Overview
IEC TR 62726:2014 - Guidance on quantifying greenhouse gas emission reductions from the baseline for electrical and electronic products and systems - is a Technical Report published by the IEC that describes principles and practical guidance for measuring greenhouse gas (GHG, CO2e) reductions attributable to electrical and electronic (EE) products and systems. It complements product carbon footprint (CFP) approaches by focusing on the enabling effect - the difference between a baseline (business-as-usual) scenario and the scenario with the new product or system in use. The report is based on a comparative study of existing methodologies used or discussed in international organizations.
Key topics and technical requirements
The report provides a quantification framework and stepwise methodology to ensure consistent, transparent GHG reduction estimates for EE products and systems. Key topics include:
- Principles and industry guidance for EE-sector specific GHG quantification.
- Basic steps of a GHG reduction study, including goal and scope definition and project boundaries.
- Defining EE product-related GHG projects and determining an appropriate baseline (business-as-usual) scenario.
- Selection of relevant GHG sources, sinks and reservoirs (SSRs) by identifying primary and significant secondary effects.
- Baseline estimation procedures (performance-standard and project‑specific approaches) and considerations for additionality.
- Data collection and quality assessment, including trial estimation and decision rules for relevance.
- Estimating GHG reductions, accumulation methods, and documentation requirements.
- Validation, verification and monitoring approaches, including guidance on sampling (informative annex) and communication of results.
- Annexes with comparative study results and worked examples that illustrate application to real EE products.
Practical applications and target users
IEC TR 62726 is intended for organizations and stakeholders who need to quantify societal GHG reductions attributable to EE products and systems. Typical users include:
- Manufacturers and product designers seeking to demonstrate the climate benefits of energy‑efficient or enabling technologies (e.g., wind turbines vs. fossil generation, LED lighting vs. incandescent bulbs, online meeting platforms vs. travel).
- Sustainability and corporate reporting teams quantifying product-enabled emissions reductions beyond product-level CFP.
- Life cycle assessment (LCA) practitioners integrating baseline scenarios and enabling effects into assessments.
- Policy makers, procurement professionals and certification bodies that require consistent, auditable methods for GHG reduction claims.
- Verification and assurance providers performing validation, verification and monitoring of GHG reduction projects.
Related standards and context
IEC TR 62726 complements product carbon footprint methods and broader GHG accounting frameworks by addressing reductions relative to a baseline rather than life‑cycle emissions alone. It refers to existing international methodologies and provides electrotechnical industry‑specific guidance to improve consistency and transparency in claims about GHG reductions for EE products and systems.
Keywords: IEC TR 62726:2014, greenhouse gas emission reductions, baseline, electrical and electronic products, EE products, carbon footprint, quantification framework, GHG verification, enabling effect.
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