TY - RPRT
T1 - Emerging product carbon footprint standards and schemes and their possible trade impacts
AU - Bolwig, Simon
AU - Gibbon, Peter
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Concern over climate change has stimulated interest in estimating the total
amount of greenhouse gasses produced during the life-cycle of goods and
services - i.e. during their production, transportation, sale, use and disposal.
The outcome of these calculations is referred to as "product carbon
footprints" (PCFs). The paper reviews the rationale, context, coverage and
characteristics of emerging standards and certification schemes that
estimate and designate PCFs, and discusses the possible impacts on trade,
particularly exports from distant and developing countries. It draws on a
survey of PCF certification schemes carried out during 2009, on a review of
evolving international and national standards, and on a review of consumer
surveys. Since 2007 one public standard, and two public and 14 private
certification schemes referring to standards for calculating and
communicating PCFs have become operational. Two new international
standards and several new schemes, including three public ones, are due to
become operational by 2011 or earlier. The private schemes are owned by a
mixture of voluntary bodies and private companies, including some large
retailers. Many provide assistance for reducing carbon footprints or
procedures for certification or labelling. Nonetheless, to date only a few
thousand products have been footprinted. As PCFs are already becoming
market access requirements for bio-fuels imported to the EU, and may also
become EU market access requirements for all mass-produced goods within
10-15 years, there is a danger that developing country exporters will lose
out as a result. This is because: they are less likely to have the resources
necessary for calculating and verifying PCFs; publicly available datasets
are less likely to include processes carried out mainly in developing
countries; and some existing standards do not currently include production
of capital goods in their definition of product life cycles, which imparts a
bias against labour-intensive production methods and hence against typical
developing country exports. In contrast, PCF standards and schemes did not
discriminate against products from distant countries, since emissions from
long-distance transport were not treated differently from those generated by
other activities in the product life cycle.
AB - Concern over climate change has stimulated interest in estimating the total
amount of greenhouse gasses produced during the life-cycle of goods and
services - i.e. during their production, transportation, sale, use and disposal.
The outcome of these calculations is referred to as "product carbon
footprints" (PCFs). The paper reviews the rationale, context, coverage and
characteristics of emerging standards and certification schemes that
estimate and designate PCFs, and discusses the possible impacts on trade,
particularly exports from distant and developing countries. It draws on a
survey of PCF certification schemes carried out during 2009, on a review of
evolving international and national standards, and on a review of consumer
surveys. Since 2007 one public standard, and two public and 14 private
certification schemes referring to standards for calculating and
communicating PCFs have become operational. Two new international
standards and several new schemes, including three public ones, are due to
become operational by 2011 or earlier. The private schemes are owned by a
mixture of voluntary bodies and private companies, including some large
retailers. Many provide assistance for reducing carbon footprints or
procedures for certification or labelling. Nonetheless, to date only a few
thousand products have been footprinted. As PCFs are already becoming
market access requirements for bio-fuels imported to the EU, and may also
become EU market access requirements for all mass-produced goods within
10-15 years, there is a danger that developing country exporters will lose
out as a result. This is because: they are less likely to have the resources
necessary for calculating and verifying PCFs; publicly available datasets
are less likely to include processes carried out mainly in developing
countries; and some existing standards do not currently include production
of capital goods in their definition of product life cycles, which imparts a
bias against labour-intensive production methods and hence against typical
developing country exports. In contrast, PCF standards and schemes did not
discriminate against products from distant countries, since emissions from
long-distance transport were not treated differently from those generated by
other activities in the product life cycle.
KW - Climate Centre
KW - Climate and energy systems
KW - Risø-R-1719
KW - Risø-R-1719(EN)
KW - Klimacenter
KW - Klima og energisystemer
M3 - Report
SN - 978-87-550-3796-0
T3 - Denmark. Forskningscenter Risoe. Risoe-R
BT - Emerging product carbon footprint standards and schemes and their possible trade impacts
PB - Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Risø Nationallaboratoriet for Bæredygtig Energi
CY - Roskilde
ER -