Henkel and Capgemini Automate Carbon Footprint Calculations for 50,000 Products
<p>Henkel Consumer Brands has launched a digital platform capable of calculating product carbon footprints for more than 50,000 products. Developed with Capgemini, the system automates emissions data for the stages between raw material extraction and factory gate. For UK businesses watching how large manufacturers embed carbon measurement into everyday operations, this rollout offers a working example of what portfolio-scale carbon accounting looks like in practice.</p><p>The platform, called HCB HEART (Henkel Consumer Brands Environmental Assessment Reporting Tool), builds on an earlier version used by Henkel's adhesive division. That system calculated cradle-to-gate footprints for approximately 58,000 products. Capgemini adapted the tool to meet the different requirements of consumer goods, which involve distinct supply chains, packaging formats, and formulation processes.</p><p>This type of automation matters because consumer brands manage thousands of product variants across multiple markets. Manual carbon assessments don't scale. Consequently, companies often lack comparable data across their portfolios. A standardised calculation method applied to tens of thousands of products changes that dynamic. It provides a consistent basis for identifying emission hotspots and comparing alternatives during product development.</p><h2>How the system measures emissions across product lifecycles</h2><p>HCB HEART covers emissions from raw material extraction through to the point products leave the factory. This boundary is known as cradle to gate. It includes raw materials, packaging, manufacturing, logistics within that boundary, and other product components. However, it excludes downstream stages such as retail distribution, consumer use, and disposal.</p><p>The platform went live for its first user group in 2026 after more than a year of development. Henkel reports that the underlying calculation methodology used in the adhesive version was verified and certified by TÜV Rheinland. The consumer brands deployment follows the same technical foundation, adapted for a different product category.</p><p>Product Carbon Footprints quantify greenhouse gas emissions associated with a product over a defined part of its life cycle. In this case, the assessment stops at the factory gate. This means the figures represent the carbon intensity of production and upstream supply chains, but not the full cradle-to-grave impact. For many consumer products, use-phase emissions can be significant, particularly for items requiring hot water or energy during application.</p><p>Therefore, businesses should interpret cradle-to-gate data carefully. It offers a useful comparison between products and materials, but it does not tell the whole story. Understanding that distinction is important for anyone evaluating suppliers or reviewing carbon disclosure from manufacturers.</p><h2>Henkel's wider sustainability infrastructure and development process</h2><p>The consumer brands platform extends an existing Henkel effort to integrate environmental data into product development. The company states that its innovation processes already use tools to analyse and evaluate products, with each receiving a separate sustainability profile based on available data. Adding automated carbon footprints strengthens that capability.</p><p>Henkel also aims to provide environmental information earlier in the development cycle. Profiles for potential ingredients and packaging materials can be integrated into research and development systems. As a result, teams can estimate the footprint of a new formulation during design rather than only after commercialisation. This approach allows carbon considerations to influence material selection and formulation choices before products reach market.</p><p>Capgemini was selected partly because it had already helped implement HEART for Adhesive Technologies. Familiarity with the earlier system reduced implementation risk and allowed the consultancy to focus on adapting the tool to consumer product requirements. Those requirements differ in packaging complexity, formulation diversity, and the number of stock-keeping units managed across regions.</p><p>The earlier adhesive system provided a template, but consumer goods present distinct challenges. Formulations change more frequently. Packaging formats vary widely. Supply chains are often more fragmented. Consequently, the platform had to accommodate greater variability while maintaining calculation consistency.</p><h2>Industry standardisation and calculation methodology</h2><p>Henkel's approach develops alongside wider efforts to improve the comparability of product-level emissions data. The company identifies the Product Carbon Footprint data model introduced through the Together for Sustainability initiative in 2024 as a milestone for the chemical industry. The model is intended to help suppliers and companies generate and exchange product carbon data across supply chains using a more standardised framework.</p><p>Henkel has stated in connection with other product carbon footprint work that its calculations follow ISO 14067 and Together for Sustainability guidelines. In a 2025 collaboration with Synthomer, the company said product carbon reductions were measured under those standards and that the methodology was being externally validated by TÜV SÜD. These references indicate the direction of Henkel's wider carbon accounting strategy.</p><p>However, the available announcement on HCB HEART does not specify that every consumer brands calculation has been externally validated under the same arrangement. The quality of automated results depends on the quality of underlying data, including information from suppliers, manufacturing sites, logistics providers, and packaging systems. Standardised methods improve comparability, but they do not eliminate uncertainty or the need for clear assumptions, updates, and independent review.