Product Impact Calculator Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Table of Contents

• General
  • How does PIC work?
  • Why should I use this tool rather than my current spend-based method?
  • What data do I need to get started?
  • What types of primary data can I use in the tool?
  • Can I use this tool for non-apparel products?
  • Can I use this even if I don’t use FEM or have high adoption of FEM?
• Request a demo
  • Can I get a demo of the tool?
  • How can I get access to PIC?
  • How much does it cost?
  • Is it included with my Cascale membership?
  • Can Worldly help with uploading my POs into the Product Impact Calculator?
• Methodology
  • What methodologies does this work for?
  • What ISO standards does PIC meet?
  • What Scope 3 categories can Worldly calculate?
  • How are product impacts calculated?
  • Can I use the tool’s outputs for making environmental claims?
  • Since your methodology has been verified by a third party, do I still need to get my data verified?
  • What is net use %?
• Customization
  • Can I customize my transportation data or upload it from my suppliers?
  • Can we use our actual weights instead of the default?
  • Can I customize the category for the Example product to make it better reflect the reality of things like net use? For example, I want to differentiate between running shorts and board shorts.
  • Can we add/customize components and packaging?
• Creating products
  • If my product is made in multiple facilities then how do I make my product?
  • Can we create our custom materials via API and then use them in Scope 3?
  • Can we integrate our PLM so that our materials can be used in Scope 3 directly from the PLM?
  • Can Worldly create custom default product impact models for me?
  • What is the 'Other' category used for in the Product Impact Calculator?
• Working with Higg Index Tools
  • What’s the difference between Product Impact Calculator and the Higg Index Product Module?
  • How are materials in MSI used in the Scope 3 tool?
  • Can you support bulk updates and customizations?
  • How is FEM data used in the Scope 3 tool?
  • Can I use my Product Module data in Scope 3?
  • Is Scope 3 aligned with the Product Module? Where does the proxy data come from?
  • Why can’t I use the Higg Index MSI example materials?
• Impact calculations
  • Can we bring in Tier 2 and Tier 3 facilities into the calculator?
  • Can I associate the suppliers and FEM in bulk?
  • How do I use PIC data with my other Scope 3 data?
  • Can we measure year over year right away?
  • Why did product impact go down after I added components to a representative product? Shouldn’t it go up?
  • What happens when I make changes to a product that already has purchase orders linked?
  • Why can’t I find certain FEM modules when adding a PO?
• Audit Functionality
  • What happens when Higg Index PM or MSI updates after I create a product?
  • Can we lock previous versions of impact calculations?
  • Can we toggle between versions when methodologies, emission factors, secondary data sets or primary data are updated?
  • Will users be able to see what Higg FEM data has been verified when they are choosing to bring it into the PIC?

General

How does PIC work?

The Product Impact Calculator is built on a set of material and product process-level carbon impact models. These models combine to create product-level footprints with life cycle stage impacts assigned to the proper Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas Protocol categories. 

The system multiplies product-level impacts by the total numbers of units purchased by purchase order. Mapping impacts at the product and purchase order level allows the Scope 3 Tool to calculate emissions by month and year and account for changes in product attributes that may occur between purchase orders. This LCA approach follows the Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions.  

Product  LCA Impacts x Purchase Orders = Corporate Scope 3 Footprint by Category

Within the Scope 3 Tool, users:

1. Select from a set of predefined common materials and representative products developed by Worldly. These materials and products are based on a review of the apparel market and the relevant academic literature. 
2. Refine the representative products by changing the product weight; packaging; components; and product materials, including the ability to import custom materials from the Higg MSI. 
3. Can also customize the emissions from Tier 1 manufacturing final assembly by linking a purchase order to a Higg FEM.
4. Can also add purchase orders to their highly specified product footprints from the Higg Product Module. 

By allowing users to choose their level of customization, the Scope 3 Tool is able to meet users at all levels of sustainability maturity and guide them toward more detailed product modeling options. 

