Is ISO 14067 certification mandatory, and who can verify a product carbon footprint?
No. ISO 14067 sets out how to calculate and report a product carbon footprint; it does not require third-party verification. Buyers, labels or programmes may require it. When they do, an independent verification body checks the footprint against ISO 14064-3, ideally one accredited to ISO 14065.
What ISO 14067 itself requires
There is no ISO 14067 certificate issued by ISO. ISO writes standards; it does not audit companies.
- A defined functional or declared unit and system boundary, such as cradle to gate.
- Quantification of all greenhouse gases in kg CO2e, with stated GWP values.
- A CFP study report documenting data, assumptions, allocation and limitations.
- Rules for communicating a footprint publicly are left to other standards, such as ISO 14026 on footprint communication.
Who can verify a footprint
Verification of a GHG statement, including a product footprint, follows ISO 14064-3:2019. The bodies that do it are validation and verification bodies, which should be accredited to ISO 14065:2020 by a national accreditation body. A consultant who helped you build the footprint cannot also verify it.
The verifier samples your data back to source documents, checks factors and allocation, and issues a verification statement at limited or reasonable assurance.
When you actually need verification
If a buyer only wants a figure for their own Scope 3 estimate, a well documented self-declared footprint is often accepted. Ask before paying for verification.
- A buyer's supplier code or tender asks for a verified PCF.
- You publish the figure on packaging, a website or an EPD.
- A programme, label or product passport scheme names verification as a condition.
- A lender uses the figure for a sustainability linked loan.
How to make verification cheaper
- Keep every invoice and bill behind your energy and material quantities, linked to the figure it supports.
- Write down each emission factor with its source and version.
- Document how plant energy is split between products.
- Run the calculation the same way every period so the verifier can compare years.
What Senseible does here
Senseible's calculator gives a cradle to gate estimate, and its records keep the document trail a verifier can sample. It is not a verification body and issues no verification statement.
Sources: ISO 14067:2018, Carbon footprint of products (iso.org), ISO 14064-3:2019 validation and verification of GHG statements; ISO 14065:2020 requirements for verification bodies (iso.org)
Last reviewed 2026-10-15.