What disclaimer goes in a product carbon footprint report under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Standard?

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Product Standard requires a public report to include a disclaimer stating the limitations of its potential uses, including product comparison. Its example says the results are unique to one company's assumptions and may not be comparable with similar products.

What the standard requires

Among the general information a public report shall carry, the standard lists: "A disclaimer stating the limitations of various potential uses of the report including product comparison." It says a disclaimer helps readers understand the scope and purpose of the results and know their limits.

The standard's example, in its own words

• "The results presented in this report are unique to the assumptions and practices of company X."
• "Even for similar products, differences in unit of analysis, use and end-of-life stage profiles, and data quality may produce incomparable results."

Why the standard is careful about comparison

Its guidance on comparison says valid product comparison needs equivalent methodologies that minimise methodological variability. It also says the standard is intended to support performance tracking of one product over time.

What else the same section asks you to state

• The unit of analysis and reference flow.
• The type of inventory: cradle to grave or cradle to gate.
• The inventory date and version.
• For later inventories, a link to the earlier reports and a description of any method changes.

A short disclaimer to adapt (example wording)

• These results describe [product] made at [plant] in [period]. They rest on our own data and assumptions.
• Even for similar products, differences in unit of analysis, use and end-of-life profiles, and data quality may give results that cannot be compared.

Example wording, adapted from the standard's own example. Fill the brackets and keep it next to the unit of analysis.

What Senseible does here

Senseible reads fuel invoices and electricity bills into monthly records, so the fuel and power behind a plant's share of the footprint are on file. The disclaimer is yours to write and keep with the report.

• How Senseible checks records
• How to disclose a product carbon footprint
• Assurance or critical review under the Product Standard

Sources: GHG Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard, chapter 13 Reporting (Box 13.1) and Appendix A

Last reviewed 2026-11-04. Wording is from the 2011 Product Standard. A buyer, label or programme may require its own disclaimer.