ISO TS 14027:2017 pdf free download.Environmental labels and declarations Principles, requirements and guidelines for communication of footprint information.
Introduction
ISO TS 14027 belongs to a suite ol standards dealing with environmental labels and declarations for products. It provides requirements and guidelines for how environmental aspects and potential environmental impacts of a product related to a specific area of concern can be communicated. The aim of this document is to ensure that only valid, science-based and comparable purchasing information is provided without any “greenwashing’.
Footprint communication is intended solely to promote the dissemination of credible product information that is not misleading.
Footprint communications take into consideration the local or regional context relevant to the area where the potential environmental impacts might occur, including the production, use and end-of-life stages.
ISO TS 14027 is intended to ensure that all footprint communications, regardless of the quantification methodology, follow the same principles and procedures.
ISO TS 14027 provides principles, requirements and guidelines for an organization wishing to make a nroduct footnrint communication.
1 Scope
ISO TS 14027 provides principles, requirements and guidelines for footprint communications for products addressing areas of concern relating to the environmeni
ISO TS 14027 also provides requirements and guidelines for footprint communication programmes, as well as requirements for verification procedures.
ISO TS 14027 does not address the quantification of a Footprint, nor does IL address the communication ol footprints that are not related to the environment. e.g. footprints addressing social Lw economic Issues. In particular, footprint communications relating to the economic and social dimensions of sustainable development are outside the scope of this document. Footprint communications relating to organizations are aLso outside the scope of this document.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to In the text In such a way that some or all of their content constitutes requirements of ISO TS 14027. For dated relerences, only the edition cited applies, For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (Including any amendments) applies.
ISO 14020. Environmental labels and dedaraUons — Genera? principles
ISO 14025:2006, Environmental labels and declarations — 7pe ill environmental declarations — Principles and procedures
ISO/TS 14027, Environmental labels and declarations — Development of product caegoiy rules
ISO 14044:2006, Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Requirements and guidelines
ISO 14046. Enwronmental management — Water footprint — Principles, requirements and guidelines
ISO/IS 14067, Greenhouse gases — Carbon footprint of products — Requirements and guidelines for quantification and communication
ISO/IS 14071, Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Critical review processes and reviewer competencies: Additional requirements and guidelines to ISO 14044:2006
ISO/IEC 17050-1. Conformity assessment — Supplier’s declaration of conformity — Part 1: General requirements
3.4.2
veriFication
confirmation, through the provision of objective evidence Chat specified requirements have been fulfilled
ISO(iRCE: ISO 9000:20 IS, 3.8.12, modified — The notes to entry have been deleted.)
3.4.3
verifier
person or body that carries our verficocion (3.4.2)
Notc I to enIry For the purposes of this document, a verifier Is also a person or body that carries out an assessment of doiu quality (14.1) and other aspects of a Iuotprlnt (3.2.2) study.
ISOURCE: ISO 14025:2006, 3.8, modIfied — The note to entry has been added.)
3.4.4
competence
ability to apply knowledge and skills to achieve intended results
LSOURCE: ISO 9000:2015,3.10.4, modified — The notes to entry have been deleted.)
4 Objectives
The overall goal of environmental bbcls and declarations is to encourage demand for, and supply or, those products that cause less stress on the environment through communication of verifiable. accurate information that is not misleading, based on a life cycle perspective of the environmental aspects of products, thereby stimulating the potential for market-driven continual environmental improvement.
The objective of this document is to harmonize footprint communications addressing environmental areas olconcern relating to products.
The potential benefits are:
a) increased communication of footprints that informs decision making and leads to increased beneficial or reduced adverse environmental impacts from consumption and production:
b) simplification ofthe process of footprint communication and lessening olthe risks associated with misuse of a footprint communication;
c) increased comparability and reliability of footprint communications and fewer misleading footprint communications.
S Principles
5.1 Credibility and reliability
Footprint communications convey information that is relevant and reliable in terms of addressing areas of concern. For footprint communications to be successful in improving environmental understanding of products, it is important that technical credibility is maintained while adaptability, practicality and cost-effectiveness are provided.
