TÜV SÜD issues world’s first PCF Program Certification

The focus is on the PACT methodology. It defines how carbon footprints should be calculated and exchanged uniformly and transparently across companies and industries. TÜV SÜD has confirmed that a company’s internal systems, calculation methods and data management processes can reliably generate and manage PCF values in accordance with this methodology. “This certification is an important step toward trusted, decision-useful climate data,” said Naama Avni Kadosh, Director of PACT. “By using the PACT Methodology as the standard for evaluation, TÜV SÜD is helping companies generate reliable, comparable PCFs that support credible reporting, meet emerging regulatory requirements, and enable smarter, more informed business decisions.”

Unlike established, non-scalable verifications of CO₂ footprints for individual products, PCF Program Certification does not evaluate individual data sets, but rather the system as a whole behind data creation. This creates a new level of quality for climate data comparable to that of a certified management system, forming the basis for reliable, trustworthy emission data. At the same time, PCF Program Certification is explicitly designed to be scalable. Certification typically applies to all PCFs calculated within a company, greatly facilitating downstream individual value verification.

 “From calculation to credibility – that is precisely our claim,” says Dr Jonas Johannisson, expert for sustainable supply chains at TÜV SÜD and head of the international working group that developed the certification standard on behalf of the industry. “Many companies already have extensive data on the carbon footprint of their products. However, trust can only be established when this data has been verifiably checked and compiled according to uniform standards, both internally and externally. PCF Program Certification ensures this credibility, thereby creating the basis for regulatory compliance and reliable sustainability communication.”

The first PCF program to be successfully certified comes from specialty chemicals manufacturer RUDOLF, which fully meets the requirements of PCF Program Certification. RUDOLF has developed an ERP-based system that digitally and transparently maps the entire PCF determination process – from data collection and calculation to quality assurance. In addition, the certified PCF Program demonstrably improves the company’s internal data quality and carbon data management, which is a key advantage adressed by the certification across the industry. By successfully completing of this certification, RUDOLF has demonstrated how climate impact data can be made comparable, verifiable, and securely exchangeable in the future, for example within networks such as Catena-X or TfS.

PCF Program Certification marks a paradigm shift as it assesses not individual values, but the underlying system that determines them, thereby fostering trust in those values. This enables companies not only to report their emissions data and substantiate it credibly through independent, external certification. TÜV SÜD thus closes the gap between CO₂ calculation for entire product portfolios and trust, making a key contribution to the digitisation, standardisation and transparency of climate data in industry. As an independent certifier, TÜV SÜD awards the certificate in accordance with the Catena-X and TfS PCF Verification and PCF Program Certification Framework, applying the PACT Methodology.

The certification process typically includes document reviews, a digital or on-site audit, and a final assessment of any corrective measures. The average project duration is around two months.

Following the completion of the pilot certification, TÜV SÜD will offer PCF Program Certification worldwide. This will help companies prepare their internal structures for upcoming EU sustainability legislation and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requirements, while also strengthening customer, partner and regulatory authority confidence in published climate data.

About RUDOLF:

RUDOLF remains true to its values of quality, innovation and sustainability and continues to develop game-changing technologies to transform the textile industry and meet the growing demands for environmental sustainability. With approx. 2,000 employees in 45 countries, RUDOLF provides logistical and technical support to its customers worldwide.

The combination of scientific expertise and customer proximity makes RUDOLF an experienced and competent partner in the textile finishing industry. The company is proud to offer products that comply with OEKO-TEX® and GOTS standards, is committed to the ZDHC and is a partner of the bluesign system. RUDOLF is a founding member of the Transformer Foundation and lives the philosophy of the Responsible Care initiative, which stands for responsible behaviour in the areas of environment, safety and health. rudolf.com

About PACT:

The Partnership for Carbon Transparency (PACT), hosted by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), is the only globally recognized, business-led initiative enabling comparable and verifiable product-level carbon footprint (PCF) calculation and exchange at scale. Co-developed with more than 100 multinational companies, PACT provides a methodology-neutral, ISO- and GHG Protocolaligned approach and an open technical infrastructure that enables seamless PCF data sharing across industries and digital systems.

Today, more than 5,000 companies worldwide use PACT to generate and share high-quality PCFs, supported by 47+ software providers and 11 industry initiatives aligned with PACT’s specifications. With more than 4 million PCFs already calculated, PACT is accelerating global adoption and enabling reliable, supplier-specific emissions data for informed business decisions, including procurement, innovation, reporting, and regulatory compliance. carbon-transparency.org

Further information is available at:

• Product Carbon Footprint Verification & LCA Services | TÜV SÜD
• PCF Verification & Program Certification via Catena-X & TFS | TÜV SÜD
• Why verification is key to PCF reporting in digital networks | TÜV SÜD