Insights

A lifecycle assessment (LCA) is a systematic method for quantifying the environmental impacts of a product across its entire value chain, from raw material extraction through production to end of life. For chemical, pharmaceutical, and process industry companies, LCAs are the technical foundation for product carbon footprints (PCFs), sustainability reporting, and compliance with frameworks such as ISO 14044, CSRD, and CBAM. LCA data helps companies identify where emissions occur, prioritize reduction measures, and substantiate environmental claims to customers and regulators. 

A Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) quantifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with a specific product across its lifecycle, expressed in CO2 equivalents per declared unit (for example, kg CO2e per kg of product). PCF calculation follows standards including ISO 14067, the TfS PCF Guideline, and the GHG Protocol Product Standard. It requires accurate data on raw material inputs, energy and utility consumption, direct process emissions, and waste treatment at each production step. AllocNow automates this calculation from primary enterprise data, ensuring consistency and auditability across entire portfolios. 

Several converging regulations are increasing demand for product-level carbon transparency. The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires large companies to disclose Scope 3 emissions, including product-level data. The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) requires embedded carbon declarations for imports into the EU. Supply chain due diligence regulations across Europe mandate transparency on environmental performance throughout value chains. Customer-driven PCF requirements, particularly from automotive, consumer goods, and retail customers, are also accelerating demand for standardized, auditable product carbon footprints. 

The Together for Sustainability (TfS) PCF Guideline is the chemical industry's leading standard for calculating and sharing product carbon footprints in a consistent, comparable way. Developed collaboratively by major chemical companies, it provides methodological guidance aligned with ISO 14044, ISO 14067, and the GHG Protocol Product Standard. AllocNow is an officially vetted TfS software partner and applies the TfS methodology as the default calculation approach, ensuring PCF results generated on the platform are accepted across the chemical industry supply chain. 

PAS 2090 is a publicly available specification for calculating and communicating product carbon footprints in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector. It provides sector-specific guidance for LCA calculations tailored to the complex multi-step synthesis and formulation processes common in pharmaceutical manufacturing. In 2025, AllocNow was selected by the Pharma LCA Consortium (peghub.org/lca) following a rigorous vetting process to drive adoption of PAS 2090 within the pharmaceutical industry, recognizing AllocNow's technical capabilities and deep sector expertise. AllocNow's platform fully supports PAS 2090 alongside TfS, PACT, ISO 14044/67, and the GHG Protocol. 

Leading chemical companies including Covestro, LyondellBasell, Merck, FUCHS, ICL Group, and Wacker Chemie use AllocNow to automate PCF and LCA calculations across their global product portfolios. Applications include responding to customer PCF data requests, supporting green chemistry and procurement decisions, preparing CBAM declarations, generating EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data, and embedding sustainability metrics into R&D and portfolio management. AllocNow publishes detailed customer insights on these applications in its Insights section. 

Primary data refers to actual, site-specific operational data from a company's own production, including real material flows, energy consumption, direct emissions, and utility usage. Secondary data refers to generic emission factors from background databases such as ecoinvent or Carbon Minds, used to fill data gaps where primary measurements are unavailable. AllocNow is built on a primary-data-first approach: by sourcing LCA inputs directly from ERP and operational systems, the platform produces product carbon footprints that are more accurate, more credible, and more defensible under audit than approaches that rely primarily on secondary data. 

The AllocNow Insights section brings together expert knowledge on lifecycle assessment, product carbon footprinting, and sustainability data management across industrial value chains. Content includes event and conference reports from where AllocNow presents alongside customers; expert webinars on LCA methodology and evolving standards; customer use cases on PCF automation in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries; partnership news with TfS, the Pharma LCA Consortium, Carbon Minds, ecoinvent, and ECO Platform; and regulatory analyses covering CSRD, CBAM, PAS 2090, PEF, and the Digital Product Passport.