

💡If you have never created a Product Carbon Footprint before, M2030 recommend completing all courses in order.

1. GHG Principles This 3-module training course is designed to upskill you on the main principles of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) accounting. (~30mins)
	2. PCF Essentials This 7-module course is designed to let you learn about PCF concepts & benefits as well as how to approach data collection, building & interpretation of a PCF. (~60mins)
3. Approaches to PCFs This quick course is designed to inform you of the key differences between Individual SKU PCFs and a selection of Category level options.
	4. The M2030 PCF Builder This collection of how-to-guides walks you through using the M2030 platform PCF builder for the first time.

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Register your organization's interest to become an early access customer HERE.

Access the PCF Builder​

FAQs​

• The PCF Builder is designed to assist suppliers in calculating and managing the carbon footprints of their products. This tool supports companies in their product decarbonization efforts by providing accurate and actionable data on product emissions.

• Yes, product information can be edited post-creation, though certain fields, such as the Product ID, are locked to ensure data integrity. If changes are made to product data, associated PCFs will automatically update to reflect these changes.

• Currently, the Product ID cannot be edited once it is created. If a typo occurs, users must create a new product entry with the correct ID and re-enter the necessary information.

• Emission factors can be either custom-entered using primary data from suppliers or selected from a secondary source database, like Ecoinvent. This flexibility allows users to choose the most accurate and relevant data for their materials.

• The CPC code is currently optional in the PCF Builder and will remain so in future updates. While it can be useful for categorization and reporting, it is not required for creating a PCF.

• If a specific material or its emission factor is not available, users can select a proxy emission factor for a similar material. This ensures that PCF calculations can still proceed even when specific data is unavailable.

• Upcoming updates to the PCF Builder will include features that allow users to import data in bulk, including products and bills of materials. This will streamline the setup process and make it easier to manage large datasets.

• The emission factor databases are periodically updated to include the latest data. The frequency of updates depends on the data source, with some updates occurring annually or biannually.

• Yes, you can build PCFs before you've done Facility measurements, as PCF is a separate module from facility-level measurements. However, it might be simpler to do the facility measurements first, as they can provide useful data and context that could streamline the PCF development process.

Glossary​

• Key PCF Terms

  Term	Description
  Cradle-to-gate	Part of a product's life cycle, from resource extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (i.e. before it is transported to the consumer).
  Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e)	Unit comparing the radiative forcing (global warming impact) of a GHG, expressed in terms of the amount of CO₂ that would have an equivalent impact. Since GHGs have different global warming potentials, CO₂e is a term for describing different GHGs in a common unit. It means the number of metric tons of CO₂ emissions with the same global warming potential as one metric ton of another GHG.
  Greenhouse gases (GHG)	Gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, its atmosphere, and clouds. GHGs include CO₂, methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O),nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
  PACT	Partnership for Carbon Transparency. A project led by WBCSD set up to provide a forum for businesses across value chains and industries as well as for key decarbonization stakeholders to collaborate on the creation of GHG emissions transparency
  PACT Framework	Methodological framework for the standardised calculation and reporting of cradle-to-gate product carbon footprints exchange of carbon footprint data as developed by the Partnership for Carbon Transparency. The framework is designed to be sector-agnostic and provides guidance on sources of data and emission factors as well as data quality requirements and additional contextual reporting requirements
  PACT Network	PACT Network Data exchange protocol for the sharing of product carbon footprint data developed by the Partnership for Carbon Transparency that facilitates the peer-to-peer exchange through open and global network of interoperable solutions.
  Product category	Group of products that can fulfill equivalent functions. For example, 'canned pineapple' could be a product category which includes the following product variants:  cans of pineapple slices, cans of pineapple chunks, or cans of shredded pineapple.
  Product Variant (SKU)	Specific individual product, unique to its stock keeping unit
  Emission factor	Amount of GHGs emitted, expressed as CO₂e and relative to a unit of activity. For example, kg of CO₂e per kWh electricity.
  Primary Data / Emission factor	Data pertaining to a specific product or activity within a company’s value chain. Such data may take the form of activity data, emissions, or emission factors. Primary data is site-specific, company-specific (if there are multiple sites for the same product), or supply chain–specific. Examples include: Meter or sub-meter readings for particular production lines and facilities; Direct GHG emission measurements; Fuel consumption data; PCF results from other suppliers; Emission factors provided by energy supplier companies
  Secondary Data / Emission Factor	Data that is not from specific activities within a company’s value chain but from databases, based on averages, scientific reports, or other sources. Examples include: Life cycle inventory databases; Industry benchmarks and comparative data; Government publications with default emission factors for fuel combustion, waste generation and treatments; Financial data; Environmentally-extended input-output databases
  Bill of Materials	A list of physical materials or products used in the manufacture of a given product or group of products’
  CPC code	United Nation's Central Product Classification code. An international classification structure for products (goods and services) based on a set of internationally agreed concepts, definitions, principles and classification rules.
  Process Emissions	Emissions from physical or chemical processes in manufacturing such as CO₂ from the calcinations step in cement manufacturing, CO₂ from catalytic cracking in petrochemical processing, PFC emissions from aluminum smelting, etc. This would also include agriculture-related emissions if you own farmland, and treatment of waste at your own facility
  Fugitive Emissions	Emissions of GHGs that are not produced intentionally by a stack or vent. Fugitive emissions may include leaks from industrial plants and pipelines.
  Refrigerant Emissions	CO₂e emissions from leaks of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Includes refrigerants, air-conditioning gases, escaping waste gases, and fire suppression equipment.
  Activity Data	Quantified measures of a level of activity that results in GHG emissions or removals. For example, liters of fuel consumed, or kg of a specific input material used.
  Enterprise Data	Digital information that flows through an organization, and is shared by users of an organization,  classified according to processes, departments, geographic regions, etc. In terms of PCFs, relevant enterprise data would be information about products, materials, energy, water, waste, refrigerants, etc. (e.g. bills of materials, supplier locations, transport routes, fuel consumption, waste generation, etc.)
  Product measurement unit	The declared unit of analysis chosen for a PCF, which serves as the reference for which the inputs (materials and energy) and outputs (such as products, by-products, waste) are quantified
  Waste	Materials, co-products, products, or emissions without economic value that the holder discards, intends to discard, or is required to discard.

