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EU Product Environmental Footprint—Mid-Term Review of the Pilot Phase

Author

Listed:
  • Annekatrin Lehmann

    (Department of Environmental Engineering, Chair of Sustainable Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany)

  • Vanessa Bach

    (Department of Environmental Engineering, Chair of Sustainable Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany)

  • Matthias Finkbeiner

    (Department of Environmental Engineering, Chair of Sustainable Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany)

Abstract

The ongoing pilot phase of the European Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) tests the PEF method and develops product category-specific rules (PEFCRs) for selected product categories. The goal of PEF is to address all relevant environmental impacts and the full life cycle of products is acknowledged. However, PEF faces several methodological and practical challenges. This paper presents key findings of a comprehensive analysis of the current status of the PEF pilot phase (mainly based on the evaluation of all draft PEFCRs). Remaining key challenges are: (1) the still open goal and policy outcome of the PEF process; (2) the difficult applicability and, thus, the unclear tangible added value of some PEF rules compared to current life cycle assessment (LCA) practice; (3) the insufficient maturity level of some predefined impact assessment methods and missing reliable methods for prioritizing impact categories; and (4) the fact that, in the worst case, the developed PEFCRs may not support a fair comparability of products. This “mid-term review” of the PEF pilot phase shows that the PEF method and the PEFCRs need to be further improved and refined for a successful policy implementation of PEF, but also for avoiding that unsolved issues of PEF affect the LCA method as such.

Suggested Citation

  • Annekatrin Lehmann & Vanessa Bach & Matthias Finkbeiner, 2016. "EU Product Environmental Footprint—Mid-Term Review of the Pilot Phase," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-13, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:1:p:92-:d:62392
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Vanessa Bach & Markus Berger & Natalia Finogenova & Matthias Finkbeiner, 2017. "Assessing the Availability of Terrestrial Biotic Materials in Product Systems (BIRD)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-35, January.
    2. Willem Haanstra & Willem-Jan Rensink & Alberto Martinetti & Jan Braaksma & Leo van Dongen, 2020. "Design for Sustainable Public Transportation: LCA-Based Tooling for Guiding Early Design Priorities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-17, November.
    3. K. J. Watson & S. G. Wiedemann, 2019. "Review of Methodological Choices in LCA-Based Textile and Apparel Rating Tools: Key Issues and Recommendations Relating to Assessment of Fabrics Made From Natural Fibre Types," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-16, July.
    4. Joanna Helman & Maria Rosienkiewicz & Mariusz Cholewa & Mateusz Molasy & Sylwester Oleszek, 2023. "Towards GreenPLM—Key Sustainable Indicators Selection and Assessment Method Development," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-23, January.
    5. Francisco Portillo & Rosa María García & Alfredo Alcayde & José Antonio Gázquez & Manuel Fernández-Ros & Nuria Novas, 2021. "Prospective Environmental and Economic Assessment of a Sensor Network," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Vanessa Bach & Nikolay Minkov & Matthias Finkbeiner, 2018. "Assessing the Ability of the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Products Program to Reliably Determine the Environmental Performance of Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, May.
    7. Annekatrin Lehmann & Vanessa Bach & Matthias Finkbeiner, 2016. "Product Environmental Footprint (PEF). Fortschritt oder Rückschritt für die Ökobilanzforschung?," NachhaltigkeitsManagementForum | Sustainability Management Forum, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 83-87, June.
    8. Yung-Jaan Lee, 2019. "Ecological Footprint and Water Footprint of Taipei," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-16, October.
    9. Erik Pauer & Bernhard Wohner & Victoria Heinrich & Manfred Tacker, 2019. "Assessing the Environmental Sustainability of Food Packaging: An Extended Life Cycle Assessment including Packaging-Related Food Losses and Waste and Circularity Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-21, February.
    10. Vanessa Bach & Annekatrin Lehmann & Marcel Görmer & Matthias Finkbeiner, 2018. "Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) Pilot Phase—Comparability over Flexibility?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-18, August.
    11. Xiaochen Zhang & Xinyu Liu & Yang Zhang & Xing Xu & Jiaxin Xiao & Ding-Bang Luh, 2023. "Assessing the Feasibility of Practical Cradle to Cradle in Sustainable Conceptual Product Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-32, April.

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