Why Product Carbon Footprint Data Matters More Than Ever

Sustainability claims are no longer enough. End users increasingly want proof at the product level. Today, customers, investors, and regulators are asking more direct questions:

• What is the real environmental impact of your products?
• How do you know? How is it measured?
• And can you prove it?

At the same time, many companies are realizing that most of their environmental impact doesn’t come from their own operations. It comes from across their value chain. It comes from the products they buy to the services they deliver.

This environmental impact is often quantified in a company’s Scope 3 greenhouse gas, or carbon, emissions. This Scope accounts for the emissions that occur outside a company’s direct control. For many organizations, it represents the largest part of their footprint. For AVI-SPL, Scope 3 is 96% of our total footprint, with Scope 1 and 2 making up just 4%.

Scope 3 is where Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) data becomes essential. A Product Carbon Footprint measures the total emissions associated with a product across its cradle-to-grave lifecycle, from raw materials and manufacturing to transportation, use, and end-of-life.

In simple terms, a PCF answers a basic but increasingly important question: What is the environmental impact of this product, from start to finish?

Why This Shift Is Happening Now

Volatility and demand for defensibility drive this shift to deeper data about the environmental footprint of technology products. As supply chain disruptions are more frequent and energy demand raises electricity costs and strains grids, technology is in the spotlight.

With these macro market concerns, people want to know more about their technology, like:

• Rare earth minerals used in electronic components  
• Energy efficiency, especially with always-on use in the digital workplace 
• Anticipated lifespan and ease of repairability  
• And increasingly, electronic waste, which customers now consider at the time of purchase, not just at end of life

Further, this level of defensibility guards against green claims scrutiny. Buyers and regulators alike expect companies to back up environmental claims with data that is clear, consistent, and traceable. 

For customers with decarbonization goals, like Net Zero, company-wide sustainability statements no longer suffice. They need product-level insight and solution-level efficiency. They want data to make informed decisions, support their operational goals, and defend their strategies. 

This shift is reinforced by the forthcoming Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0, which places greater emphasis on activity-based emissions data and supplier-specific interventions. Having PCFs enables companies to match verified emissions with offsets or offtakes one-for-one. 

Over time, organizations may treat PCF transparency the same way they now treat cybersecurity disclosures or energy efficiency ratings: as a baseline expectation rather than a differentiator. 

Where We Sit, and What We See

As a global technology solutions provider, we sit in the middle of this shift. Upstream, we work with suppliers who design and manufacture ever more efficient and sustainable technology products. Downstream, we support customers who are accelerating their decarbonization initiatives and preferring supplier partners who contribute to their goals. 

Yes, we still see a growing gap between the two:

• Manufacturers are slow to release product-level environmental data, whether as Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) or full-blown Digital Product Passports due to come online in the EU next year. Only about 5% of the technology products we procured in 2025 have this data. 
• Customers are increasingly asking for decision-grade data in a buying process that requires verifiably sustainable solution designs and scores proposals with such data higher than proposals without it.   

We need this data. And so do you.

Why Product Carbon Footprint Data is the Best Proxy

TPCF data helps close that gap. But more importantly, it helps companies of all kinds to move from intention to action. As a comprehensive measurement of a product’s lifecycle from cradle to grave, it is an ideal proxy for understanding and quantifying environmental impact. 

With PCF data, organizations can begin to:

• See where emissions really occur: Instead of relying on broad spend-based estimates, we can pinpoint hot spots across products, sites, and applications.  
• Have better conversations with suppliers: PCF creates a shared, consistent way to work with partners to understand a products footprint and reduce emissions.  
• Design more efficient solutions: Our design team and our customers can reliably consider materials, energy use, and durability alongside cost and performance.  
• Respond to customer expectations with confidence: Product-level data supports transparency and enables more informed purchasing decisions.  
• Plan for the full lifecycle, including end-of-life: We can talk about lifespan, recyclability, and e-waste upfront. PCF brings this into the design and sales conversation earlier. 
• Balance avoided emissions with Net Zero goals: Science Based Targets require corporate Net Zero targets to eliminate nearly all emissions before mitigating unavoidable emission with carbon credits. PCFs provide an accurate basis to balance this equation. 

Product carbon footprints are quickly becoming as fundamental as cost and performance in buying decisions. They help buyers manage risk, improve efficiency, invest in technology with confidence, and adapt to changing market conditions. PCF data also substantiates lower-carbon solution claims and supports more informed procurement decisions. 

We’re also seeing a broader shift in compliance and voluntary carbon markets. As carbon credit supply tightens and quality expectations rise, companies can no longer assume offsets will be available to meet their goals. That makes product-level emissions data more important than ever.

A Shared Responsibility

We believe companies can’t truly decarbonize until they collaborate. We must work with our supply chain partners to share responsibility and foster innovation in ways that support people, planet, and profit – the Triple Bottom Line. Product Carbon Footprint data makes that collaboration possible. 

If you are a manufacturer, now is the time to invest in Product Carbon Footprint data. Make it transparent, simple, and easy to share with consultants, engineers, and end users. 

If you already have PCF data available, please share it. We have several customers who are actively asking for this level of insight. 

The future of sustainability isn’t just about what we report—it’s about what we can measure, share, and improve together.