In order to make it accessible to all interested parties, the footprint may be placed on the main body of the product or the packaging, or in instruction manuals, catalogues, product literature, technical bulletins, advertising, publicity. telemarketing, or displayed at the point of sale, or placed on websites.
The footprint shall include the Following information:
a) a clear indication of the area of concern addressed;
b) the functional unit or declared unit to which the Footprint communication refers;
c) Identification of the life cycle stages that arc covered by the footprint communication;
d) an unambiguous indication (e.g. a link to a website or a QR code) on how to access the supporting information which may be on a website, at the point of sale or any other publicly available communication medium.
The information required in a) to d) forms part of the Footprint and shall be presented in a manner that dearly indicates that it Is intended to be read together with the footprint metric. It shall be of reasonable size and in reasonable proximity to the metric.
Words, numbers or graphics used [or other purposes shall not be used In a manner that is likely to be misunderstood as being part of that footprint communication.
A footprint communication bra footprint performance tracking report shall provide a quantification of the difference between the product under study and the baseline product.
Where there Is any likelihood for the footprint communication to be misunderstood, It shall be accompanied by an explanatory statement.
6.5.2 SupportIng Information
Footprint communications shall provide, as supporting information, a footprint study report which Is equivalent to a third’party report in accordance with ISO 14044:2006, 5.2. It shall be made available upon request or provided as a publicly accessible electronic resource. The supporting information shall also include:
a) information about any verification of conformance with this document that has been undertaken;
b) definitions of rated scales and colour or letter codes, if used;
c) identification of the footprint communication programme operator
d) the date of publication and expiration (validity):
e) any additional scenarios For the use and end-of-life stages, when relevant:
I) a statement that a Footprint Is one of many environmental indicators and that It does not reflect overall environmental preferability;
g) identification of any life cycle stages that are not covered by the footprint communication:
Ii) a reference to the PCR used, where a PCR is required by this document:
I) In the case of performance tracking reports (see a description of the baseline products and conditions.
The information required in a) to i) shall be easily accessible and free of charge. All supporting information shall be made accessible by print, electronic or other media, either at the point of sale or via a web link or similar communication channel.
8.4 CommunicatIon responsibilities of the footprint communication programme operator
The footprint communication programme operator shall communicate general programme instructions describing the operation of the programme. This information shall be available via the internet or any other communication method that enables access by purchasers of the product using the footprint communication.
The general programme instructions shall contain a dear and explicit policy regarding the proper use of the footprint communication. Any deviation Irom this policy shall result in appropriate corrective action and possible withdrawal of the footprint communication.
8.5 Establishing data quality requirements
The footprint communication programme operator shall establish the data quality requirements of the programme, taking account of the need to reduce bias and uncertainty and to use the best quality data available, Data quality shall be characterized by quantitative and qualitative aspects and the sources of data shall be specified in the requirements.
The footprint communication programme operator shall establish the appropriate procedure to ensure the footprint communication conforms with all requirements of the general programme instructions. This procedure shall Include the format and documentation of the reports for data quality assessment as well as adequate access to verification rules and results,
If the footprint communication programme operator determines, based on the verification report, that the data supporting the footprint communication are inadequate, the footprint communication shall not be published under the programme.
9 Verification requirements
9.1 Verification of footprint communication
The footprint communication programme operator shall establish an appropriate verification procedure which shall determine whether the fooEprlnt, supporting information and explanatory statements to be communicated are:
a) in accordance with the relevant requirements oF Clauses 6 and 2;
b) in alignment with the footprint study report or the footprint performance tracking report.
In the case of a comparative footprint communication which is not a footprint performance tracking report, as described in 69i the underlying footprint study shall have undergone a critical review according to ISO/IS 14071.
9.2 Competence of footprint communication verifiers The competence of verifiers shall include:
a) knowledge of relevant sector, product and product-related environmental aspects; b) process and product knowledge of the product category;
c expertise In LCA and methodology for LCA work according to ISO 14040;
d) knowledge of relevant standards in the fields of environmental labels and declarations and LCA;
e) knowledge of the regulatory framework within which requirements for the footprint communication have been prepared;
f) knowledge ofany relevant footprint quantification standard. e.g. ISO 14046, ISO/TS 14067.