PAS 2050-2:2012 - Assessment of Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Supplementary Requirements for the Application of PAS 2050:2011 to Seafood and Other Aquatic Food Products

Standard Number: PAS 2050-2:2012

Pages: 48

Released: 2012-11-30

ISBN: 978 0 580 77964 0

Status: Standard

Overview

The PAS 2050-2:2012 is a comprehensive standard that provides supplementary requirements for the application of PAS 2050:2011 specifically to seafood and other aquatic food products. This standard is essential for businesses and organizations involved in the seafood industry who are committed to assessing and reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the life cycle of their products.

Why Choose PAS 2050-2:2012?

In today's world, sustainability and environmental responsibility are more important than ever. The seafood industry, in particular, faces unique challenges when it comes to managing and mitigating GHG emissions. The PAS 2050-2:2012 standard addresses these challenges by providing a clear and structured approach to assessing the life cycle GHG emissions of seafood and other aquatic food products.

By adhering to this standard, businesses can:

• Enhance their environmental credentials and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.
• Identify key areas where GHG emissions can be reduced, leading to cost savings and improved efficiency.
• Meet regulatory requirements and industry standards for environmental performance.
• Gain a competitive edge in the market by showcasing their dedication to reducing their carbon footprint.

Key Features

The PAS 2050-2:2012 standard includes several key features that make it an invaluable tool for the seafood industry:

• Comprehensive Guidance: The standard provides detailed guidance on how to apply the principles of PAS 2050:2011 to seafood and other aquatic food products, ensuring that all relevant factors are considered in the assessment process.
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): It emphasizes the importance of conducting a thorough life cycle assessment to accurately measure GHG emissions from all stages of the product's life cycle, from production to disposal.
• Sector-Specific Requirements: The standard includes specific requirements tailored to the unique characteristics of the seafood industry, such as considerations for fishing, aquaculture, and processing activities.
• Clear Methodology: It outlines a clear and consistent methodology for calculating GHG emissions, making it easier for businesses to implement and follow.
• Supporting Tools and Resources: The standard provides access to a range of supporting tools and resources to assist businesses in their GHG assessment and reduction efforts.

Who Should Use This Standard?

The PAS 2050-2:2012 standard is designed for a wide range of stakeholders in the seafood industry, including:

• Seafood producers and processors
• Fishing and aquaculture companies
• Environmental consultants and sustainability professionals
• Regulatory bodies and industry associations
• Retailers and distributors of seafood products

Benefits of Implementing PAS 2050-2:2012

Implementing the PAS 2050-2:2012 standard offers numerous benefits for businesses in the seafood industry:

• Environmental Impact Reduction: By accurately assessing and managing GHG emissions, businesses can significantly reduce their environmental impact and contribute to global sustainability goals.
• Cost Savings: Identifying areas where emissions can be reduced often leads to cost savings through improved efficiency and resource management.
• Regulatory Compliance: The standard helps businesses meet regulatory requirements and industry standards for environmental performance, reducing the risk of non-compliance and associated penalties.
• Enhanced Reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility can enhance a company's reputation and build trust with customers, investors, and other stakeholders.
• Market Advantage: Businesses that implement the PAS 2050-2:2012 standard can gain a competitive edge in the market by showcasing their dedication to reducing their carbon footprint and promoting sustainable practices.

Conclusion

The PAS 2050-2:2012 standard is an essential tool for businesses in the seafood industry that are committed to assessing and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. By providing comprehensive guidance and sector-specific requirements, this standard helps businesses accurately measure and manage their environmental impact, leading to cost savings, regulatory compliance, and enhanced market reputation.

Embrace the PAS 2050-2:2012 standard and take a significant step towards a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future for your business and the seafood industry as a whole.

PAS 2050-2:2012

This standard PAS 2050-2:2012 Assessment of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions is classified in these ICS categories:

• 13.020.40 Pollution, pollution control and conservation

This Publicly Available Specification (PAS) establishes supplementary requirements for use in conjunction with PAS 2050:2011 for the cradle-to-gate assessment of the GHG emissions from seafood and other aquatic food products derived from both wild capture and aquaculture production.

This PAS is appropriate for use by organizations operating in the seafood and other aquatic food product sectors that are intending to undertake a programme of GHG emission reduction of their product life cycle, or those needing to provide information on the GHG emissions from their products or processes to downstream business partners or other stakeholders (e.g. environmental regulators).

This PAS has been developed in accordance with the principles on supplementary requirements as set out in PAS 2050:2011 4.3 and follows the structure and form of that PAS. Due to the specific circumstances of the seafood and other aquatic food products sectors, and the choices left open to practitioners in PAS 2050:2011, this PAS provides clarity on the issues associated with those choices and establishes supplementary requirements, in particular with regard to system boundary, allocation and land use change. It clearly identifies where PAS 2050:2011 requirements are to be applied without supplement, and provides sector-specific requirements and guidance, where permitted by PAS 2050:2011.

The scope of this PAS is limited to the cradle-to-gate stages of the life cycle, which for aquatic food products for human consumption is from fisheries or broodstock management to the incoming gate of the retail or food service and for animal consumption, is from fisheries or broodstock management to the incoming gate of the feed supplier. This is illustrated in Figure 1 below. Where an assessment of aquatic food products is to extend beyond distribution (i.e. to include retail/food service/feed supplier, use and end-of-life), the requirements of PAS 2050:2011 should be applied to the subsequent stages.

Figure 1 The scope of PAS 2050-2 in the context of PAS 2050:2011

Note 1 This PAS provides supplementary requirements for the cradle-to-gate processes up until the aquatic food product reaches the retailer, food service, or equivalent. However, as illustrated by the dashed line, cradle-to-gate boundaries can vary according to the position of the “gate”. Depending on the purpose, organizations conducting an assessment of aquatic food products may choose to position the “gate” elsewhere, or conduct a full cradle-to-grave assessment.

Note 2 Figure 1 is a simplified illustration of the life cycle of aquatic food products. The purpose of the figure is to illustrate the scope of this PAS, not to show all processes in the life cycle of aquatic food products or flows into and from the different processes.

Note 3 The simplified system representation of Figure 1 shows the feed supplier outside the cradle-to-gate boundary. However, given the potentially significant contribution of feed to the emissions of aquaculture products it is important to recognize that in its accounting for inputs of feed to the aquaculture processes an assessment needs to include the GHG emissions of the feed supplier. The figure illustrates that, in terms of aquatic food products for animal consumption, the scope of this PAS covers distribution until the receiving gate of the feed supplier or similar.

As with PAS 2050:2011, this PAS addresses the single impact category of global warming. It does not assess other potential social, economic and environmental impacts arising from the provision of seafood and other aquatic food products, such as non-GHG emissions, acidification, eutrophication, toxicity, biodiversity, labour standards or other social, economic and environmental impacts that may be associated with the life cycle of such products. Thus, an assessment of the GHG emissions of seafood and other aquatic food products using this PAS in conjunction with PAS 2050:2011 does not provide an indicator of the overall environmental impact of these products, such as may result from other types of life cycle assessment.

In line with the principle adopted for PAS 2050:2011, this PAS does not specify requirements for communication of assessment outcomes of GHG emissions assessments of seafood and other aquatic food products. However, it is recognized that there may be situations where disclosure may be required or could be appropriate. Therefore, both directly and by reference to PAS 2050:2011, it does include requirements relating to what information on GHG emissions arising during the cradle-to-gate stages of seafood and other aquatic food products are to be conveyed when disclosed to a third party (e.g. a downstream business partner).