We had another great inquiry today asking if and how our method can do life cycle assessment (LCA).

LCA adds in-use and disposal components of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to a product carbon footprint (PCF). The most popular standard for doing LCA is PAS 2050, as developed by the BSI Standards Solutions. This is a Publicly Available Specification (PAS) for a method for measuring the embodied GHG emissions from goods and services at the request of Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and the Carbon Trust.

The CarbonCounted method involves “many do small work” and linking up supply chains. As such, LCA using our method is not only possible, but it is easier and far more accurate. Each part of the supply chain is responsible for assessing their GHG emissions. When producing an LCA-based product carbon footprint (PCF), additional emission factors including waste components are included and verified to the standard. Then at the top of the chain, which is the final product, emissions for in-use and final disposal are added.

The benefit of the CarbonCounted method is two fold:

1) The final number involves the suppliers, so that emission reductions are being driven throughout a product’s supply chain. In promotes green purchasing and true reductions. If consumers choose one product over another because the LCA value is better, competition promotes GHG reductions directly though the supply chain.

2) It reduces (and in some cases eliminates) estimation. Each component is verified by a third party auditor.

The CarbonCounted method is standard independent. As such, it can be used to produce product carbon footprints to as many standards as the supply chain demands.

For more information please contact us.