Sumitomo Chemical has secured third-party validation for CFP-TOMO, its proprietary tool for calculating the carbon footprint of products (CFP), in a move aimed at strengthening the credibility and transparency of emissions data across chemical industry supply chains.
The validation was conducted by TÜV SÜD, an international third-party certification body, and examined the calculation logic, basic principles and quantification methods used in CFP-TOMO® version 3.2.
The assessment confirmed that the tool’s methodology for calculating carbon footprints on a “Cradle to Gate” basis complies with applicable international standards and chemical industry guidelines. The scope covers a product’s journey from the mining of raw materials through to shipment.
Among the standards and guidelines assessed were ISO 14067:2018 for product carbon footprint quantification, ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2006 for life-cycle assessment, the Japan Chemical Industry Association’s Guidelines for Calculating CFP in the Chemical Industry, and the Product Carbon Footprint Guideline for the Chemical Industry issued by Together for Sustainability (TfS).
The validation comes as companies face growing pressure to measure and disclose greenhouse gas emissions throughout their supply chains using data that is reliable and comparable. The challenge is particularly significant in the chemical sector, where complex manufacturing processes and flows of raw materials, energy and by-products can make carbon-footprint calculations difficult.
Sumitomo Chemical said the independent validation will help it demonstrate to customers and supply-chain partners that CFP calculations generated through CFP-TOMO are based on methods aligned with international standards and industry guidelines.
It is also expected to improve transparency around the calculation process and help users explain the basis of their carbon-footprint figures.
Sumitomo Chemical has been pushing for wider adoption of CFP-TOMO as companies seek to calculate and disclose product carbon footprints. The company says the tool is designed to support broader efforts to map greenhouse-gas emissions across supply chains and accelerate emissions reductions.
The company completed carbon-footprint calculations for all of its approximately 20,000 products by the end of 2021 and has since provided the information to customers.
CFP-TOMO is also available free of charge to other companies calculating the carbon footprint of products they or their group companies handle. Paid licences are available for certain uses, including businesses that provide carbon-footprint calculation support to other companies.
However, Sumitomo Chemical stressed that the TÜV SÜD validation does not amount to individual verification or assurance of the carbon footprint calculated for each product.
The final results depend not only on the tool’s calculation logic but also on factors including user-supplied activity data, selected emissions factors, calculation boundaries, allocation methods and other assumptions.
The validation therefore strengthens the credibility of the tool’s methodology, while leaving responsibility for product-specific inputs and calculations with individual users.
Sumitomo Chemical said it will continue promoting CFP-TOMO to expand carbon-footprint calculation and disclosure and support greater visibility of greenhouse-gas emissions across supply chains, particularly in the chemical industry.
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