Life Cycle Assessment
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a standardised methodology to calculate the environmental footprint of a product or service. This tool has become increasingly important in EU regulation as a science-based way to measure and compare environmental impacts across the entire value chain—from mining to recycling. As the EU shifts toward circular, decarbonisation-driven policies, LCA underpins key regulations by allowing the assessment of metals in a consistent, transparent fashion.
Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) was introduced by the Commission in 2013 to provide a harmonised methodology to assess a product’s environmental impact across its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life.
PEFs are calculated by collecting data on material flows, emissions and waste streams across the 7 stages of a product’s lifecycle to provide a full overview of the environmental impacts. The Commission has also developed detailed guidelines on PEF methodologies to provide companies with tools to measure and communicate the environmental footprint of their products.
Why is it important?
In recent years, the PEF methodology has become the EU’s preferred approach for evaluating environmental claims or requirements in several pieces of legislation. The Commission has included the PEF as the gold standard in the:
- EU Taxonomy
- EU Batteries Regulation
- Green Claims Directive
- Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation
- EU Ecolabel
There are currently no Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for precious metals.
The EPMF is currently carrying out a LCA of Sliver and Silver Chloride (AgCl). More information will be available soon.
