French vs European methodologies (PEF) - recap table
The table below highlights the key differences between two LCA methodologies: PEF and the French environmental cost.
| Theme | Topic | FR - Affichage Environnemental | EU - PEFCR App & F |
| General | Score name | Coût environnemental français / French Environmental Cost | PEF Single score |
| General | Unit of the score | Score is expressed in Points and normalized based on the average annual impact of a european citizen defined as 1,000,000 Points | Score is expressed in µPoints (micro) and normalized based on the average annual impact of a european citizen defined as 1 Point |
| LCA | Methodology | Methodological Guidelines for Calculating Environmental Costs (01/10/2025) | PEFCR Apparel & Footwear 3.1 |
| LCA | Database | Base Empreinte 3.0 | EF 3.1 |
| LCA | Database description | - Better promote work on localization and the energy sources used by suppliers. - Regionalize processes using countries' energy mixes. - Modulate the heat sources used for wet processes (dyeing, finishing, etc.) |
- Better leverage technological choices and the characteristics of materials and components produced - Wide choice of raw materials, some of which are sourced locally - Wide choice of technologies and process models (e.g., weaving modeled by weft injection technology or warp thread titration) |
| LCA | Scope | Cradle to grave | Cradle to grave |
| LCA | Functional Unit | One product full life cycle (multiple uses) | - One product full life cycle (multiple uses) - One product with one day of use |
| LCA | LCA indicators | Same 16 LCA indicators | Same 16 LCA indicators |
| LCA | Products concerned | Only ready-to-wear (no shoes or accessories) | Ready-to-wear, shoes and apparel accessories |
| Database granularity | National mix | - Raw material origin : No - Industrial process : Yes |
- Raw material origin : Yes - Industrial process : No |
| Database granularity | Factory heat source | Yes | No Industrial process are aggregated in EF 3.1 |
| Database granularity | Factory electricity mix | No Electricity parameters not available in Empreinte database |
No Electricity parameters not available in EF 3.1 |
| Database granularity | Factory energy mix for a specific process | No | No |
| Database granularity | Factory technology | No Few processes are mapped |
Yes Many processes are mapped |
| Additional calculation | Durability | Extrinsic (emotional or non-physical) ⇒ Non-Physical Durability Multiplier Based on the promotion to repair and the range of products |
Intrinsic (physical) ⇒ Intrinsec durability multiplier (IDM) Based on lab quality tests results |
| Additional calculation | Repairability | - Called “Promotion to repair” based on the product cost and the availability of repairability services - Included in the calculation of the durability multiplier |
- Called “Repairability Multiplier”, based the services provided by the brand to its consumers - Included in the calculation of the duration of service (DoS) |
| Additional calculation | Microfibers | Depending on the nature of fiber (synthetic, natural, artificial), the coefficient will change | Called “Fiber fragment” and included in the use phase |
| Additional calculation | Out of Europe export | End-of-life model for textile products outside Europe added to take account of the impact of open landfills | Not concerned |
| Additional calculation | Chemicals impact | Chemicals and toxicity impact added to improve the modeling of wet processing during the finishing phase | Not concerned |
| Score & communication | Score B2C communication | Voluntary The scores must be declared into a dedicated portal from the French government |
Voluntary The score must be displayed with the four most relevant impact categories |
| Score & communication | Sanctions | After the decree publication, failure to comply with the rules governing its implementation is punishable by the Article L. 541-9-14 of the Environment Code | Not concerned for now |
| Score & communication | Third party score calculation | - 1 year after decree publication - Third parties could calculate products scores autonomously |
Not mentioned |
| Score & communication | Score format | For one product / for 100g of product | Not official yet |
| Score & communication | Score calculation | Different normalisation and ponderation per indicator, for more details, go on the breakdown per indicator table for a product | Different normalisation and ponderation per indicator, for more details, go on the breakdown per indicator table for a product |