Requirements on Consumer Information about Product ... - ANEC

Consumer Information about PCF
Disadvantages / Drawbacks
• Other environmental impacts of energy generation may get neglected.
• Data availability for energy consumption is better than for CO2 emissions.
• CO2 indicators might lead to a negligence of efficiency.
• Energy indicators have a long tradition and are key characteristics of energy-using
products (EuPs).
• CO2 indicators on national average data would cause problems with EuPs.
• Concentration on, and improvement of energy or CO2 issues could shift negative
impacts to other environmental areas.
• No consumer guidance for the use phase of energy using products.
• Need for regular updates as a result of changing conversion factors for primary energy.
3.2 PCF/CO2e indicators versus energy indicators
Besides CO2e indicators, energy indicators have been relatively well-known for years and
are widely used for communication purposes. Examples are the European energy label for
household appliances that displays the electricity demand (end energy) of specific
appliances measured under defined conditions. But also the primary energy demand (alternatively
the terms CED, cumulative energy demand, or “grey” energy are used) is fairly
common at least for some products such as for building products.
The advantage of energy indicators is that they can directly address energy efficiency issues
like the electricity demand of an appliance or the thermal energy demand of a building. A
CO2e indicator would need to include the specific supply process (e.g. electric grid, heating
system) in order to do so. Given an electric grid with a high share of renewable energies, the
specific CO2e emissions per kWh will be low compared to one with a high share of fossil
fuels. As a consequence the differences between two products with a demand of thermal or
electric energy may mainly result from supply processes (e.g. different electric grids) but not
(or much less) from their different energy demand. Therefore, energy efficient alternatives
can not as easily be identified and promoted. Additionally, no pressure can be built up
towards more energy efficiency although energy demand that is avoided is the most
environmental and climate friendly one. The focus on CO2e indicators alone also bears the
risk to privilege nuclear power. Therefore, this aspect has always to be considered when
addressing electricity supply, e.g. in the form of nuclear waste or fuel mix.
On the other hand, the concentration on energy indicators alone will completely leave out the
supply system and the two ways the supply system can be optimised: to lower the emissions
of a fossil based system or to increase the share of renewable energies (e.g. wood, solar
energy, wind).
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