Why should I use this tool rather than my current spend-based method?

The spend based method multiplies the dollars spent on a purchased good by an industry-average fixed emissions number. This method is simple, fast, and helps companies gather a snapshot view of their emissions across their entire product portfolio. However, a company’s emissions will always increase linearly based on their spend, regardless of sustainability investments made. 

 If a company wants to show the impacts of decarbonization efforts in their supply chains, which is critical for upcoming regulations, they will need to integrate primary data into their calculations and tap into industry expertise on emissions that come from making products. 

The Product Impact Calculator gets you fast, scalable Scope 3 data and insights - all you need are your company’s purchase order records to get an initial Scope 3 emissions inventory. The product is designed to quickly ingest PO records from common PLM systems and categorize them with AI-assisted data mapping.  You can also bring in product footprint data from the Higg Product Module, or manually add products, to complete your inventory.  

What data do I need to get started?

To get products into the system, you just need a product name, product category, and purchase order quantity.

To get a total footprint, products need at minimum a category and quantity purchased. The system will use default data points for the following product attributes: weight (in kg), material composition, material net use, components, packaging, downstream logistics, distribution, final assembly, use phase and end of life.

What types of primary data can I use in the tool?

• Suppliers that have shared an FEM with you in the last three years.
• Footprints synced into PIC are built from primary data such as material composition, material type, amount of materials used, and finished goods processing. 

Can I use this tool for non-apparel products?

It’s possible to use Worldly’s Product Impact Calculator for non-apparel products, provided the following:

• The product’s materials are available in MSI
• You are able to provide the product weight (kg) 

Using the “other” product category will not include any use phase emissions and it will use a default for final assembly based on apparel (unless a FEM is linked to replace the default). 

Can I use this even if I don’t use FEM or have high adoption of FEM?

Yes, it’s not a requirement to use FEM. You can bring your purchase orders and calculate emissions based on default product impact models. If you already have facilities using FEM, you can customize your final assembly impacts by connecting a PO to a specific Higg FEM that has been shared with you. This capability allows you to replace the default Manufacturing and Final Assembly per unit impact with data from the Tier 1 facility in which that product/purchase order was processed. Tier 1 facilities report their production volumes in a variety of manners including piece/pair and kg. The FEM then calculates normalized GHG emission by dividing the facility annual emissions by the reported production volume. PIC uses the normalized GHG emissions from the FEM in place of the default assembly emissions.

Request a demo

Can I get a demo of the tool?

To get a demo, please reach out to your dedicated account manager. They’ll provide you with a personalized demonstration and guide you through the next steps. If you don’t yet have an account manager, contact our support team, and they’ll connect you with the right person to assist you.

How can I get access to PIC?

To learn more about PIC, please reach out to your dedicated account manager. They’ll provide you with a personalized demonstration and guide you through the next steps.

How much does it cost?

For information about pricing, please contact your Account Manager. They will provide you with detailed pricing options tailored to your needs.

Is it included with my Cascale membership?

PIC is a Worldly product that is separate from the Cascale membership benefits. To learn more about pricing and access, please contact your Account Manager.

Can Worldly help with uploading my POs into the Product Impact Calculator?

Yes. Every PIC customer gets help from the CSM team with uploading a PO list. The level of help with PO uploads will depend on the customer’s current tier, and will align with the services package in that tier. Worldly also offers e-learning, live training, and live chat. 

Methodology

What methodologies does this work for?

The methodology is aligned with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Technical Guidance for Calculating Scope 3 Emissions and has been independently validated in accordance with ISO 14064-3 (International Organization for Standardization Standard ISO 14064-3 Second edition 2019-04: on Greenhouse Gases – Part 3: Specification with guidance for the verification and validation of greenhouse gas statements)

What ISO standards does PIC meet?

The PIC was built in accordance with International Organization for Standardization Standard ISO 14064-3 Second edition 2019-04: on Greenhouse Gases – Part 3: Specification.

