As sustainability requirements within the EU increase, companies are being asked to demonstrate the environmental impact of their products - not just in terms of climate impact (CO₂), but throughout their life cycle.
One of the key frameworks for this is the Environmental Footprint (EF) - the EU's official methodology for calculating the environmental impact of products, services and organizations.
🔍 What is the Environmental Footprint?
The Environmental Footprint (EF) is a science-based methodology developed by the European Commission to harmonize how environmental impacts are measured and reported across Europe.
The aim is to create comparable, transparent and reliable data for sustainability assessments, regardless of industry.
The method is used in, among others:
- Life cycle assessment (LCA)
- Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)
- Digital product passports (DPP)
- Corporate Environmental Footprint (CEF ) - for entire organizations
♻️ The purpose of EF - why it matters
Today, many companies use different standards and calculation models, making results difficult to compare. EF creates a common playing field.
The aim is to:
- Harmonizing LCA methods in the EU
- Strengthening the reliability of environmental communication and reporting
- Facilitate future requirements in e.g. the EU Green Deal, CSRD and DPP scheme
- Driving innovation towards products with lower environmental impact
⚙️ How the EF works
The Environmental Footprint is based on the principle of life cycle perspective - from raw material to waste ("cradle to grave").
For each product, resources and emissions linked to:
- Production of materials and energy
- Transport and distribution
- Use phase
- Waste, recycling or energy recovery
The results are aggregated into environmental impact categories, with each category measured separately.
🌿 The main environmental impact categories
The EF methodology covers several different environmental aspects, not just climate impacts.
Some examples of common impact categories are
| Category | Unit | Description of the project |
|---|---|---|
| Climate impact (CO₂e) | kg CO₂e | Greenhouse gas emissions from the whole life cycle |
| Acidification | mol H⁺ eq | Emissions that contribute to acidification of soil and water |
| Eutrophication | mol N eq | Nitrogen and phosphorus emissions affecting ecosystems |
| Land use | Pt | How much land resources are required |
| Water use | m³ | Amount of freshwater used |
| Ozone formation | kg NMVOC | Contribution to ground-level ozone |
| Resource depletion | kg Sb eq | Consumption of metals and minerals |
In the latest version, EF 3.1, a total of 19 categories are used.
🧭 Versions of EF - from 3.0 to 3.1
The EF methodology is regularly updated to reflect new research and improved data sources.
| Version | Launching | What's new |
|---|---|---|
| EF 3.0 | 2021 | First harmonized method for the EU market |
| EF 3.1 | 2024 | Updated factors, more environmental categories, better data quality |
EF 3.1 will be the version that will form the basis for future Digital Product Passports (DPP) and EPD calculations in the EU.
🧩 How EF relates to LCA and EPD
EF is not a substitute for LCA - it is the methodology for calculating LCA.
An EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) is then based on the result of an LCA according to the EF methodology.
In short:
EF = the methodology
LCA = the analysis
EPD = the official report/certificate
💡 Example: why EF makes a difference
Two companies can produce the same product but get different EF results depending on:
- Type of energy used in production (renewable vs fossil)
- Transport distance and mode of transport
- Material selection and recycling rates
EF makes these differences measurable and comparable, driving sustainable development throughout the value chain.
🚀 How to get started with EF in your organization
Getting started with EF doesn't have to be complicated.
The important thing is to:
- Mapping your product's life cycle
- Identify relevant data (material, energy, transport, etc.)
- Choosing the right method (EF 3.0 or 3.1)
- Document the results for LCA or EPD
With digital tools like EasyStepsGO, you can automate large parts of the process. The platform supports both EF 3.0 and 3.1, and provides guidance for each environmental category - with AI support to fill in missing data.