Accounting for the Unseen: Quantifying Emissions from Product Development Activities

This study investigates the greenhouse gas emissions arising from product development activities. Using a case study from industry, it quantifies emissions from research and development (R & D) processes and assigns them to a product carbon footprint. The findings reveal that, although emissions caused by R & D are small in relation to the full life cycle of a product, they can – under certain conditions – affect cradle-to-gate assessments. This work advocates for more comprehensive life cycle inventories and emphasizes the need to include upstream processes usually ignored in environmental footprints.