‘The new PCF guideline is part of TfS’ mission and our speedboat to foster sustainability and have impact in global chemical supply chains.’
Leading chemical companies, through the Together for Sustainability (TfS) initiative, have agreed on a global guideline for calculating product carbon footprints (PCFs). The new guideline, said to be the first-of-its kind, provides specific calculation instructions for emissions from ‘cradle-to-gate’ for chemicals, and is applicable to the vast majority of chemical products. It is said that this development will allow companies in several industries using chemicals, as well as the wider market, to directly compare and assess the climate impact of products.
TfS said that it worked alongside global NGOs, and experts in corporate sustainability, the chemical industry, climate, and organisations such as the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. TfS was established during 2011 in order to enhance sustainability within the supply chain and now comprises 37 chemical companies from around the world. The initiative assesses, audits and improves sustainability performance of suppliers and chemical companies with the aim of standardising supplier evaluations and auditing.
Commenting on the development of the PCF, Dr Christoph Jäkel, Vice President Corporate Sustainability at BASF, one of the founding TfS members, said: ‘This industry-wide agreement among leading global chemical and process industry manufacturers as members of TfS brings us a step closer to achieving unrestricted comparability of product carbon footprints and, therefore, a level playing field within the chemical industry.’
Along with BASF, members of TfS include Bayer, Evonik Industries, Henkel, Lanxess, Clariant, DSM, Eastman and Syngenta. The initiative builds on principles established by the likes of the United Nations Global Compact and the Responsible Care Global Charter, as well as standards developed by the International Labour Organisation.
Professor Dr Peter Saling, Director of Sustainability Methods at BASF (Credit BASF SE)
With the aim of fostering standardisation, BASF has been openly sharing its PCF calculation methodology with suppliers, customers and peers. The company has also licensed its digital solution for PCF calculation to software houses. Professor Dr Peter Saling, Director of Sustainability Methods at BASF and Chair for the guideline development at TfS said: ‘Such groundwork has brought things to the next level. We now have an even more wide-reaching and comprehensive guideline to assess the PCFs of chemical materials in a consistent fashion that has been jointly developed and officially endorsed by many global leaders in the chemical industry.’
Interview with Bertrand Conquéret
Bertrand Conquéret, TfS President, President of Global Supply Chain & Chief Procurement Officer at Henkel added: ‘The new PCF Guideline is part of TfS’ mission and our speedboat to foster sustainability and have impact in global chemical supply chains. The early involvement of NGOs, climate experts and other major stakeholders allowed us to create a harmonised and aligned guideline that creates a PCF calculation standard for the chemical industry.
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