Flori PEF-CR: A new perspective on footprint calculations

Flori PEF-CR: A new perspective on footprint calculations

What is the importance of a footprint calculation? And what exactly does Flori PEF-CR mean? These are surely questions that come to mind as you delve into calculating your company’s footprint.

After reading this article, you will be aware of the importance of footprint calculations and know what Flori PEF-CR can do for your business.

The importance of footprint calculations

The importance of footprint calculations cannot be stressed enough, especially when it comes to horticulture’s environmental footprint. By performing these calculations, horticulture companies gain insight into their environmental impact and can take direct actions to reduce it. This not only contributes to a better environment, but can also be cost-saving for the company.

In addition, performing footprint calculations provides transparency in business operations. It shows that the company takes responsibility for its environmental impact and is aware of its role in society. It is also important to comply with laws and regulations in this area.

The traditional way of calculation compared to Flori PEF-CR

Getting back to the question on how to use an environmental footprint for your business. Every business emits CO2, but many entrepreneurs have no idea exactly how much it is and where most of these emissions occur. An environmental footprint calculation is calculated at company level and incorporates all aspects of the business. This results in a so-called ‘environmental score’. The lower the score, the less CO2 you emit. To calculate your company’s environmental score, we use a specially developed calculation method.

Flori PEF-CR

The traditional method of footprint calculations uses standard emission factors. These factors are based on averages and assumptions and are used to calculate emissions of various substances. The problem with this method is that it does not take the specific circumstances of a product or company into account.

For this reason, a new method called Flori PEF-CR has been developed. This method uses the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR). These rules are specific to a particular product category and are designed to take the specific circumstances of a product or company into account.

Unlike the traditional method, the Flori PEF-CR calculation incorporates the specific circumstances of a product or company. This provides a more accurate view of a product’s impact on the environment. This enables targeted actions to be taken to reduce emissions of various substances and reduce environmental impact.

What do the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules mean?

The Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEF-CR) are a set of guidelines for conducting life cycle assessments (LCA) of products and services. These guidelines are designed to measure the environmental impacts of a product or service throughout its life cycle, including production, use and waste phase. This allows the sustainability of a product or service to be assessed and improvements to be made.

The PEF-CR were developed by the European Commission and are used by companies and organizations across Europe. From a sector-wide working group in collaboration with Wageningen University & Research, implementation within horticulture has been investigated.

Future developments of Flori PEF-CR within The HortiFootprint Calculator

Currently, the Flori PEF-CR is under approval by the European Commission in Brussels. This calculation method is expected to be approved in mid-2023. After approval, Flori PEF-CR will become the new standard for footprint calculations in horticulture.