Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) Consulting
The Environmental Footprint (EF) is an initiative of the European Commission, establishing a common methodological approach for quantifying the environmental performance of any good or service throughout its life cycle.
Interested businesses can now work with thinkstep anytime during the next three years (the Transition Phase) to facilitate the creation of PEF and OEF studies and the development of new PEFCRs and OEFSRs. Please see below for more details as to how we can support you.
thinkstep is the key data provider for more than half the EF mandatory data packages, more than the other 5 providers combined. thinkstep, with its GaBi databases, is the go-to contact for data-related PEF/OEF questions.
thinkstep is leading a consortium of three partners to provide the indispensable, technical and expert support to the Commission during the current transition phase of the PEF/OEF, which will eventually lead to regulatory policy.
Also, thinkstep is a consortium partner in the remodeling project, delivering the largest share of officially remodeled benchmark results for about half of the product groups and organizations in the final PEFCRs and OEFSRs.
The GaBi software family is the leading life cycle and PEF/OEF software, particularly for international and global industry associations. Calculate the Product or Organisation Environmental Footprint (PEF/OEF) with GaBi Software from thinkstep.
For more information on the PEF/OEF, visit the EU Initiative’s website.
How We Can Support You
Offer 1: Calculate a PEF
GaBi Software offers all relevant PEF data to calculate your PEF
We support you in developing new PEFCRs so you can calculate a PEF
We help you develop PEF data, and we can calculate existing LCAs and EPDs using the current PEF indicators and impact categories
Offer 2: Use PEF internally
We help you identify the impacts and hotspots of your products with PEF
We support you in conducting shadow studies to test PEFCR development and PEF calculation before going public
We harmonize existing PCRs / PEFCRs
Offer 3: Communicate PEF
We can communicate your needs with the European Commission and manage organizational and informal aspects around your PEF requirements
We help you find the right industry partners or NGOs and support you in establishing, managing or joining a Technical Secretariat during the PEF Transition Phase
Offer 4: Additional value from PEF
We help you to integrate PEF results into circular economy schemes or material and substance declarations
Learn to detect risks specific to your industry by using PEF as a measuring tool for environmental, compliance and other hotspots
Learn how to communicate the PEF of your company or your products
Benefits to Your Business
Decrease Risk
Understand PEF demands and be prepared for upcoming regulatory requirements from PEF.
Build your Brand Reputation
Communicate your company’s or your products’ environmental performance.
Gain Competitive Advantage
Get a head start on competitors by preparing PEF-conforming information for your products and services.
Extend your Sustainability Knowledge
Use your product’s sustainability assessment to drive innovation.
Develop Strategies
Develop strategies to improve the environmental performance of your products and services.
Gain Relevant Information
Gain relevant information for future PEF implementation.
Understand Environmental Labelling Schemes
Learn to use and understand type III environmental labelling schemes (ISO 14025).
More Information on PEF
The development of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and Organisation Environmental Footprint (OEF) was initiated to develop a harmonized environmental footprinting methodology that can accommodate a broader suite of relevant environmental performance criteria.
The PEF initiative uses life cycle-based methodology based on the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook. The ILCD format and nomenclature enable you to easily transfer interoperable life cycle data between PEF/OEF practitioners and, more importantly, software systems.
The 2nd pilot phase of the PEF/OEF (now complete) has developed close to 20 PEFCRs and OEFSRs, rules systems that ensure reproducibility in the calculation and reporting of product and organization-specific PEF and OEF results. This is a key step to using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in public policy and competitive market contexts.
The PEF/OEF Guides, and the complementing PEFCR/OEFSR guides, provide the methodological framework for developing the PEFCR/OEFSR and for modelling the environmental impacts of the flows of material/energy and the emissions and waste streams associated with specific products and organizations throughout their life cycles.
Aimed at easing the analysis, reporting and communication of the environmental performance of products and organizations and making it more reliable and comparable, the EF Initiative is an important next step in applying life cycle thinking and analysis based on the long-established ISO 14040 series. It is more specific, more robust and reproducible, with more stringent data requirements and with a growing data foundation made available through the European Commission.
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