Welcome 👋

Now that you understand what PCFs are and how to approach them, it's time to dig into the calculation process. In lesson nine, you’ll learn: The five key steps to build a PCF (and how to tackle each one) Which calculation method makes sense for your products How to collect the right data from start to finish Why this is relevant: A clear calculation process helps you create accurate PCFs and identify where you might need support. Whether you're just starting out or improving existing PCFs, these steps will guide you through the process.

The five steps to building PCFs

Building on the knowledge you’ve gained so far, it’s time to walk through each step of creating a product carbon footprint.

Step 1: Set your boundaries

Remember in Lesson 4 when we talked about different types of PCFs? This is where you decide which one you’ll be creating:

• For intermediate products (like raw materials): Use cradle-to-gate.
• For finished products (like consumer goods): Use cradle-to-grave.

Tip: List the sources you want to collect data for and draw a diagram showing what’s included and what’s not. This helps your team to understand the scope.

For example, let’s say you manufacture plastic resin, an intermediate product:

✅ Do include raw material extraction, processing, manufacturing. 
❌ Don’t include product use, disposal.

Step 2: Collect your data

Remember in Lesson 2 when we talked about activity data? Now it’s time to gather it. You’ll need data for every emission source within your boundary.

Examples of information to collect

• Fuel usage
• Electricity consumption
• Raw material quantities 
• Transport distances
• Water withdrawal

Tip: Start with what you think are your biggest emission sources first. If you don't know this, then collecting information on the materials used and the energy consumed can be a good place to begin. Remember to check any measurement conversions you may need to do in advance.

Going back to the example of the plastic resin manufacturer making a cradle-to-gate product carbon footprint, you’ll need to collect:

Stage 1: Raw material acquisition and pre-processing

• Bill of materials
• Transport distances and modes for deliveries

Stage 2: Production

• Energy used to make the product or component
• Water withdrawn and water discharged
• Waste generated and the type of treatment
• Any chemical reactions that happened during production
• Estimates for the leakage refrigerant gases that are used in the production process
• Information on any external services that you use during production
• Transport distances and modes for deliveries for you own vehicles

Step 3: Find your emission factors

As you found out in Lesson 2, emission factors help convert your activity data into greenhouse gas emissions. To recap, you have two main options:

1) Primary emission factors, for example:

• PCFs from your own suppliers
• Specific emission factors for your electricity
• Custom factors for your processes

2) Secondary emission factors, for example:

• Government databases
• Industry averages
• Life cycle assessment databases

Let's see how our plastic resin manufacturer might use both types:

Primary emission factors:

• Emission factor from their electricity supplier
• PCF data from their raw material supplier
• Actual fuel emission factors from their gas provider

Secondary emission factors:

• Industry average for similar transport routes
• Government database values for any missing material PCFs

Tip: Remember the primary data score from Lesson 3? Using more primary emission factors will improve your overall score. Our plastic resin manufacturer could improve their score by getting more PCFs from their suppliers.

Step 4: Do the calculations

This is where everything comes together, using the formula you learned in Lesson 2:

Activity data x emission factor = greenhouse gas emissions

In our example, the plastic resin manufacturer would:

1. Take natural gas usage for the previous year (activity data)
2. Multiply by the emission factor for natural gas
3. Repeat for each emission source
4. Add it all up 

Your final result will be in kilograms (kg) of carbon equivalence (CO2e) per unit (such as per kg of plastic resin). 

Step 5: Analyze and plan improvements

At this point, your PCF turns into a powerful tool for your organization:

1. Look for hotspots
   1. Which sources create the most emissions?
   2. Where are your biggest opportunities?
2. Plan improvements
   1. Set realistic reduction targets
   2. Identify quick wins
   3. Make a long-term plan

Going back to our example, if the plastic resin PCF shows that raw materials are your biggest source of emissions, you might:

• Work with your own suppliers to reduce their emissions
• Look for lower-carbon alternative materials
• Identify ways to optimize material use in your process

Choosing your calculation method

As you found out in Lesson 7, there are several methodologies, guidelines, and standards to choose from when calculating PCFs. Here’s how to choose the right one for your organization.

Start with your sector

Different industries have different needs. Check if there are specific rules for your sector. Below, you’ll find some common examples.

Sector-specific methods

• Product Category Rules (PCRs - specific to the product category)
• Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCRs)
• Catena-X (automotive)
• Together for Sustainability (chemicals)
• CEPI Ten Toes (paper)

Why this matters: Using your sector’s method means your PCFs can be compared with similar products. 

Using Manufacture 2030 (M2030)

Don’t worry if you’re not sure which method to use. The M2030 platform:

• Is based on the WBCSD PACT Methodology and GHG Protocol Product Standards
• Works for all manufacturing sectors
• Handles cradle-to-gate calculations

Check your knowledge

Time to see if it all makes sense! Take the quiz to check your understanding:

If your customers have asked you to complete M2030's Product Carbon Footprint Academy, taking this quiz will show them you're making progress. Your answers and scores will not be shared with them – only that you have taken the quiz.

📁 Free downloads

• Lesson 9 - Calculating PCFs.pdf900 KB