• ISO 14064: This standard defines principles and standards for the quantification of greenhouse gasses and removals. ISO 14064 consists of three parts, each with a different technical focus. Part 1 addresses conducting greenhouse gas emission inventories of organizations such as corporations using a bottom up approach to data collection, consolidation and emissions quantification. Part 3 establishes a process for verification of a greenhouse gas statement, including organization inventories, regardless of whether or not the inventory was developed under Part 1. Part 2 of the standard addresses quantification and reporting of emission reductions from project activities. 
  • Part 3 is the most relevant for verification so it is the part that is verified against. This tool is not built on Part 2 as it uses a different approach to emissions based on project activity (ie. investments in energy efficiency at a facility).
• ISO 14040/14044: This defines the principles and framework for life cycle assessment (LCA) including: definition of the goal and scope of the LCA, the life cycle inventory analysis (LCI) phase, the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) phase, the life cycle interpretation phase, reporting and critical review of the LCA, limitations of the LCA, the relationship between the LCA phases, and conditions for use of value choices and optional elements.
  • The tool is not built to be used for individual product footprinting and an LCA report is not produced. While the data models used in PIC are generally aligned with ISO 14040/14044, we do not produce reports /outputs that meet the requirements for this ISO standard.
• ISO 14067: This standard specifies principles, requirements and guidelines for the quantification and reporting of the carbon footprint of a product, in a manner consistent with International Standards on life cycle assessment (LCA) (ISO 14040 and ISO 14044). 
  • The tool is not built to be used for individual product footprinting and an LCA report is not produced.

What Scope 3 categories can Worldly calculate?

PIC calculates Scope 3 Purchased goods & related activities: 

Category 1 - Purchased goods & services

Category 4 - Upstream logistics

Category 9 - Downstream logistics

Category 11 - Use of sold products

Category 12 - End of life treatment

How are product impacts calculated?

Representative product impact models are provided across 38 product categories, which can be further customized based on how much information is known about the product, allowing the user to move from the average-data method to the hybrid method, where it’s relevant and material. Impacts per product are connected to purchase orders to calculate overall quantity of CO2e emissions (carbon dioxide equivalents). The Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) method used is IPCC AR6 GWP 100, the latest emission factor guidance delivered by IPCC.

The PIC Product Categories

Can I use the tool’s outputs for making environmental claims?

No, PIC is not a tool for making consumer facing claims or product footprints. PIC helps you improve the accuracy and speed of calculating scope three emissions and track improvements over time.

Since your methodology has been verified by a third party, do I still need to get my data verified?

A GHG emissions audit reviews both the methodology and data provided. The Product Impact Calculator can help you prepare for an GHG emissions audit as the methodology has been pre-assured by APEX. As you bring in your own purchase orders and primary product data, the report would need to be verified to ensure the data entered into the system were correct.

What is net use %?

Net use % refers to the amount of material that ends up in the final product.  A default 75% net use, or 25% loss rate, is applied; users can update this net use.  Material weight is then prorated based on the percent of the product it represents.

The loss rate assumptions come directly from the Higg MSI. Those loss rates were determined using “values from secondary data sources, expert guidance, and industry methodology such as Textile Exchange’s Fiber Conversion Methodology.” See the MSI methodology for additional detail.

Customization

Can I customize my transportation data or upload it from my suppliers?

In PIC, you can customize the allocation of both Category 4 - Downstream and Category 9 - Upstream logistics. Any selections will apply across all products as we do not presently support customizing this by purchase order. The Higg Index Product Module (PM) allows for further customization by product. The impact of this category is likely less than a few percentage points with Category 1 is going to drive most of the impact. For maximum impact , we recommend focusing more on the bill of materials.

However, PIC calculates these impacts as follows:

For Upstream, while the default assumption is 100%, you can customize the percentage of Upstream transportation that takes place in third-party transportation assets. Upstream logistics incorporates the distance a product travels from the final assembly to the distribution center. We assume that every product travels across a mix of ocean, truck, and air to arrive at the distribution center. 

