PCF · LCA · carbon labels
Product carbon footprint software: one product, its whole life
Product carbon footprint (PCF) software calculates the emissions of one product, from raw materials to end of life.
Customers increasingly ask suppliers for PCFs, and a PCF is often the evidence behind a carbon label.
For wider environmental impacts see LCA software; for the company inventory see Scope 3 emissions software.
Standards
Which standards should PCF software follow?
Three ISO standards and one GHG Protocol standard do most of the work.
| Standard | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 14067:2018 | Quantifying the carbon footprint of a product | Current; to be revised, working draft in development |
| ISO 14040:2006 | Life cycle assessment principles and framework | Current, confirmed in 2022 |
| ISO 14044:2006 | Life cycle assessment requirements and guidelines | Current, confirmed in 2022 |
| GHG Protocol Product Standard | Product life cycle accounting and reporting | Published |
Carbon labels
What does carbon labelling software need to prove?
In the UK a carbon label is an environmental claim, and the CMA’s Green Claims Code sets out six principles, starting with being truthful and accurate (CMA).
The ASA treats an unqualified "carbon neutral" claim as misleading (ASA).
Labelling software should therefore keep the full calculation, its boundary, data sources and date behind every label it produces.
See green claims software and the Green Claims Code guide.
Supplier requests
Which PCF software helps suppliers answer customer requests?
Most PCF requests come from large customers building their own Scope 3 inventories.
A useful tool lets a supplier calculate once, share the result with several customers and show which data is primary and which is estimated.
This site does not rank PCF tools; test each against your own product data.
The demonstration
What should you test before buying?
Bring the bill of materials and energy data for one real product.
Software demo · evidence check
PCF demo coverage
Tick a test only when the vendor has demonstrated it with a representative record and shown the evidence or export.
0 of 5 tests demonstrated (0%). This is a checklist result, not a score for the vendor.
Still to test: Calculate a cradle-to-gate footprint and state the boundary; Name the standard (ISO 14067 or GHG Protocol) and the factor sources; Separate primary data from database or estimated data; Show the evidence behind any label or claim the tool generates; Export the result in a format a customer can load.
Frequently asked
Product carbon footprint software, answered
What is product carbon footprint software?
Software that calculates the greenhouse gas emissions of a single product across its life cycle, usually following ISO 14067 and the life cycle assessment standards ISO 14040 and 14044.
What is the difference between PCF software and LCA software?
A product carbon footprint looks at climate change only.
A life cycle assessment covers many environmental impacts.
Many tools do both.
Can I put a carbon label on a product from a PCF tool?
Only if the claim is accurate, clear and backed by evidence.
The CMA Green Claims Code and the ASA set out how environmental claims are judged in the UK.
Is ISO 14067 changing?
Yes.
ISO lists ISO 14067:2018 as to be revised, with a working draft under development; the 2018 edition remains current.
Sources
Primary sources
Every figure, date and status on this page traces to the instrument’s owner.
Secondary commentary is never the source for a number.
- ISOISO 14067:2018 carbon footprint of products
- ISOISO 14040:2006 life cycle assessment principles
- ISOISO 14044:2006 life cycle assessment requirements
- GHG ProtocolProduct Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard
- GHG ProtocolScope 3 Standard
- CMAGreen Claims Code
- CMAMaking green claims across the supply chain
- ASACAP Code section 11: environmental claims
- LegislationDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, Part 4
- ISOISO 14068:2026 carbon neutrality
- DESNZGreenhouse gas conversion factors 2026