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Carbon footprint glossary twenty terms explained.

This glossary defines twenty terms of the product carbon footprint and Scope 3, from emission factor and primary data to ISO 14067, CSRD, CBAM and the digital product passport. Each definition is self-contained, cites the official source where one exists and links to related pages.

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A clear definition prevents costly mistakes. When one footprint is compared with another, or communicated to a customer, you need to know what is being discussed: which factor, which boundary and which unit. Here are the most used terms, ordered from the basics to regulation.

In this section

  • Product carbon footprint

    A product carbon footprint (PCF) is the sum of the greenhouse gas emissions and removals of a product across its life cycle, expressed in kgCO2e per unit.

  • Scope 1, 2 and 3

    They are the three GHG Protocol categories used to classify an organisation’s emissions: Scope 1 is direct emissions, Scope 2 is purchased energy, and Scope 3 is every other emission in the value chain.

  • Scope 3 Category 1

    Scope 3 Category 1 covers the cradle-to-gate emissions of the goods and services an organisation buys during the reporting period.

  • Emission factor

    An emission factor is the coefficient that converts activity data, such as a kilo of material, a kWh or a tonne-kilometre, into greenhouse gas emissions, usually in kgCO2e.

  • Physical factor

    A physical, or activity-based, factor expresses emissions per physical unit: kgCO2e per kilo of material, per kWh of energy or per tonne-kilometre of transport.

  • Spend-based factor

    A spend-based, or economic, factor estimates emissions by multiplying the amount of a purchase by a sector-average kgCO2e per euro.

  • Primary data

    Primary data are values measured or collected directly from the specific process or supplier, instead of database averages.

  • Cradle-to-gate

    Cradle-to-gate is the system boundary that runs from the extraction of raw materials to the moment the product leaves the factory.

  • Life cycle assessment (LCA)

    Life cycle assessment (LCA) is the standardised method to compile and evaluate the inputs, outputs and potential environmental impacts of a product across its whole life cycle.

  • Environmental product declaration (EPD)

    An environmental product declaration (EPD) is a verified Type III document, under ISO 14025, that reports the environmental performance of a product based on an LCA and on product category rules.

  • Product category rules (PCR)

    Product category rules (PCR) are the specific set of requirements for developing environmental declarations for a category of products.

  • ISO 14067

    ISO 14067 is the international standard that sets out the principles, requirements and guidelines to quantify and communicate the carbon footprint of a product.

  • GHG Protocol

    The GHG Protocol is the set of greenhouse gas accounting standards most widely used by companies, developed by WRI and WBCSD.

  • tCO2e

    tCO2e is one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent, the unit that expresses the effect of different greenhouse gases in a single number according to their global warming potential.

  • CBAM

    CBAM is the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which links the import of certain carbon-intensive goods to their embedded emissions.

  • CSRD

    The CSRD is Directive (EU) 2022/2464 on corporate sustainability reporting, which requires the companies within its scope to publish information on impacts, risks and opportunities.

  • ESRS E1

    ESRS E1 is the European climate change reporting standard within the CSRD’s ESRS, which includes the disclosure of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.

  • Digital product passport (DPP)

    The digital product passport (DPP) is the set of structured data about a product, accessible by electronic means, foreseen by the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (EU) 2024/1781.

  • Most conservative factor

    In Xain’s method, the most conservative factor is the one applied when the documentation leaves a doubt: the one that gives the highest emissions value is chosen.

  • Process tree

    The process tree is the structure that breaks a product type down into its materials and operations, so that every node carries its own physical factor.

  • Estimate

    Every product carbon footprint is an estimate: no methodology knows the exact CO2 of each concrete unit. The difference is the method used to estimate.

  • Resources

    Glossary, guides and comparisons on product carbon footprint and Scope 3: clear definitions, official sources and how they apply in practice inside a company.

  • Methodology

    How Xain calculates the product carbon footprint: physical factors, process tree, most conservative factor and primary data. An ISO 14067 methodology by LRQA.

  • Solutions

    Software that calculates and certifies the product carbon footprint and Scope 3 of purchases with physical factors and an ISO 14067 method verified by LRQA.

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