2.1 What Is a Product Carbon Footprint?
A Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with producing one unit of a product, expressed in kilograms of CO2 equivalent (kg CO2e). Unlike a corporate carbon footprint — which covers all of a company's emissions — a PCF focuses on a single product and its production process.
For most programs, you will be asked for a cradle-to-gate PCF. This means the assessment starts at the extraction of raw materials (the "cradle") and ends at the point where the finished product leaves your factory gate. It does not include transport to the customer or use of the product after delivery.
2.2 What "TfS-Aligned" Means
Together for Sustainability (TfS) is a cross-industry initiative that has developed a common guideline for calculating and sharing PCFs in chemical and adjacent supply chains. Companies in this industry typically require PCFs to follow the TfS PCF Guideline (version 3.0) and the PACT Framework (version 3.0), which are closely aligned.
In practice, TfS-aligned means:
● The calculation follows a defined methodology: ISO 14067:2018 and the GHG Protocol Product Standard.
● A specific list of data points is reported (see section 2.3).
● The GHG impact is expressed using IPCC AR6 GWP100 values — the most current set of global warming potentials.
● The quality and source of the data used is documented (primary data share, secondary data sources, representativeness scores).
● The calculation is reviewed before submission.
2.3 How the Platform Guides You Through Your PCF
You do not need to be an LCA expert or know the TfS methodology before you start. The Green Project platform leads you through the PCF step by step, explaining what is needed at each stage and filling in gaps with industry-average data where you do not have your own figures.
The main things you will be asked to provide are:
● Basic product information: what the product is, the unit it is measured in (e.g. 1 kg, 1 litre), and the mass per unit.
● Energy used in production: how much electricity and heat your facility consumes to make the product, and where that energy comes from (grid, renewable source, on-site generation).
● Key raw materials: the main inputs that go into the product, their quantities, and where they come from. You do not need to list every minor ingredient.
● Your production location: the country and facility where the product is made. This determines which electricity emission factor the platform uses.
For everything else—the methodology, standards, calculation logic, and required data fields—the platform handles it. Our LCA team reviews every submission before it reaches the customer, so if anything is missing or needs correcting, we will come back to you directly.
What the platform calculates for you: Once you have entered your data, the platform calculates the total carbon footprint per unit of product, splits it by fossil and biogenic components, scores the quality of the data you provided, and produces a TfS-aligned output ready for the customer to receive. You do not need to do any of this manually.
2.4 How to Get a Better PCF Result
The most impactful things a supplier can do to reduce their PCF — or improve its accuracy — are:
1. Switch to renewable electricity. Electricity is often the largest or second-largest contributor to a manufacturing PCF. Switching to a renewable source, verified by an Energy Attribute Certificate (EAC or Guarantee of Origin), can significantly reduce the GWP total. Through Green Project's energy marketplace, you can source EACs tied to the exact products you supply to the customer, and the PCF will update automatically to reflect the reduction.
2. Use primary data rather than secondary defaults. The platform fills gaps with industry-average data, but your own energy bills and production volumes will produce a more accurate — and often lower — PCF than a generic proxy. The platform shows you where primary data would make the biggest difference.
3. Enter transport data. Default transport assumptions are conservative. If you know the actual distances and modes for your inbound raw material deliveries, entering them can improve accuracy.
2.5 What Happens After You Submit
Once you submit your PCF through the platform, the following steps take place:
4. Green Project's LCA team reviews your submission. They check for data plausibility, methodology compliance, and completeness against mandatory data points. This review typically takes 2-5 business days.
5. If anything needs correcting, the LCA team contacts you directly to explain what needs to change and why. You can revise and resubmit within the platform.
6. Once the LCA team approves your PCF, it is shared with the customer in TfS-aligned format (initially Excel; via API from Q3 2026 onwards).
7. The customer reviews and accepts the PCF. If the customer requests a change — for example, if the reference period needs updating — you will receive a revision request through the platform.
2.6 Support Available to You
You do not need to be an LCA expert to complete this process. Support is available at every stage:
● Supplier Academy: step-by-step guides and worked examples, available 24/7 at support.greenprojecttech.com.
● In-platform chat: live support while you are entering data.
● Email: [email protected]. Response within one business day.
● One-on-one call: book a session with one of our LCA specialists if you have a complex situation or want someone to review your data before you submit.
● Webinar recording: the onboarding webinar will be recorded and shared so you can watch it at any time.
Green Project manages all supplier support on behalf of the customer. If you have a question, contact us — not the customer.