Types of Carbon Labeling
Carbon Labeling (CL) involves reporting how much greenhouse gasses were emitted to manufacture a product and product costs. There are severaltypes of Carbon Labeling.
Carbon Input Labeling (CIL) involves reporting how much greenhouse gasses were emitted to manufacture a product. and product costs. Carbon Input Labeling can be described as the carbon footprint of an individual product.
Carbon Inputs are then labeled on its packaging or in its documentation. It should be noted that manufacture is just one of the stages of the life cycle of a product. It can also include emissions involved in making raw materials, packaging, distributing the product, required services to provide the product to the consumer Use of a product and its ultimate disposal/recycling also produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Product Use Labeling involves how much greenhouse gasses are emitted to operate the product. This is often related to the energy rating of the product, but can include other factors. For example, Energy Star is a product use labeling for energy.
Lifecycle labeling reports how much greenhouse gasses were given off during the entire lifecycle of the product, including manufacture, use and disposal. Lifecycle labeling would include emissions reported under carbon input labeling and product use labeling. It is sometimes called LCA, "cradle-to-grave" or "cradle-to-cradle" labeling.
Major Energy/Carbon Accounting and Reporting Methods
- “Cradle-to-market”. Here, the amount of carbon required to make a product and deliver it to the end user is accounted for. [e.g. Carbon Label California, CarbonStick, Technocracy, Inc.]
- Process life-cycle assessment (“LCA”s, Life-cycle measurement or “cradle-to-grave). Here the entire amount carbon to make, use and dispose of a product is considered. [e.g. The Carbon Trust, the Carbon Label Company]
- Look-ups. Consumers or producers can look-up their carbon footprint based up lifestyle energy usage in standardized environmental impact tables or calculators [e.g. PG&E]
Major Standards and Certifications for Carbon Accounting, Reporting or Labeling (not for offset credits)
Standards and Certifications. There are various methods to calculate and verify greenhouse gas emissions. Different firms follow different standards (if at all) and may receive various certifications that often represent different quantities or particular types of emissions.
- “Cradle-to-market”. Here, the amount of carbon required to make a product and deliver it to the end user is accounted for. [e.g. Carbon Label California, CarbonStick, Technocracy, Inc.]
- Process life-cycle assessment (“LCA”s, Life-cycle measurement or “cradle-to-grave). Here the entire amount carbon to make, use and dispose of a product is considered. [e.g. The Carbon Trust, the Carbon Label Company]
- Look-ups. Consumers or producers can look-up their carbon footprint based up lifestyle energy usage in standardized environmental impact tables or calculators [e.g. PG&E]