Calculating a product's carbon footprint means measuring the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions throughout its entire life cycle: from raw material extraction to end-of-life. This approach enables product and service comparison, guides procurement decisions and identifies levers for action to reduce footprint. It becomes a strategic benchmark for any organisation wishing to implement a sustainable procurement policy, rely on verifiable data and accelerate emissions reduction linked to human activities.
Understanding a product's carbon footprint and its role in sustainable procurement
Each product has its own impact on the environment. This impact results from various processes: sourcing, transformation, logistics, use and recycling. The environmental footprint of a product includes several indicators (carbon, carbon and water, pollution, resources). The carbon footprint focuses specifically on greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. It therefore measures a single but central impact, as it is directly linked to climate disruption.
This approach enables precise comparison of equivalent solutions during tender processes. Depending on product categories, impacts vary considerably: energy consumption for machinery, litres of water required for textile production, emissions from transport or metal transformation, etc. By analysing these elements, organisations can identify solutions to reduce overall impact whilst securing operational efficiency.
Why measure a product's carbon impact?
Measuring a product's impact provides an essential data foundation for reducing the impact of procurement. This approach helps to:
- Calculate emissions totals linked to considered solutions;
- Identify improvement levers to reduce carbon footprint;
- Integrate objective criteria into the selection of goods or services;
- Prioritise eco-design initiatives with suppliers.
To support this approach, an environmental impact score is based on measurable parameters, as confirmed by Frédérique Cotenceau, Environmental Quality Manager at Clen: "Manutan's Product Environmental Impact Score aligns perfectly with our goal of transparency towards our clients. It is based on a rigorous methodology that considers every aspect of a product, such as weight and packaging. This guides us in implementing critical adjustments while reinforcing our commitment to CSR."
Recognised approaches for calculating a product's carbon footprint
Methods for calculating carbon footprint ensure result consistency and facilitate comparison between supplier solutions. Several approaches are commonly used by organisations and procurement ecosystems.
Life cycle assessment (LCA): an essential standard
LCA constitutes the most comprehensive method for measuring environmental footprint of a product. It evaluates carbon impact from raw materials through to end-of-life, considering all intermediate stages. The tool often relies on an international database containing emission factors per material, process or transport mode, thus enabling reliable emissions calculation.
This method proves particularly useful when seeking to calculate your footprint exhaustively, model multiple scenarios and compare different procurement options using a product carbon footprint calculator.
GHG Protocol applied to products and scopes 1, 2, 3
The GHG Protocol is used worldwide for carbon accounting. Applied to products, it relies on scopes 1, 2 and 3, which classify different emission sources.
- Scope 1 concerns direct emissions;
- Scope 2, energy-related emissions;
- Scope 3, all indirect emissions, often the most significant when considering product carbon.
This approach proves indispensable for measuring impact whilst improving understanding of emissions situated within the supply chain at supplier level.
Data required for reliable carbon calculation
Producing a reliable product carbon footprint requires identifying a dataset covering the entire value chain. Result accuracy depends directly on the quality of information collected.
Identifying upstream data: extraction, transformation and initial transport
This first phase concerns:
- Raw material extraction, often a highly emissive stage;
- Transformation processes and their energy intensity;
- Initial logistics journeys, whether road freight, maritime or human activities linked to handling.
Some companies seek, for example, to integrate alternative transport modes, such as public transport for their staff or shared transport for goods, to reduce overall impact.
Manufacturing, usage and end-of-life data: often decisive stages
To calculate emissions, it is also essential to evaluate:
- Energy consumption during manufacturing;
- Materials used;
- Emissions linked to product usage, whether electricity, litres of water or maintenance;
- Reuse or recycling possibilities.
Through its Take-back and Recycling service (WEEE), Manutan offers take-back and recycling solutions for compliant and responsible disposal (available in Belgium, France and the Netherlands, subject to conditions in Italy and on request in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and the United Kingdom, as at content publication date). This facilitates recovery or end-of-life equipment management, thus contributing to reducing overall carbon impact.
Tools, frameworks and certifications to structure robust carbon calculation
Companies' growing maturity on sustainability issues has encouraged development of tools for calculating emissions with precision and reliability.
LCA software and carbon footprint calculators
These tools automate modelling of key stages: raw materials, energy, logistics, use and end-of-life treatment. They integrate a database composed of thousands of industrial processes, enabling application of the correct emission factor at each stage.
They prove particularly relevant for analysing complex product categories, whose impact depends on local energy mix, manufacturing processes or distances travelled. A product carbon footprint calculator streamlines this process significantly.
Certifications and frameworks: ISO 14067, PEF and product comparability
ISO 14067 and the European PEF methodology define rules enabling consistent calculation of environmental footprint of a product. Their main advantage is standardisation, as it enables comparison of multiple products and services objectively.
These frameworks are increasingly valued in procurement decisions, particularly when organisations wish to guarantee carbon data traceability or verify that selected products tend towards a more carbon-neutral model.
Integrating carbon footprint calculation into tenders and responsible choices
Integrating carbon calculation into sustainable procurement is becoming widespread. Organisations wish to have reliable, structural and easily comparable indicators to guide decisions according to objective criteria.
This approach forms part of a mature management logic: using certified data, encouraging suppliers to provide precise information and favouring goods or services with lower impact.
Structuring relevant carbon criteria
Procurement teams can integrate:
- Maximum carbon thresholds according to product categories;
- Reporting requirements via certified emission factors;
- Complementary indicators linked to carbon and water;
- Emissions reduction pathways proposed by suppliers.
These criteria strengthen decision robustness and stimulate commercial partner commitment.
Disseminating best practices and supporting organisations
Generalising carbon calculation in procurement also depends on teams' capacity to master methodologies and dialogue effectively with suppliers. Sharing best practices, understanding parameters influencing product carbon and knowing how to interpret results constitute key skills for reliable decision-making.
This support logic underpins Manutan's Expert Advice/Assistance service, which accompanies you with genuine human expertise to validate specifications and guide your choice (available in Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Portugal, as at content publication date). This expertise facilitates carbon criteria integration, clarifies emission factor usage and helps organisations select solutions aligned with their environmental ambitions.
Building a low-carbon procurement strategy based on verifiable data
Reducing carbon footprint requires going beyond choosing better-rated products. A low-carbon strategy relies on detailed impact knowledge, continuous improvement and the capacity to challenge proposed solutions.
Several structural levers stand out:
- Prioritising products with an established product carbon footprint according to a recognised framework;
- Valuing repair, reuse or recycling options;
- Questioning needs relevance to limit overconsumption;
- Favouring lean alternatives, for example limiting meat consumption during professional events, introducing solutions consuming fewer litres of water, or selecting durable models in strategic product categories.
Companies integrating these elements structure a robust procurement policy, compatible with climate ambitions and beneficial for overall performance.