Our default assumption is that 50% of this Downstream transportation takes place in third-party transportation assets. Downstream logistics incorporates the distance a product travels from the Distribution Center to Retail Store and/or Distribution Center direct to consumer via e-retail. Users  can update this percent owned value at the account level. Retail Center to Consumer transport (ie consumer driving their own purchase home) and transport for returns is excluded.  

Can we use our actual weights instead of the default?

Yes, you can change the weight of the product and material breakdown 

to match what you use today in the product.

Can I customize the category for the Example product to make it better reflect the reality of things like net use?  For example, I want to differentiate between running shorts and board shorts.

It's possible to create a product without purchase order information.  While it’s not possible to add additional categories of your own, you can create a product called "Running Shorts - TEMPLATE" and change the default values to better match your actual product.

Can we add/customize components and packaging?

Yes, There are 28 components and 27 packaging materials, based on the Higg MSI. 

• All packaging materials in the tool are on a per unit of product basis. A default cutting efficiency of 75% and 1% defect rate is applied, from MSI.
• The default packaging type is a Bag (e-commerce/shipping) without a tertiary package (e.g. outer carton).

Creating products

If my product is made in multiple facilities then how do I make my product?

FEM Modules are linked at the Purchase Order level, so you can add a PO for each facility.  After adding the different PO’s, you can check the impact calculations on the Purchases page.   

Can we create our custom materials via API and then use them in Scope 3?

It’s currently not possible to create products via API. However, the bulk upload can handle thousands of rows downloaded from your PLM system without setting up custom integrations.

Can we integrate our PLM so that our materials can be used in Scope 3 directly from the PLM?

Today, we do not have a direct PLM connection. However, the bulk data upload and mapping functionality allow for fast product creation in PIC.

Can Worldly create custom default product impact models for me?

At this time, we do not provide a service to create products for our customers. However, we are collecting feedback on what next set of products to create and welcome your input. Please submit a list of products for which you would like default product impact models and we will add it to our tracker. While we’re not able to guarantee that we’ll be able to build this product, your feedback helps us understand what is important to our customers. Please reach out to your account manager or fill out this form to share the types of information that would help you best.

What is the 'Other' category used for in the Product Impact Calculator?

The category of “Other” can be used to build product models that are not represented in the current list of products. “Other” products use the same assumptions as the apparel products outlined in the methodology document, except these models have no impact assigned for product care. Of note, the default final assembly process if a Tier 1 facility is not linked is based on an apparel assumption (see Final Assembly section).

Working with Higg Index Tools

What’s the difference between Product Impact Calculator and the Higg Index Product Module?

The Product Impact Calculator and the Higg Product Module are designed to complement each other and support your sustainability team’s work at the product and corporate level. By using the Product Impact Calculator and the Higg Index Product Module together, you can get both a Scope 3 inventory for all your purchased products, and a deep analysis of product impacts where you want to focus sustainability initiatives and reduction efforts. 

The Product Impact Calculator allows you to bring primary data into your Scope 3 calculations. You can refine their Scope 3 data by leveraging data from Higg FEM and Higg MSI. By connecting Tier 1 facility data directly to the products in the PIC, you can get a more precise calculation for the emissions that came from that product. The Higg MSI data can also be added to the representative products, allowing you to bring in emissions data for your custom materials, in addition to using the material options that come out of the box with the Product Impact Calculator.

Your detailed analyses in the Higg Index PM can be combined with emissions calculations for purchased goods that did not get a full LCIA. In the Higg Index PM, your team goes deep on impact analysis across multiple environmental impacts, and gets a detailed Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) for a specific group of products. Then, bring in the PM’s product footprint data into the Product Impact Calculator, so that impact data is part of your overall Scope 3 footprint. 

How are materials in MSI used in the Scope 3 tool?

