ISO 14040 Series

Overview

The ISO 14040 series establishes internationally recognized principles, frameworks, and requirements for quantitatively assessing the environmental impact of products and services across their full life cycle, from raw material sourcing through manufacturing, use, and disposal.

The series comprises ISO 14040 (principles and framework) and ISO 14044 (requirements and guidelines), specifying a four-stage methodology: goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation of results for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). It provides a methodological foundation enabling organizations and research institutions to calculate and report the environmental impact of products in an internationally comparable manner.

Within the GRI Global Regulatory Framework, the ISO 14040 series functions as a foundational international technical standard supporting the reliable calculation of product environmental information.

Regulatory Sub-Labels

Global Applicability: Global

Classification: International Standard

Status (Publication Status): Active

The ISO 14040 series is an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), setting out the principles, framework, requirements, and guidelines for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

The ISO 14040 series comprises two standards:

- ISO 14040: Principles and framework for Life Cycle Assessment

- ISO 14044: Requirements and guidelines for Life Cycle Assessment

Enforcement (Adoption Mechanism): The ISO 14040 series does not impose legally binding obligations at the international level. Organizations apply the standard voluntarily or through its incorporation into environmental labeling schemes, carbon footprint calculation, eco-design regulations, and customer or market requirements. Regional product environmental regulations, such as the EU Ecodesign Regulation and the Digital Product Passport (DPP), may adopt this standard as a reference for LCA methodology.

Last Amended (Latest Edition / Revision): ISO 14040:2006 (Amendment 1:2020) / ISO 14044:2006 (Amendment 1:2017, Amendment 2:2020). Both standards are based on their 2006 editions, with subsequent amendments strengthening normalization and weighting methodologies and alignment with related standards.

Governing Organization: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Enforcement Timeline

2006: Current editions of ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 published

2017: ISO 14044 Amendment 1 published

2020: ISO 14040 Amendment 1 and ISO 14044 Amendment 2 published

Business Impact

Supply Chain

Companies in manufacturing, consumer goods, building materials, and electrical/electronic equipment may need to build systems for collecting environmental data from suppliers in order to calculate the life cycle environmental impact of their products and sourced materials.

Compliance

While the ISO 14040 series does not carry direct legal force, companies may need to conduct LCA studies to meet regulatory requirements where regional product environmental regulations, such as the EU Ecodesign Regulation and the Digital Product Passport, adopt this standard as a reference methodology for LCA.

Cost

Investment may be required for conducting LCA studies, building environmental data collection systems, third-party verification and assurance activities, and securing specialized personnel.

Strategic Implication

Reliable LCA data based on an internationally recognized methodology provides a foundation for competitive advantage in obtaining environmental labels, disclosing carbon footprints, and communicating environmental value to customers and investors.

Cross Reference

Primary Domain: Circular Economy & Product Stewardship. Under the approved Global Regulatory Instrument Inventory v0.3, no Cross Reference is assigned to the ISO 14040 series.

Architecture Position

Within the GRI Regulatory Architecture, the ISO 14040 series is registered as a regulatory framework instrument under the Global Circular Economy & Product Stewardship Domain.

The ISO 14040 series is classified as an International Standard and is not treated as a reporting framework or disclosure mechanism (Gateway Reference: No).

The standard functions as a technical foundation supporting the calculation and comparability of product environmental information, and in accordance with the One Primary Parent Principle, Circular Economy & Product Stewardship is assigned as its sole Primary Domain.