   

• Water definitions 

  Term	Description
  Total water withdrawal	The sum of all water drawn into the boundaries of the site,  from all sources for any use. Include water withdrawn from: mains supply (municipal), rainwater harvesting; surface water abstraction; groundwater abstraction; and vehicle delivery.
  Total water discharged	The sum of effluents and other  water leaving the boundaries of the organization and released to surface water, groundwater, or third parties over the course of the reporting period. (Exclude effluent seawater)
  Mains water withdrawal	The amount of water withdrawn from the piped public water supply system.
  Groundwater abstraction	The amount of water withdrawn from underground sources, for example wells or boreholes
  Surface Water Abstraction	The amount of water withdrawn directly from above ground sources such as rivers, dams or lakes. (Do not include mains water)
  Rainwater harvested	The amount of rainwater captured for use and storage
  Freshwater withdrawn	The amount of fresh water withdrawn from the following sources: Mains water, surface water, groundwater, water delivered by water tankers, and approximate amount of harvested rainwater. Do not include any seawater, salty water, or recycled water.

• Waste Definitions

  Total hazardous waste generated	The amount of hazardous waste generated, regardless of disposal route. HAZARDOUS WASTE  means as defined by local legislation, or in the absence of regulatory definition, possessing characteristics contained in Annex III of the Basel Convention. (DO NOT INCLUDE effluent discharged as wastewater)
  Amount of hazardous waste sent for disposal	The amount of hazardous waste disposed of, where  DISPOSAL  means waste that is unavailable for further use and includes  landfill & incineration (including incineration involving energy recovery).
  Total non hazardous waste generated	The amount of non-hazardous waste generated, regardless of disposal route.
  Amount of non-hazardous waste sent for disposal	The amount of non hazardous waste disposed of, where DISPOSAL means waste that is unavailable for further use and includes  landfill & incineration (including incineration involving energy recovery)
  Total Recycled Waste	Total amount of waste material sent for recycling into new products. Examples include: metals; paper/cardboard; glass.
  Waste to Landfill (non-hazardous)	Of all waste disposed, enter the amount of non-hazardous  waste sent to landfill, i.e. to a site that is specifically designed and built to receive waste. (Do not include effluent discharged as wastewater)
  Waste to landfill (hazardous)	Of all waste disposed, enter the amount of hazardous waste sent to landfill, i.e. to a site that is specifically designed and built to receive waste. HAZARDOUS WASTE  means as defined by local legislation, or in the absence of regulatory definition, possessing characteristics contained in Annex III of the Basel Convention. (Do not include effluent discharged as wastewater)
  Waste sent for incineration without energy recovery	Of all waste disposed, enter the amount sent for incineration without heat or electricity being recovered
  Waste sent for incineration with energy recovery	Of all waste disposed, enter the amount sent for incineration where energy recovery is undertaken.  This is also called energy-from-waste.
  Waste Composted or Land Spread	Organic material sent for land application or composting.
  Waste sent for Anaerobic Digestion	Organic waste such as food waste is often sent for anaerobic digestion. Methane and carbon dioxide released create a biogas that’s collected and used to generate electricity, heat, or fuel.