PAS 2050:2011 assessing the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services - A summary of the Standard and its background (Version 2)

Publically Available Specification (PAS) 2050 - Specification for the assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services was initially published in 2008 by the British Standards Institution (BSI). It was the first carbon footprinting standard of its kind which was available to help organisations measure and monitor the carbon impact of goods and services (often collectively described as products) which they offer.

This Construction Briefing covers a number of topics relating to the new PAS Standard, including the objectives PAS 2050 hopes to achieve, how it fits in with other carbon footprinting standards (such as life cycle assessment) and an explanation of how a carbon footprint is calculated under the new standards.

Contents:

• An introduction to global warming and the role of greenhouse gasses
• The benefits of measuring GHG emissions associated with products
• The relationship between carbon footprinting and the life cycle assessment
• The development and standardisation life cycle assessment and carbon footprinting
• The objectives of PAS 2050
• The process of calculating a carbon footprint using PAS 2050
• Strengths and weaknesses of PAS 2050