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- Choose the correct published document
- Make the scope of the result clear
- Example: comparing two packaging configurations
- Separate calculation from the public claim
- Choose the related publication by the purchasing question
- Frequently asked questions
- Primary sources and edition check
- Explore more standards buying guides
The verified European publication is EN ISO 14067:2018, adopting ISO 14067:2018. Genorma and ISO identify it as published while a replacement is under development. The earlier European technical specification is listed as withdrawn. Keep the exact document type and edition visible when comparing proposed study methods. European publication and history; ISO current publication and revision.
Choose the correct published document
Make the scope of the result clear
The public scope supplies principles, requirements and guidance for quantifying and reporting a product’s carbon footprint, consistent with life-cycle assessment standards. It also addresses partial carbon footprints. Its impact category is climate change; offsetting and communication of footprint information are outside the document’s scope. Publisher’s quantification scope and exclusions.
For buying a study, ask what the proposed result represents and what information supports it. If the engagement covers only selected lifecycle stages, require that limitation to remain visible in the proposal and final deliverable. A number without a clear product definition, study basis and boundary is difficult for a purchasing team to interpret.
| Decision area | Question for the study provider |
|---|---|
| Product definition | Which product, variants and declared study basis does the proposal cover? |
| Lifecycle boundary | Is the result a full or partial footprint and what is excluded? |
| Data inputs | Which supplier and operational information is required or assumed? |
| Methods and limitations | How will choices, gaps and uncertainties be explained? |
| Use of the result | What separate review or communication work is needed for the intended purpose? |
Example: comparing two packaging configurations
Imagine a buyer comparing two packaging configurations for a product. One supplier provides a partial footprint for material production, while another offers a study with a different boundary. The lower quoted number cannot be assumed to show the better complete lifecycle result because the two numbers may describe different work.
The buyer could ask both providers to explain what each result includes, the product basis used and the information available for a comparison. If an aligned study is needed, the procurement request should state the intended comparison and ask the study provider to explain the necessary conditions and limitations. This is an original purchasing example; it does not rank either packaging configuration or calculate an environmental advantage.
Separate calculation from the public claim
The publication’s scope is limited to climate change. It does not assess social or economic impacts or other environmental impact categories. A product carbon-footprint study therefore should not be described as an assessment of every sustainability issue associated with the product. Single-impact scope and exclusions.
If the business wants a public statement, label or broader environmental declaration, specify that intended use as a separate workstream. Ask what rules, supporting information and review are needed for it. The study provider should explain the boundary of the calculation and distinguish that work from approving the words that marketing intends to publish.
The exclusion of offsetting is also commercially useful. If an offer combines footprint calculation with the purchase of credits, request a clear separation of the calculation deliverable, the credit transaction and the claim being proposed. Do not allow the commercial package to conceal which result the study actually quantifies. Offsetting and communication exclusion.
Choose the related publication by the purchasing question
For an organisational GHG inventory, see EN ISO 14064-1. For ongoing environmental management, see EN ISO 14001. For compostability of packaging in the specified treatment context, compare EN 13432. A result for one objective should not be used as a substitute for another.
- Order the published EN ISO 14067:2018 designation, not an earlier technical specification.
- Define the product, intended result and full or partial study boundary.
- Identify which information the client and suppliers must provide.
- Ask for explainable, maintainable records rather than a standalone number.
- Separate any public claim, verification engagement or offsetting purchase from quantification.
Frequently asked questions
Does the standard cover a partial footprint?
Yes. Its public scope includes partial CFP quantification. The proposal and result need to make the relevant boundary clear rather than presenting a partial result as a whole-product finding. Partial CFP scope.
Does a carbon footprint show all environmental impacts?
No. The cited scope focuses on climate change and expressly excludes other environmental, social and economic impacts. Specify a broader assessment separately when needed.
Is a revision project a published replacement?
The checked records still identify the 2018 publication as published and the next work as under development. Recheck the status before ordering and retain any draft designation.
Primary sources and edition check
- Genorma: published European 2018 product and scope boundaries
- ISO: published CFP and partial CFP requirements, exclusions and revision
Publication and purchase records checked on 7 October 2026. The examples and procurement questions are original guidance. Detailed implementation requires the applicable licensed text and decisions for the actual project.
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