Challenges and requirements of exchanging Product Carbon Footprint information in the supply chain

¹ Siemens AG, Siemensdamm 50, 13629 Berlin, Germany
² BASF SE, Carl-Bosch-Strasse 38, 67056 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
³ Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Henkelstrasse 67, 40589 Düsseldorf, Germany
⁴ Syngenta Group, Breitenloh 5, CH-4333 Münchwilen, Switzerland
⁵ ArcelorMittal, Keizerinlaan 66, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
⁶ Evonik Operations GmbH, Rellinghauser Straße 1-11, 45128 Essen, Germany
⁷ Corbion Sustainability department, Gorinchem, The Netherlands
⁸ DSM Nutritional Products, Wurmisweg 576, CH-4303 Kaiseraugst, Switzerland
⁹ Bayer AG Public Affairs, Science & Sustainability, 51368 Leverkusen, Germany

^* Corresponding author: florian_ansgar.jaeger@siemens.com

Abstract

The reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is of high importance to society. Companies therefore have an increasing interest in understanding and reducing the GHG emissions of their supply chains and to generate data to track and prove this, for example by calculating product carbon footprints (PCFs). Besides serious gaps in PCF data within companies and in LCA databases, there is still missing experience and knowledge on how to consistently prepare and exchange these data. Based on our experience as LCA practitioners in the industry, we discuss the key challenges and requirements such as data formats, data quality, confidentiality concerns and comparability issues of PCF data. Aiming to contribute practical recommendations to ongoing initiatives working to enable PCF-exchange along value chains, we scope approaches that match industry requirements.