Overview
ISO 14026:2017 - "Environmental labels and declarations - Principles, requirements and guidelines for communication of footprint information" establishes principles and requirements for credible, science-based communication of product footprint information. The standard guides how to prepare, provide and disseminate footprint communications for products that address environmental areas of concern (e.g., climate, water, biodiversity). It covers programme rules and verification requirements for footprint communications but does not define how to quantify footprints, nor does it apply to organizational footprints or non-environmental footprints (social or economic).
Key Topics and Requirements
- Core principles: credibility and reliability, life cycle perspective, comparability, transparency and regionality.
- Communication requirements:
- Relationship to ISO 14020 general principles for environmental labels.
- Define the intended audience, the area of concern, and the scope of the product footprint communication.
- Mandatory supporting information and explanatory statements so purchasers can correctly interpret footprint claims.
- Use and design of footprint graphics and rules for communicating multiple footprints.
- Rules for comparative footprint communications (types, general requirements, comparisons with other organizations’ products, and claims of superiority).
- Data and quality:
- Requirements for the use of data to support communications, data quality assurance and confidentiality rules.
- Requirements for acceptable footprint results and data used specifically in comparative communications (product category rules (PCR) referenced).
- Footprint communication programmes:
- Programme scope, use of PCRs, programme rules (instructions, declarations of conformity, monitoring) and operator responsibilities.
- Verification:
- Requirements for verification of footprint communications, verifier competence and independence.
Applications - Who Uses ISO 14026:2017
- Manufacturers and brand owners preparing product footprint communications (carbon, water, biodiversity footprints).
- Footprint communication programme operators and ecolabel scheme managers.
- Sustainability managers, LCA practitioners and product developers ensuring communications meet transparency and comparability expectations.
- Third‑party verifiers and conformity assessors applying verification and independence rules.
- Public procurement teams and purchasers seeking reliable, comparable product footprint information to avoid greenwashing.
Practical uses include standardized consumer-facing footprint labels, product performance tracking over time, supplier reporting frameworks and verified comparative claims for marketing or procurement.
Related Standards
Keywords: ISO 14026:2017, footprint communication, environmental labels, product footprint, life cycle, verification, product category rules, comparability, transparency.
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