Until now, optimisation was usually only possible within individual partner companies. Although the supply chain can be modelled using current methods, processes and materials are predominantly assessed using emission factors based on average values.
Catena-X PCF Rulebook v2.0
"Catena-X proposes a radically different approach to the current one: Companies use the Catena-X data room to network and exchange PCF values according to a standardised methodology. This takes place at every stage of the value chain and allows companies to focus on their own value creation when calculating and reporting." Niels Angel, Product Owner, Catena-X
The calculation of a standardised product carbon footprint (PCF) for the automotive industry requires all companies to calculate and report their PCF according to the same standards. Over the past two years, Catena-X has developed a data model, transfer standards and, in particular, a standard for calculating a PCF for the automotive industry: the Catena-X PCF Rulebook v2.0.
Such a calculation standard must be accepted and applied at all stages of production, from the extraction of raw materials to the manufacture of final components and vehicles. The harmonisation of industry- and material-specific methods is intended to achieve comparable and comprehensive results along the automotive value chain.
Catena-X and the steel industry
Together, the steel sector and Catena-X could ensure high credibility in the measurement of CO2 emissions and actual savings across different industries. Since the publication of the first LCA study and methodology by the World Steel Association some 30 years ago, the steel sector has established itself as a leader in the measurement of CO2 emissions. The Catena-X network could use this advantage to communicate the ongoing decarbonisation of the steel industry within the automotive supply chain in a reliable, traceable and consistent way.
LESS: A new standard for climate-friendly steel
Dr Martin Theuringer, Managing Director of the German Steel Federation, emphasises the importance of defining and standardising green steel in order to effectively label climate-friendly products and thus promote demand for these products. However, the product carbon footprint (PCF) alone is not enough to define climate-friendly steel.
“This is due to the fact that the emissions contained in steel depend crucially on the manufacturing process and the alloying agents used. This must be taken into account if the transformation is to make progress,” says Theuringer.
As part of a stakeholder dialogue, the Federal Ministry of Economics has therefore developed a concept for green lead markets, which essentially contains a label for CO2-reduced steel, making the transformative quality of different types of steel comparable. This is now a crucial building block for launching green lead markets - including in the automotive industry.
The German Steel Federation has already developed a proposal for a classification system and a set of rules that enables the calculation of a standardised PCF and helps to credibly certify green steel worldwide. Now Germany and the EU must act quickly to establish these standards and enforce them internationally, emphasises Theuringer. The first major success on this path will be 22 April 2024 - the day the Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS) is introduced.