Product carbon footprint verification confirms a footprint quantified to ISO 14067 through an independent check, either an optional critical review following ISO 14071 or an independent verification of the greenhouse gas statement under ISO 14064-3, carried out by a competent third party that did not prepare the assessment.
What verification adds to a product carbon footprint
A product carbon footprint quantifies one impact category, climate change, across a product’s life cycle to ISO 14067:2018, consistent with the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 framework. Verification is the independent check that the figure, its functional or declared unit, system boundary and data sources hold up. ISO 14067 treats this credibility check as a critical review and makes it optional, so an independent step is what turns a documented number into evidence a customer can trust. The footprint sits inside a wider life cycle assessment that can examine several impact categories.
Routes to an independent check
Different routes suit different outputs. A construction-product footprint is reported through an Environmental Product Declaration, independently third-party verified before publication against Product Category Rules given by EN 15804:2012+A2:2019 and ISO 14025.
| Route | Standard | Independent party |
|---|---|---|
| Critical review of the LCA and PCF | ISO 14071:2024 (prev. ISO/TS 14071:2014) | Reviewer, or a panel where a public comparative assertion is made |
| Verification of a greenhouse gas statement | ISO 14064-3 | Competent body that did not prepare the assessment |
| EPD verification for construction products | ISO 14025 with EN 15804 | Independent verifier through a programme operator |
Critical review is elective under ISO 14067; ISO 14064-3 applies where an independent verification of a greenhouse gas statement is required.
What the customer receives
What a customer can trust is a footprint reviewed or verified by an independent, competent third party against a named standard, with a documented functional or declared unit, system boundary and data sources. A verifier checks that primary and secondary data, cut-off criteria and allocation are documented, and that carbon offsetting has not been netted into the result, which ISO 14067 places outside scope. The verified output can then answer buyer questionnaires and procurement requirements. GreenSutra prepares the life cycle assessment and the product carbon footprint; the independent review, verification or EPD verification is carried out by a separate competent third party, never by GreenSutra. Details of scope and data sit in the LCA guide for a manufacturer weighing the routes.
Sources: ISO 14067:2018 · ISO 14071:2024 · ISO 14064-3:2019 · ISO 14025:2006