Frequently Asked Questions
Product Carbon Footprint & Life Cycle Assessment
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Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) measures the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with a product, activity, or organization, expressed as CO₂-equivalents (CO₂e). For beauty products, this includes everything from raw material extraction to manufacturing, packaging, transport, use, and end-of-life.
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Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a standardized method (ISO 14040/44) used to evaluate the environmental impacts of a product across its entire life cycle—from “cradle to grave.”
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PCF focuses only on climate impact (greenhouse gas emissions), while an LCA looks at multiple environmental impacts, such as water use, resource depletion, eutrophication, and more. But often LCA and PCF are used interchangeably in the climate context.
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Because the biggest impacts are often not obvious. Ingredient sourcing, packaging choices, formulation complexity, and consumer use (e.g. hot water, rinse-off vs leave-on) can all affect a product’s environmental footprint in surprising ways.
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You can use them to:
Identify carbon and environmental hotspots
Improve product design and packaging
Support sustainability strategies
Prepare for reporting and regulatory requirements
Strengthen environmental claims with evidence
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Yes—this is one of the main reasons organizations undertake product carbon footprint (PCF) and life cycle assessment (LCA) studies.
Because core products and processes often drive a large share of an organization’s footprint, these analyses can reveal where emissions truly occur and where changes will have the greatest impact. The results help guide targeted actions that support meaningful decarbonization.
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It depends, but common hotspots include:
Ingredients (especially petrochemical-based or highly processed ones)
Packaging (glass, multilayer plastics, pumps)
Consumer use phase (hot water for rinse-off products)
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Not necessarily. Natural ingredients can still have high impacts due to land use, water consumption, or low yields. LCA helps move beyond assumptions and assess real environmental performance.
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Sometimes. Packaging can account for a large share of emissions, but in some products, the ingredients themselves dominate. The only way to know is through a systematic analysis.
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They can be—but only if refill rates are high and logistics are optimized. LCA helps evaluate whether refill systems actually reduce impacts compared to single-use packaging.
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Life cycle assessments provide an objective view of environmental impacts across a product’s life cycle. While they frequently reveal opportunities for improvement, they may also confirm that certain choices already perform well or highlight unavoidable trade-offs.
The real value lies in gaining evidence-based insight to guide better decisions. When applied across a portfolio of products, LCAs become even more powerful, as the chances of identifying meaningful improvement opportunities increase.
Product Comparisons Using PCF / LCA
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LCAs and PCF analyses are conducted according to internationally recognized standards such as ISO 14040/44 and ISO 14067, GHG Protocol Product Standard and relevant Product Category Rules (PCRs) when available. These standards provide a methodology for making sure that the analysis is done accurately for the end goal in mind.
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Whenever possible, primary emissions / impact data (from suppliers, manufacturers, or brands) is used. When unavailable, high-quality secondary databases are applied, following best practice.
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Results depend on data quality, assumptions, and system boundaries. They also depend on how exhaustive you want to get and what your end goal is.
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Yes—as long as you are willing to be transparent about your chosen methodology. We work with a range of requirements whether they pertain to eco-design decisions, sustainability reporting or certifications.
Methodology & Credibility
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For many beauty and personal care companies, the majority of greenhouse gas emissions sit in Scope 3—across purchased ingredients, packaging, manufacturing, logistics, product use, and end-of-life.
A product carbon footprint provides detailed insight into these value chain emissions at the product level. This helps organizations better understand, quantify, and prioritize key Scope 3 categories, while identifying practical opportunities for reduction.
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Yes. Product carbon footprint studies offer granular insight into emissions across the value chain, many of which fall within Scope 3.
They can support Scope 3 screening, hotspot identification, and the development of targeted reduction strategies aligned with corporate climate goals. -
Scope 3 inventories provide a high-level view of value chain emissions at the organizational level. PCF and LCA studies look more closely at the impacts of individual products and their underlying processes.
Because many of the product-level emissions fall within Scope 3 categories, the two approaches complement each other and together provide a stronger basis for sustainability strategy and reduction efforts.
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Yes. Our analysis work provides a science-based foundation for sustainability claims and helps avoid misleading or oversimplified messaging.
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Such claims require careful assessment and clear boundaries. We help evaluate whether claims are appropriate and how to communicate them transparently.
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Yes. We support alignment with current and upcoming sustainability regulations and voluntary frameworks relevant to beauty and personal care.
Reporting & Communication
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Our services are designed for:
Beauty and personal care brands
Retailers
Manufacturers and suppliers
Sustainability teams
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Typically:
Product formulation and ingredient sourcing
Packaging specifications
Manufacturing location and processes
Distribution and use assumptions
We guide clients step by step—no prior LCA knowledge is required!
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Yes! In fact, this is our favorite kind of work because it carries real impact. Comparative analyses can help assess different formulations, packaging options, or design scenarios to guide you towards meaningful action.
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If you are a retailer, we will help you compare products. If you are a brand, we will work with you to come up with alternative designs.
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That depends on your end goal. Regulatory compliance generally requires much more stringent adherence to a standard procedure and can take a while. If you want to improve your product then there is more flexibility and a wider range of options. We work on a variety of projects with a diverse set of clients. Don’t hesitate to let us know what you are looking for!
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Yes. New Sky handles all client information with strict confidentiality.
We routinely operate under non-disclosure agreements and follow clear data-handling practices to ensure proprietary formulations, sourcing details, and business information are protected at all stages of a project. -
Project timelines vary depending on scope, data availability, and study objectives.
Targeted product carbon footprint studies may take a few weeks, while more comprehensive life cycle assessments or comparative projects can extend over several months.
Timelines are discussed and aligned at project kickoff. -
Deliverables are tailored to each project but typically include:
Quantified carbon footprint or environmental impact results
Identification of key environmental hotspots
Scenario analysis or improvement opportunities
Clear interpretation of findings for product and sustainability teams
Optional support for internal reporting or external communication
Results are presented in a format designed to support decision-making and practical next steps.
Working with New Sky
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New Sky approaches product sustainability with an engineering and systems mindset, focusing on understanding processes, data quality, and real environmental drivers rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions.
Our work is tool-agnostic and tailored to each product and organization, ensuring that assessments reflect real-world complexity and go beyond common focus areas such as packaging alone. -
New Sky typically works on a project basis rather than hourly billing.
This approach provides greater clarity on scope, deliverables, and timelines, and allows clients to focus on outcomes rather than time tracking. -
Absolutely. We offer right-sized assessments adapted to early-stage brands, limited data availability, and realistic budgets.
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Yes. New Sky works with clients and value chains globally.
Assessments are adapted to relevant regional contexts, data availability, and applicable standards, enabling results to support international sustainability strategies and reporting needs. -
Large whales play an important role in the carbon cycle, storing carbon over long lifetimes and supporting ocean ecosystems that absorb CO₂. When they sink after death, that carbon can remain sequestered for centuries.
We like to think of whales as climate rockstars—and a fitting symbol of the interconnected systems that life cycle thinking aims to understand and protect.