PAS 2050-1:2012

This standard PAS 2050-1:2012 Assessment of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from horticultural products is classified in these ICS categories:

• 13.020.40 Pollution, pollution control and conservation

PAS 2050-1 specifies supplementary requirements for use in conjunction with PAS 2050 for the cradle-to-gate assessment of the GHG emissions from the cultivation stages of horticultural products.

PAS 2050-1 is appropriate for use by organizations operating in the horticultural sector, intending to undertake a programme of GHG emission reduction of their product lifecycle or those needing to provide information on the GHG emissions from their products to downstream business partners.

PAS 2050-1, which has been developed in accordance with the principles set out in clause 4.3 of PAS 2050, follows the structure and form of that PAS. It clearly identifies where PAS 2050 requirements are to be applied without supplement and provides sector-specific requirements that are supplementary to PAS 2050 requirements, where permitted by that PAS.

As with PAS 2050, PAS 2050-1 addresses the single impact category of global warming potential. It does not assess other potential social, economic and environmental impacts arising from the provision of horticultural products, such as non-greenhouse gas emissions, acidification, eutrophication, toxicity, biodiversity, labour standards or other social, economic and environmental impacts that may be associated with the life cycle of such products.

An assessment of the GHG emissions of horticultural products using PAS 2050-1 in conjunction with PAS 2050, does not provide an indicator of the overall environmental impact of these products, such as may result from other types of life cycle assessment.

In line with the principle adopted for PAS 2050, PAS 2050-1 does not specify requirements for communication of assessment outcomes but both directly and by reference to PAS 2050, does include specific requirements relating to how information on GHG emissions arising during the cradle-to-gate stages of horticultural products, is to be conveyed to downstream business partners.

The GHG emissions related to the inputs (upstream) and the output (the horticultural product) downstream are defined by PAS 2050 2011 which establishes the overall framework for conducting the GHG assessment.

Note Global warming potential through GHG emissions is only one of many environmental impacts of processes and activities in the lifecycle of horticultural products. In many horticultural products’ lifecycles, water depletion and water pollution could have a larger impact on the environment and society. The lifecycle GHG emissions of horticultural products although important, are emphatically not the only indicator for environmental impacts of horticultural products.