The Value of ‘Planetary Facts’: science-based product data and disclosures beyond carbon

Abstract

A system that enables businesses to quantify the environmental impacts of products, contextualise this data with scientifically determined limits (planetary boundaries), and communicate it with buyers in a way that is easy to understand has the potential to drive significant pro-environmental decision making and outcomes. An immense proportion of global decisions occur through a product lens. There is evidence of both business and purchaser demand for a system that supports easy-to-understand environmental data about products with scientific context. Governments and policymakers have a pivotal role to play in the successful implementation of such a system.