INTENT
The intent of this Imperative is to promote the creation of products that have a net positive impact on carbon, thereby actively reducing carbon in our atmosphere through their very production through carbon sequestration and Handprinting.
REQUIREMENTS
Living Products sequester or offset more carbon than they generate. Manufacturers must demonstrate that the carbon sequestering inputs of the materials used in the product exceed the greenhouse gas (GHG) Footprint of producing the product or generate a carbon Handprint larger than the product’s Footprint.
Manufacturers must conduct a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment to assess and document the carbon Footprint and identify the five processes (key drivers) that make the largest contributions to the product’s cradle-to-gate carbon Footprint.
Manufacturers may use an existing LCA or Environmental Product Declaration that follows the ISO 14044 standard for LCA used for third-party communication. Manufacturers must demonstrate that the carbon Footprint of the product is lower than the industry average for the product type.
Manufacturers must reduce the product’s cradle-to-gate carbon Footprint by innovating within the supply chain of the product or within the manufacturing process to generate fewer GHG emissions. Manufacturers must then create a carbon Handprint greater than the Footprint to become carbon Net Positive through one or more of the following strategies:
- Incorporate carbon sequestering materials to ensure the product stores more carbon than was used in production.
- Engage with users to reduce carbon emissions through improved use of the product.
- Take action outside of the product’s supply chain to reduce carbon emissions.
- Purchase a carbon offset equivalent to the cradle-to-gate GHG Footprint of the product after other options have been depleted.
CHANGES FROM LPC 1.1 TO 2.0
The only significant change to this Imperative is the removal of the 3-Year plan to become Net Positive, which allowed a ‘ramp up’ approach to creating Handprints larger than the Footprint. The Imperative now requires that manufacturers demonstrate at least a year of Net Positive Impact to be certified, and maintain that status throughout their certification.
