What is this ISO 14026 - Requirements for communication of footprint information about?
ISO 14026 discusses environmental labels and declarations with a focus on principles, requirements, and guidelines for the communication of footprint information. ISO 14026 provides principles, requirements, and guidelines for footprint communications for products addressing areas of concern relating to the environment.
ISO 14026 also provides requirements and guidelines for footprint communication programmes, as well as requirements for verification procedures. In particular, footprint communications relating to the economic and social dimensions of sustainable development are outside the scope of this document. Footprint communications relating to organizations are also there in ISO 14026.
Note: ISO 14026 does not address the quantification of a footprint, nor does it address the communication of footprints that are not related to the environment, e.g., footprints addressing social or economic issues.
Who is ISO 14026 - Requirements for communication of footprint information for?
ISO 14026 on requirements for communication of footprint information is useful for:
- Environmental organizations
- Product manufacturers
- Government regulators
Why should you use ISO 14026 - Requirements for communication of footprint information?
ISO 14026 belongs to a suite of standards dealing with environmental labels and declarations for products. ISO 14026 provides requirements and guidelines for how environmental aspects and potential environmental impacts of a product related to a specific area of concern can be communicated. ISO 14026 aims to ensure that only valid, science-based, and comparable purchasing information is provided without any “greenwashing”.
Footprint communications take into consideration the local or regional context relevant to the area where the potential environmental impacts might occur, including the production, use, and end of- life stages. ISO 14026 is intended to ensure that all footprint communications, regardless of the quantification methodology, follow the same principles and procedures. ISO 14026 provides principles, requirements, and guidelines for an organization wishing to make a product footprint communication.