Requirements on Consumer Information about Product ... - ANEC

Consumer Information about PCF
As in the context of insulation material a good energy standard of buildings is the crucial
point in the avoidance of CO2e emissions, this issue can be addressed directly. Legal
requirements concerning insulation and information on the energy standard of buildings that
are for sale and for rent, information campaigns on how to renovate best, subsidies etc. are
adequate measures to do this.
The PCF of insulation material – also as a starting point for type I labels – is of marginal help
as the key issue actually is the energy standard of the building it is built in and its energy
demand during use. The PCF connected with the use of the building depends on two
aspects: the energy standard of the building (codetermined by the insulation material) and
the heating system. The latter can – independent of the used insulation material – have low
CO2e emissions (e.g. basing on an efficient wood pellets boiler) or high ones (e.g. basing on
an inefficient oil boiler). Instead of PCF labels, it makes more sense to focus on energy
certificates of buildings that became obligatory under the EPB Directive and on chemicals.
Depending on the insulation material, other environmental issues may be relevant: resource
depletion, hazardous substances, or acidification potential.
The focus on CO2e bears the risk to adversely affect other environmental aspects. The
concentration on PCF could – besides the fact that it favours a better insulation of buildings –
also favour heating systems that base on renewable energies (e.g. wood pellets, solar
energy) and leave measures to improve the energy standard of the building undone.
Therefore, the heating system used to calculate the use phase should base on fossil energy
sources (e.g. gas, oil) and not on renewable ones.
6.5 Category 3 (products with relevance to climate at production phase)
Example 1: Food
As most activities currently flow into the carbon labelling of food products, the analyses of
this product group are carried out in more detail as the other product groups.
Meat consumption
Due to the production systems for meat, a high greenhouse gas relevance is immanent, as
one kilogram of meat output does not equal the input of one kilogram of feed, but seven
(FMHW 2003). On top of that, methane emissions (especially for beef) during animals’ life
play their part in making meat a highly climate relevant figure (UNFCCC 2005). Between the
production of several kinds of meat (e.g. bovine, pig, poultry) there are differences in the
greenhouse gas potential. This depends primarily on the high methane emissions of beef
and on the different life times of each animal.
A change in the average EU diet, i.e. a shift away from meat, offers potential for sustainability.
Factors accounting for GHG emissions, in respect to the aggregated product groups,
clearly illustrate where potentials are (see table below).
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