đī¸Product and Materials Data
Last updated
Last updated
If you're producing or sourcing certain types of materials and/or products, you can enter data at the product level to track and calculate product carbon footprints (PCFs).
The most efficient workflow for creating products to track and measure in Brightest:
The first step to calculate emissions for materials and/or products will be to upload or add emissions factors to your emissions factor library.
Navigate to Settings, and select Edit ESG and Sustainability Settings
In the Emissions Factors tab, you can add your own emissions factors or save emissions factors from Brightest's emission factor library.
For more information on Emissions Factors, check out the articles below:
Next, you'll need to add or upload your materials.
In Settings, select Edit Sustainability and ESG Settings, and then select the Materials Tab
To track and calculate product carbon footprints:
Navigate to your Sustainability Module, and select the Products Tab
Below are descriptions for the fields for the product add tool and CSV file template.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
Name | Yes | Name of the product |
SKU | Yes | Unique identifier for the product - likely how you identify the product internally, but if you don't have a code for each product internally you could create a naming method |
Description | No | You can add a description of product |
Link | No | You can add an external link to product |
Partners | No | You can link the product to a partner from your Brightest partner directory |
Meta Tags | No | You can tag the product with any meta tags from your tag library |
Assets | No | You can link the product to an asset in your asset library |
Measurement Unit | Yes | You can decide how you want to measure the product emissions. You can measure by: - Units (two fields will appear) Multiply factor unit: Select the unit of measure (g, kg, ton, MT, lb, gallon, ft^3, m^3, y^3) Multiply factor: Enter the amount - Weight (g, kg, ton, MT, lb) - Volume (gallon, liter, ft^3, m^3, y^3) - Spend Amount (and option to select currency) |
Carbon Accounting Method | Yes | You can decide if you would like to measure emissions at the product level or the materials level |
Documents | No | You can upload any relevant documents to the product |
Emissions Factor | Yes, if using the product for carbon accounting method. No, if using materials for carbon accounting method, as you will have already assigned emissions factors to your materials. | Select your emissions factor if you are using the product for the carbon accounting method *Note: The emissions factor choices in the drop-down menu are dependent on the measurement unit. If the emissions factor that you selected does not have the same measurement unit, it will not appear in the menu. If you are using the individual materials for carbon accounting, you'll need to add the material that make up the product and assign the percentage of the material present in the product. |
Select the green "+ Add Product" button to open the product item form.
Fill out the form with all relevant and required information. Once you click "Save" the product will be added to your products library.
Select the gray "+ CSV Import" button to open the CSV importer.
Download the CSV file template and fill it out.
Upload the filled out template to the CSV importer and follow the steps for field mapping and data review. Once you click "Save" the data will be saved to your products library.
When filling out the CSV template, you can add more columns for materials, material percentage, and material emissions factor to accommodate products with multiple materials.
Select "Create or Edit Footprint" in the Footprint Column of your products library.
In the "Edit Footprint" Tab, you can add the amount of products produced or sold throughout the year. Once your data is added, select "Save".
In the "Assign GHG Allocation" Tab you can assign the percentages for each relevant emissions scope category, and select "Save".
Product GHG scope categories:
Emissions from purchased goods and services
Upstream transportation and distribution emissions
Downstream transportation and distribution emissions
Processing of sold products
Use of sold products
End-of-life treatment of products
In the Materials Tab, you can add or upload materials that your organization sources, produces, or works with. To calculate carbon emissions, the materials must be linked to emissions factors. You can also link materials to suppliers (if you've added them as a partner), and assign tags. You can add materials manually or bulk import via CSV. If you need to edit the data for an existing material, select the icon next to the material. Note: Only countries where your supply chain partners are located will be available to select as "Origin Country" options.
