🔍Glossary

Activity-based PCF Calculation	A complex carbon footprint calculation method that uses activity data rather than spend-based data. It includes average-data, supplier-specific, and hybrid approaches for granularity.
Allocation	In LCA, the process of assigning the environmental impact in multi-output processes where multiple products are interconnected or share common processes.
Attributional LCA	A life cycle assessment approach focusing on the direct environmental impacts of producing a product over its life cycle, such as raw materials, production, etc.
Average-data Approach	An activity-based PCF calculation method using industry-specific default data for a defined product( category).
Background data	environmental impact or emission factor data that is connected with the product data in order to calculate PCFs. It can be primary (supplier-specific information, e.g. an EPD) or secondary (e.g., EFs from databases such as ecoinvent for a material).
Carbon Footprint (CF)	A measure of the total amount of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions directly and indirectly caused by an activity or accumulated over the life stages of a product.
Carbon Intensity of Electricity	A measure of how much CO2e is emitted per kilowatt-hour of electricity produced. It varies based on the energy mix of a region or manufacturer (e.g., renewables vs. fossil fuels).
Circular Economy	An economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources through principles like reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling.
Circular Footprint Formula (CFF)	A formula published by the European Commission as part of the PEF methodology to allocate environmental burdens and credits for recycling, reusing, or recovering energy between supplier and user of recycled materials.
CO2e (Carbon Dioxide Equivalent)	A standard unit for measuring carbon footprints. It expresses the impact of each different greenhouse gas in terms of the amount of CO2 that would create the same amount of warming. This is used to combine the impacts of various greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) into a single metric for easier comparison and aggregation.
Compliance	Adherence to specific rules, standards, or laws in LCA, such as ISO guidelines, GHG Protocol, or EU PEF.
Consequential LCA	An LCA approach that considers broader consequences beyond immediate impacts, such as market shifts and changes in behavior resulting from a measure. It provides a holistic view of environmental consequences including indirect effects.
Cradle-to-Gate	An assessment approach that includes all upstream and core activities in the life cycle of a product but excludes downstream activities.
Cradle-to-Grave	A comprehensive assessment approach considering the entire lifecycle of a product from raw material extraction (cradle) to disposal (grave).
Cut-Off Allocation	An allocation method where burdens or credits associated with material from previous or subsequent life cycles are not considered, focusing instead on the use of recycled content.
Data Quality	In LCA, the accuracy and completeness of data used, impacting the reliability of the assessment.
Ecoinvent	A comprehensive database for life cycle inventory data, widely used in LCA studies.
Emission Factor (EF)	A coefficient that quantifies the emissions per unit of activity, most often given in kg CO2e / kg.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)	A process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, considering inter-related socio-economic, cultural, and human-health impacts.
Environmental Impact Categories	Divisions in LCA used to categorize and quantify impacts on different aspects of the environment, such as air, water, soil, etc.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)	A standardized document providing information about a product's environmental impact, based on an LCA.
Foreground data	= product data, refers to specific, detailed information directly related to the product being assessed. Primary, foreground data is supplier-specific whereby secondary data refer to industry specific default values in case of missing data. Examples include product weight, its material composition, weight, production methods and supply chain information.
Functional Unit (FU)	In LCA, the quantified performance of a product system for use as a reference unit in a life cycle assessment study. It can be 1 kg, 1 m3 or 1 product.
Global Warming Potential (GWP)	A measure used to compare the ability of different greenhouse gases to trap heat in the atmosphere. It represents the total warming effect of one unit of a gas over a fixed period, often 100 years, compared to one unit of carbon dioxide (CO2). GWP is a critical concept in understanding and comparing the impact of different gases on global warming.
Goal and Scope Definition	The initial stage in LCA involving the precise definition of the purpose, functional unit, and the boundaries of the assessment.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions	Emissions of gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and climate change.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol	A widely used international accounting tool and standard for government and business leaders to understand, quantify, and manage greenhouse gas emissions.
Idemat Database	A database providing information on the environmental impact of materials, often used in LCA.
ISO 14040/44	International standards providing guidelines and principles for conducting and reporting life cycle assessment studies.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)	A systematic analysis of the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product throughout its life cycle.
Life Cycle Costing (LCC)	An approach for assessing the total cost of ownership, considering all costs associated with the life cycle of a product.
Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA)	A phase in LCA where potential environmental impacts are assessed using inventory data.
Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)	A phase in LCA involving the compilation of detailed inputs and outputs across various stages of a product's life cycle.
Manual Data Collection	The process of gathering data by hand for use in LCA, as opposed to automatic data collection methods.
Material Circularity Index (MCI)	An index developed by the McArthur Foundation to evaluate the circularity aspects of material flows of a product, from raw materials to end-of-life.
Material Loss Rate	In manufacturing, the percentage of material that is wasted during the production process.
Primary data	Supplier- or company specific foreground or background data. Examples include primary information about a product's weight or a PCF for a certain material.
Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)	An EU initiative that quantifies the environmental performance of a product or service throughout its life cycle.
Product Life Cycle	The stages a product goes through from raw material extraction to disposal or recycling.
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)	A strategic approach to managing the lifecycle of a product from inception, through engineering design and manufacture, to service and disposal.
Raw Material Acquisition	The initial stage of a product's life cycle involving the extraction or harvesting of natural resources.
Recycling Process Allocation	The assignment of environmental impacts in the recycling process, typically between the recycled material and the virgin material.
Renewable Energy	Energy from sources that are naturally replenishing but flow-limited, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal.
Safety Margin	In LCA, a factor used to control for uncertainties and avoid underestimating emissions, influenced by the accuracy score of data.
Scalability	The ability of LCA methodology to be applied to large-scale systems or numerous products simultaneously.
Scope 1 and 2 Emissions	Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy (Scope 2).
Scope 3 emissions	Indirect emissions from a company’s value chain, including both upstream and downstream emissions.
Secondary data	Default or average data for foreground or background information. Examples include an average weight for a product where primary information is missing or a general material emission factor from a database such as ecoinvent.
Spend-based PCF calculation	A carbon footprint calculation method using general emission factors and considering a product's price and category.
Streamlined LCA	A simplified approach to LCA, often software-based, used for analyzing a wide range of product categories in a less complex manner.
Substitution Approach	An allocation method where the impact of recycled materials is equated to the impact of virgin materials, focusing on end-of-life recycling.
Supplier-specific Approach	An activity-based PCF calculation method requiring detailed data from the supply chain of a product for a life-cycle assessment.
System Boundaries	In LCA, the limits of what is included in the assessment, such as which stages of the life cycle and which processes are considered.
Virtual Bill of Materials (BOM)	A digital representation of a product flow including components and materials as well as production and transport steps used in LCA to assess the environmental impact.