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The contribution of PAS 2050 to the evolution of international greenhouse gas emission standards

  • CARBON FOOTPRINTING • Commentary
  • Published:
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background, aim, and scope

The assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions arising from products (goods and services) is emerging as a high profile application of life cycle assessment (LCA), with an increasing desire from retailers and other supply chain organizations to better understand, and in some cases communicate, the carbon footprint of products. Publicly Available Specification 2050:2008, Specification for the assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services, addresses the single-impact category of global warming to provide a standardized and simplified implementation of process LCA methods for assessing GHG emissions from products. This paper briefly reviews the development process followed for PAS 2050, before examining the treatment of GHG-specific contribution of PAS 2050 to product carbon footprinting.

Materials and methods

PAS 2050 was jointly sponsored by the Carbon Trust and the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and was published by the British Standards Institution on 29 October 2008. An independent steering group oversaw the development of the specification, including the establishment of an expert workgroup program, comprehensive international consultation, and expert input on the requirements of the specification.

Results

The development process for PAS 2050 resulted in a specification that includes specific requirements that limit the interpretation of the underlying LCA approach to product carbon footprinting. These requirements, including goal setting and life cycle inventory assessment, aspects of system boundary identification and temporal aspects of GHG emissions, clarify the approach to be taken by organizations implementing product carbon footprinting, and simplify the application of LCA procedures in relation to product carbon footprinting.

Discussion

Assessment of the emissions arising from the life cycle of products has a clear international component, and delivering consistent results across the supply chain requires the application of consistent methods. There is an emerging recognition that further standardization of methods for product carbon footprinting is needed, and the specific requirements resulting from the PAS 2050 development process make a valuable contribution across a range of GHG assessment issues.

Conclusions

The widespread interest in PAS 2050 from individuals and organizations, together with the development of similar guidance by other organizations, confirmed that there is a need for clarification, certainty, and requirements in the field of product carbon footprint analysis. The use of PAS 2050 to refine, clarify, and simplify existing LCA methods and standards has resulted in specific approaches to key GHG assessment issues being developed; it is important that future standards development work considers the impact of these approaches and their further refinement.

Recommendations and perspectives

It is the consumption of goods and services by individuals around the world that drives global GHG emission, and PAS 2050 is a first attempt to provide integrated, consistent approaches that directly address the role of consumption at the product level in contributing to GHG emissions. Climate science and GHG assessment techniques are both evolving areas and it will be necessary to review the approach taken by PAS 2050 in the future: a formal review process for PAS 2050 will commence towards the end of 2009 and practitioners are encouraged to participate in this review process.

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Notes

  1. The Carbon Trust is a not-for-dividend company limited by guarantee and was established by the UK Government in 2001. Its mission is to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy.

  2. The term “carbon footprint” is used in this paper to mean the impact of greenhouse gases arising from the life cycle of products. Decisions regarding the gases included, GWP factors, and other aspects of the carbon footprint of products are discussed in this paper.

  3. The steering group included a representative from Defra, ensuring that the steering group was inclusive of government as a stakeholder in the development process, and a Carbon Trust director acting as an independent expert. A separate steering group was established for the development of the Code of Good Practice; this steering group included some shared membership with the PAS 2050 Steering Group.

  4. The Carbon Trust is represented in the Steering Group for the WRI/WBCSD product carbon footprinting initiative, and ISO/TC207/SC7 Working Group 2 that is developing a new ISO standard on product carbon footprinting [membership is personal (at least in ISO), therefore, I would use different wording].

References

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Acknowledgement

The author extends his sincere thanks to Iciar Vaquero (Carbon Trust), Euan Murray and colleagues (Carbon Label Company), Jo Howes and Phil Watson (E4tech), the Department for Food and Rural Affairs, and the BSI for their contribution and support towards the development of PAS 2050. The author also extends his thanks to the many individuals and organizations around the world that freely gave their time to contribute to the development of PAS 2050 through the expert workgroups and international consultations; your input was essential in developing the unique approaches pioneered in PAS 2050.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Carbon Trust, 5 New Street Square, London, EC4A 3BF, UK

    Graham Sinden

  2. Oxford University Centre for the Environment, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK

    Graham Sinden

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  1. Graham Sinden
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Correspondence to Graham Sinden.

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Responsible editor: Matthias Finkbeiner

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Sinden, G. The contribution of PAS 2050 to the evolution of international greenhouse gas emission standards. Int J Life Cycle Assess 14, 195–203 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-009-0079-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-009-0079-3

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