Environmental Footprint Database Design
This project will create a framework for a new, centrally overseen EU database for Environmental Footprint (EF) data.
Until today EF-compliant datasets have been developed under the lead of the EC, through different tendering procedures with limited use rights. Such datasets have been made available through nodes of the Life Cycle Data Network (LCDN). While this framework was suitable for the context of the EF pilot and transition phase, now that the EF methods are progressively referenced in relevant policy initiatives and are expected to be more widely used, it is necessary to establish a different governance to ensure broader uptake of the EF methods.
Besides substantially reducing the costs for businesses, the availability of free or against a proportional cost fee access to high quality secondary datasets would represent an advantage especially for SMEs, as the hurdles to identify and purchase suitable secondary datasets typically are higher for SMEs than for bigger companies, which often have more experience and in-house expertise in this area.
Publications
- Theo Cox and Rufus Pollock, 'Business Model Options for an Environmental Footprint (EF) Database' (2023)