</p><p>For UK businesses, this highlights an important point. Standardisation makes data exchange easier, but it does not guarantee accuracy. Carbon footprints are only as reliable as the data feeding them. Therefore, businesses should ask suppliers about data sources, assumptions, and verification when reviewing product carbon claims.</p><h2>Business applications and commercial benefits</h2><p>The principal benefit of HCB HEART lies not in the number of calculations it produces, but in turning product carbon assessment into a repeatable business process. A scalable platform helps Henkel compare emissions across a large product portfolio, identify high-impact raw materials or manufacturing steps, and support lower-carbon formulation and packaging choices. It also improves consistency in sustainability reporting and provides customers and internal teams with more detailed product-level information.</p><p>Capgemini says the system provides more consistent and comparable results while improving efficiency and transparency. Henkel's broader sustainability materials emphasise a data-driven approach to understanding and reducing emissions across the value chain. This approach aligns with the company's wider emissions objectives, which include reducing absolute Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 from a 2021 baseline and reaching net zero by 2045.</p><p>Since raw materials and packaging can represent substantial portions of consumer product footprints, a portfolio-wide system helps the company identify where those targets require the greatest operational and supplier changes. If product carbon data is available during design, procurement, and packaging decisions, sustainability teams are no longer the only users of the information. Engineers, formulators, buyers, brand managers, and customers can potentially use the same data to evaluate trade-offs.</p><p>For UK SMEs, this illustrates how carbon data is moving from compliance reporting to operational decision-making. Businesses that supply large manufacturers should expect more detailed carbon data requests. Meanwhile, those developing their own products can learn from this approach. Waiting until a product launches to calculate its footprint limits your ability to reduce emissions cost-effectively. Building carbon considerations into design and procurement decisions offers better results at lower cost.</p><h2>Important limitations and practical considerations</h2><p>The cradle-to-gate boundary does not cover every emission associated with a product's complete life cycle. It generally excludes downstream stages such as consumer use, retail, disposal, and in some cases distribution after the factory gate. As a result, a cradle-to-gate product carbon footprint should not be interpreted as a complete cradle-to-grave footprint.</p><p>This distinction matters for businesses evaluating products or suppliers. A low cradle-to-gate footprint does not necessarily mean a low total lifecycle impact. For example, a product requiring hot water during use might have low manufacturing emissions but high use-phase emissions. Conversely, a product with higher manufacturing emissions might perform better over its full lifecycle if it lasts longer or requires less energy to use.</p><p>The platform is best understood as infrastructure for decision-making rather than proof that emissions have already been reduced. The environmental benefit will depend on whether Henkel uses the results to change materials, formulas, packaging, energy sources, production processes, and supply chain practices. Measurement alone does not reduce emissions. Action based on measurement does.</p><p>Additionally, automated systems require ongoing data quality management. Supplier data must be kept current. Manufacturing processes change. Packaging specifications evolve. Logistics routes shift. Therefore, maintaining accurate footprints across 50,000 products requires continuous data updates and quality checks, not just initial setup.</p><h2>Essential facts about the HCB HEART platform</h2><ul><li>Henkel Consumer Brands developed the platform with Capgemini to automate product carbon footprint calculations for more than 50,000 products.</li><li>The assessment covers cradle-to-gate emissions, from raw material extraction through factory exit, including raw materials, packaging, production, logistics, and product components.</li><li>The platform went live for its first user group in 2026 after more than one year of development.</li><li>Henkel's Adhesive Technologies division previously used a similar system to calculate footprints for approximately 58,000 products.</li><li>The underlying calculation methodology used in the adhesive version was verified and certified by TÜV Rheinland.</li><li>Henkel states that its calculations follow ISO 14067 and Together for Sustainability guidelines, with some methodology externally validated by TÜV SÜD in related projects.</li><li>The system aims to provide consistent, comparable results that can inform product development, procurement, packaging choices, and sustainability reporting.</li></ul><h2>What this means for UK businesses and supply chains</h2><p>The deployment reflects a broader shift in corporate sustainability. Carbon accounting is moving from occasional analysis toward continuous, product-level management. Calculating a footprint for one product supports a specific improvement project. Calculating tens of thousands enables portfolio steering and systematic prioritisation.</p><p>UK businesses that supply large manufacturers should prepare for more detailed carbon data requests. Henkel's approach is not unique. Other consumer goods manufacturers are developing similar capabilities. Consequently, suppliers will increasingly need to provide product-level emissions data, not just company-level totals. This requires better data collection systems, engagement with your own suppliers, and potentially support from specialists in carbon measurement.