Product Carbon Footprint vs. Corporate Carbon Footprint: What’s the Difference?

Understanding your carbon footprint is the foundation of credible climate action. But not all carbon footprints are the same. Two of the most widely used types are the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) and the Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF).

Whether you’re just getting started or advancing your sustainability strategy, understanding how these two footprints differ, and how they work together, is key to making informed decisions, meeting regulatory requirements, and reducing your environmental impact.

Why carbon footprints matter

A carbon footprint measures the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by a product, process, or organisation. It’s expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e) and serves as a critical metric for identifying climate impact.

Carbon footprints are essential for:

• Setting and validating emissions reduction targets.
• Complying with regulatory frameworks like CSRD, SECR, or B Corp.
• Strengthening ESG reporting and investor communications.
• Meeting sustainability expectations of customers and stakeholders.
• Future-proofing your business against environmental and reputational risk.

The two primary types of footprints businesses need to understand are product-level and corporate-level.

What is a Product Carbon Footprint?

A Product Carbon Footprint measures the total GHG emissions associated with a single product throughout its entire lifecycle. This includes emissions from:

• Raw material extraction and processing
• Manufacturing and assembly
• Packaging
• Transport and distribution
• Use phase (if applicable)
• End-of-life (recycling, landfill, incineration, etc.)

How it's structured

Product footprints should be associated with a scope or boundary, the most common being:

• Cradle-to-gate: mostly used for business-to-business (B2B) products. This measures the total greenhouse gas emissions from the extraction of raw materials through to product manufacture up to the factory gate.
• Cradle-to-grave: mostly used for business-to-consumer (B2C) products. This measures the total greenhouse gas emissions from the extraction of raw materials through to the product’s manufacture, distribution, use and eventual disposal.

PCFs are typically calculated using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology and aligned with standards like ISO 14067 or the GHG Protocol Product Standard.

The easiest way is to think of it is a ‘recipe’ of emissions that make up the product. Below, you can see an example of DEYA’s cradle-to-grave product breakdown.

When to use a PCF

• You're launching or reformulating a product and want to compare the impact of different product formats or ingredients.
• You want to communicate sustainability performance to consumers, buyers, and retailers.
• You're pursuing product-level carbon labelling or eco-design strategies.
• You want to identify emissions hotspots across a product’s supply chain.

For example, a beverage company assessing the carbon footprint of a single RTD drink would include emissions from aluminum production, fruit processing, bottling, transport, refrigeration during storage, and eventual disposal of the can.

What is a Corporate Carbon Footprint?

A Corporate Carbon Footprint measures the total greenhouse gas emissions generated by an organisation across its entire operations and value chain over a designated time (typically a 12-month period). It provides a comprehensive view of the organisation’s climate impact and is foundational for credible reporting and decarbonisation efforts.

How it’s structured:

Corporate emissions are grouped into three categories, or "Scopes":

Scope 1: Direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by the company. This includes on-site fuel combustion, company vehicles, and industrial processes.

Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased energy, such as electricity, steam, heating, or cooling, that the company consumes.

Scope 3: All other indirect emissions throughout the value chain. These include emissions from purchased goods and services, business travel, waste, transport and distribution, product use, and end-of-life disposal.

Corporate footprints are usually calculated in accordance with the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, and increasingly aligned with ISO 14064-1.

When to Use a CCF:

• You're setting science-based targets or building a net zero strategy.
• You're preparing disclosures for regulatory frameworks.
• You need to benchmark or track emissions across business units or years.
• You're engaging suppliers and stakeholders in Scope 3 decarbonisation efforts.
• You're seeking or renewing B Corp certification.

Key Differences Between PCF and CCF

While both footprints measure GHG emissions, they do so at different levels of your business. A product carbon footprint zooms in on product-specific impact, while a corporate carbon footprint zooms out to capture your organisation’s total footprint across operations and supply chains.

Why you need both

PCFs and CCFs are not interchangeable, but they are complementary. A company focused only on its corporate emissions may overlook the impact of high-volume or carbon-intensive products. On the other hand, looking solely at individual products could mean missing the broader operational inefficiencies or gaps at the business level.

Integrating both enables you to:

• Identify emissions hotspots and reduction opportunities.
• Set product-specific and organisation-wide targets.
• Build more credible sustainability claims
• Communicate effectively with both customers and investors.
• Strengthen your overall climate strategy with both micro (product) and macro (organisational) insights

How Zevero can help

Understanding the difference between product and corporate footprints isn’t just a technical distinction; it’s essential for taking credible climate action. As climate regulations tighten and stakeholder expectations intensify, businesses need a dual lens on their emissions. If you want to lead on sustainability, you need both.

Zevero simplifies carbon measurement and management with a platform designed to support both product and corporate-level emissions tracking, combined with expert guidance every step of the way. Whether you’re preparing for regulation or looking to improve sustainability performance, Zevero helps you turn emissions data into action.

Let’s simplify carbon management together.
Book a strategy session to learn how Zevero can support your PCF and CCF journey.