PEF Methodology

PEF Methodology

FAQs

What is the PEF Methodology?

PEF stands for Product Environmental Footprint. It’s a European methodology designed to measure the full environmental impact of a product across its entire lifecycle, using a consistent and science-based approach.

The PEF framework was developed by the European Commission to help standardise how companies measure and report environmental performance — especially when it comes to comparisons between products.

Unlike some carbon-focused methods, PEF doesn’t just look at CO₂ emissions. It includes 16 different impact categories, such as:

Climate change (CO₂e)
Water use
Resource depletion
Acidification
Land use
Eutrophication (pollution of waterways)

PEF is often used in lifecycle assessments (LCA) and is gaining traction as the foundation for eco-labelling and green claims regulation in Europe.

1. Why does the PEF methodology exist?

PEF was created by the European Commission to bring consistency and credibility to product-level environmental claims. The goal: stop companies from cherry-picking impact areas and start using a standardised, science-backed method.

2. How is PEF different from carbon footprinting?

Carbon footprinting focuses solely on greenhouse gas emissions. PEF goes further — it measures 16 impact categories across a product’s lifecycle. That means it provides a multi-dimensional view of a product’s environmental performance.

3. Is PEF mandatory?

Not yet. But it’s highly influential — especially in Europe. It’s already being used in pilot projects, procurement standards, and the development of green claims regulation. Future EU labelling laws may make PEF a preferred or required method.

4. What kind of products is PEF used for?

PEF can be used for almost any product — food, textiles, packaging, electronics, furniture, and more. It’s most useful for comparing similar products or making substantiated environmental claims (e.g. “lower impact” or “eco-friendly”).

5. What are PEFCRs?

PEFCR stands for Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules. These are sector-specific rules that explain how to apply the PEF method to a specific product category. For example: shoes, milk, or t-shirts.

They help ensure that comparisons are fair and based on the same assumptions.

6. Is PEF only used in the EU?

It’s EU-led, but its influence is growing. Global brands — especially those selling in Europe — are beginning to adopt it voluntarily, particularly in fashion, food, and packaging. It’s also being used in public procurement and B2B tenders.

7. How is PEF data calculated?

PEF relies on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data, using specific datasets and impact calculation methods provided by the European Commission.

You’ll need to gather:

Materials and energy use
Transport and manufacturing processes
End-of-life impacts (e.g. recycling, landfill)
Supplier-specific data where possible

Software tools or sustainability platforms (like Seedling) help streamline the process.

8. What makes PEF credible?

Three main things:

It’s science-based and developed by the European Commission
It uses harmonised data and consistent rules (PEFCRs)
It’s independently reviewed and can be verified by third parties

This is why PEF is often used to support green claims, environmental labelling, and procurement decisions.

9. Is PEF hard for SMEs to implement?

It can be complex — especially if done from scratch. But tools and platforms now exist to make it far more accessible.

Seedling, for example, uses streamlined methods that follow PEF principles, combining spend and activity data to get businesses started fast — with the option to go deeper for product-level assessments.

10. Can Seedling support PEF-aligned reporting?

Yes. While Seedling is not a dedicated LCA consultancy, our platform is built around the same principles as PEF: full lifecycle thinking, transparent methodology, and credible data.

We help businesses: