New Product Carbon Footprint standard: ISO 14067

The new standard ISO 14067 for carbon footprints of products will provide much more specific guidance than the underlying ISO 14044:2006, Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines.

ISO 14067 calls for specific product category rules, including not only the specifications of ISO 14025:2006, Environmental labels and declarations – Type III environmental declarations – Principles and procedures, but also other sector-specific standards or internationally agreed guidance documents related to materials and product categories.

ISO 14067 expected for July 2013

The new standard builds largely on the existing ISO standards for life cycle assessments (ISO 14040/44) and environmental labels and declarations (ISO 14025) and is planned to become available as a Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) by February 2013, with publication expected for July 2013


To improve user-friendliness and consistency, working group WG 2, GHG management in the value or supply chain, of ISO technical committee ISO/TC 207, Environment management, subcommittee SC 7, Greenhouse gas management and related activities, decided to merge Part 1, Quantification, and Part 2, Communication. The working group allowed for a second round of balloting to ensure that the standard would earn broad support in all countries.

Addressing direct and indirect land-use changes

WG 2 decided to align the requirements for addressing direct and indirect land-use changes with the specifications of the revised PAS 2050. These requirements are informed by research in Europe and the American state of California, which elaborate details related to sustainability criteria for biofuels.

Carbon Footprint Standard ISO 14067

Carbon Footprint Standard ISO 14067 is to be published in the next two years. This Standard will influence New Zealand’s marketing of export products and will ensure that reliable information is provided on the carbon footprint of products.

Barbara Nebel, PE INTERNATIONAL (Australasia) is New Zealand’s representative on the ISO committee developing this standard and co-chairs the Standards New Zealand International Review Group on Life Cycle Assessment (IRG LCA).


‘My role as Co-Chair of the IRG LCA is to represent New Zealand’s best interests in carbon footprinting,’ says Barbara. ‘I think it’s critical to get an internationally agreed Standard to provide a level playing field for all players. ISO 14067 will do that by providing a standardised approach to calculate and communicate carbon footprint.’

read the full interview with Barbara Nebel