</p><p>For businesses developing their own products, this project offers practical lessons. First, carbon data becomes more useful when integrated into existing business processes. If sustainability teams are the only people who see carbon footprints, the data has limited impact. However, if designers, buyers, and product managers use carbon data alongside cost and performance metrics, it influences decisions. Second, automation and standardisation matter at scale. Manual assessments work for small portfolios but become impractical as product ranges grow.</p><p>Third, measurement is a means to an end, not an end in itself. The value of HCB HEART will depend on how Henkel uses the data to change products and supply chains. For UK SMEs, the same principle applies. Calculating your carbon footprint is useful preparation, but the real work lies in reducing emissions through material changes, process improvements, and supplier engagement.</p><p>Businesses facing carbon reporting requirements under regulations such as the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting framework, or those pursuing sustainability certifications like <a href="https://sbs.eco/net-zero-program/">PPN 06/21 compliance for public sector supply</a>, can apply similar principles. Start by understanding where your emissions concentrate. Use that knowledge to prioritise reduction activities. Build carbon considerations into procurement and design decisions rather than treating them as separate compliance tasks.</p><p>The project also illustrates the growing connection between sustainability and commercial functions. If product carbon data is available during design, procurement, and packaging decisions, it can influence choices that affect cost, performance, and market access. For businesses competing for contracts with sustainability requirements, product-level carbon data can become a competitive advantage. Meanwhile, those that lack this data may find themselves at a disadvantage in tenders and supplier evaluations.</p><h2>Strategic implications and future direction</h2><p>Henkel's initiative shows how digital tools can connect sustainability with core commercial functions. When carbon data becomes available at the right time and in the right format, it can inform decisions that previously relied only on cost and performance metrics. This integration represents a shift from sustainability as a separate function to sustainability as an embedded consideration in business decisions.</p><p>The broader importance lies in making emissions data actionable at scale. HCB HEART does not itself guarantee lower emissions, but it gives Henkel a more systematic way to measure impacts, compare alternatives, direct innovation, and track progress across a highly diverse product portfolio. For a company with emissions reduction targets covering Scope 3, which includes purchased goods and services, this type of system provides the visibility needed to identify where changes will have the greatest impact.</p><p>For UK businesses, particularly those in manufacturing and supply chains, this trend has practical implications. Large customers increasingly expect product-level carbon data, not just corporate commitments. Businesses that can provide accurate, verified footprints for their products will find themselves better positioned in supplier evaluations and contract negotiations. Conversely, those unable to provide this data may lose business to competitors who can.</p><p>The tools and standards enabling this shift are becoming more accessible. ISO 14067 provides a recognised framework for product carbon footprints. Industry initiatives like Together for Sustainability offer sector-specific guidance. Digital platforms are emerging to help businesses collect, calculate, and share carbon data more efficiently. Consequently, product-level carbon accounting is moving from a capability limited to large corporations toward something available to a wider range of businesses.</p><p>However, implementing these systems requires investment in data infrastructure, staff training, and supplier engagement. For SMEs, external support can help navigate these requirements. Training in carbon measurement methodologies, guidance on data collection systems, and assistance with supplier engagement can accelerate progress and reduce implementation costs. Resources such as the <a href="https://sbs.eco/sbs-academy/">SBS Academy</a> offer practical training on carbon reporting and emissions reduction for businesses at different stages of their sustainability journey.</p><h2>Further information and authoritative sources</h2><p>Businesses seeking more detailed information on product carbon footprint methodologies can consult <a href="https://www.iso.org/standard/71206.html">ISO 14067:2018</a>, which specifies requirements and guidelines for the quantification and communication of the carbon footprint of products. The standard provides a recognised framework for conducting these assessments.</p><p>The Together for Sustainability initiative, which Henkel references in connection with its carbon accounting approach, provides guidance on product carbon footprint data exchange in the chemical industry. Their work on standardisation aims to improve data quality and comparability across supply chains.</p><p>UK businesses looking for government guidance on greenhouse gas reporting can visit the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-conversion-factors-for-company-reporting">UK Government's conversion factors for company reporting</a>, which provides emissions factors for various activities and materials. This resource supports businesses preparing carbon footprint calculations and sustainability reports.</p><p>For companies working toward net zero commitments or seeking to improve their carbon reporting capabilities, our <a href="https://sbs.eco/compliance/">compliance support services</a> provide practical assistance with carbon measurement, reporting frameworks, and reduction strategies tailored to UK business requirements.</p>