There are 33 predefined representative materials available in PIC. These come from the 33 most relevant fibers in the apparel industry as well as key non-fiber materials such as aluminum and brass. These materials are used in our default product models. The materials in the Scope 3 tool are meant to reflect an industry average of textile processes and were created by using the Higg Index MSI, industry averages, and expertise from the Worldly Sustainability team.

Can you support bulk updates and customizations?

Using the bulk upload tool, you can upload thousands of rows of purchase orders at once. Then use our data mapping tool to make sure the materials data is correct. Once you complete the data mapping, your products will be ready in your inventory.

How is FEM data used in the Scope 3 tool?

PIC supports linking FEM assessments shared with you from your suppliers. This capability allows users to replace the default Manufacturing and Final Assembly per unit impact with data from the Tier 1 facility in which that product/purchase order was processed. The linking is only possible if the facility has reported on energy use (otherwise the value would be 0 GHGs). The FEM calculates normalized GHG emission by dividing the facility annual emissions by the reported production volume (including piece/pair and kg). The Scope 3 Tool uses the normalized GHG emissions from the FEM in place of the default assembly emissions.  

Can I use my Product Module data in Scope 3?

Yes, if you have products that you have built in the Product Module (PM) you can sync these into the Product Impact Calculator. These products can be customized within the Product Module. Higg Product Module methodology differs from that used in the Scope 3 Tool. Therefore, Higg Product Module impacts are imported directly without recalculation in the Scope 3 Tool.  To learn more about the Higg Product Module customization options and methodology please refer to How to Higg.

Is Scope 3 aligned with the Product Module? Where does the proxy data come from?

Yes, Product Module data can be imported into the PIC. Many of the assumptions used in the PIC are built on those from the Product Module. However, note that there will be slight differences in total impact when imported. Product Module includes some additional variables that are not carried over to Scope 3 because they are outside the boundaries. Differences will be seen in the following places:

1. Bill of materials - the total material impact is carried over from the Bill Of Materials page. The total bill of materials impact includes some additional variables such as excess finished goods rate and sample rate, which are not carried over to PIC materials export. 
2. Distribution - the owned portion of the distribution impacts is not included as this would be considered in a brand’s Scope 1 or Scope 2 calculation
3. Returns - the impact of excess product due to product returns is not included. Since PIC is at a purchase order level, adding the return rate on top of the impact would be double counting. 

Why can’t I use the Higg Index MSI example materials?

Today, we have 33 representative materials based on the most common materials used in the apparel industry which are used to populate our default product models. However, in the future, we plan to add in the 101 MSI example materials. 

Impact calculations

Can we bring in Tier 2 and Tier 3 facilities into the calculator?

We're currently working to enable Tier 2 and 3 facilities in PIC for Fall 2025. New methodology from Worldly and the UNFCCC enables PIC to use primary GHG and production volume data from FEM with background data from MSI. In the meantime, helping your Tier 2 and Tier 3 facilities adopt FEM will enable you to bring more primary data into your Scope 3 calculations

Can I associate the suppliers and FEM in bulk?

Currently FEM assessments shared by suppliers can only be associated within the ‘Add a product’ flow. For now, the best way to update in bulk is to upload purchase orders by supplier with valid quantities and dates, and then bulk edit products. We are working on adding a bulk FEM association soon.

How do I use PIC data with my other Scope 3 data?

Impacts from PIC are exportable at a purchase order and category level to give brands the flexibility to combine the data with external third-party carbon accounting datasets that might: 1) include impacts that are not captured in this tool such as business travel and/or 2) have the ability to incorporate primary data for a specific category such as downstream transportation. 

Can we measure year over year right away?

Yes, FEM assessments can be added into PIC for up to 3 years back. To create year over year reports, you can export a CSV from the Product Library that includes purchase order date as a column. Then use this data to create reports based on your reporting window such as your fiscal year.

Why did product impact go down after I added components to a representative product? Shouldn’t it go up?

The final product weight includes components and any added components are not added on top of the entered total weight. To make sure calculations are correct, the total product weight should include any components. The PIC will adjust the relative weight of the materials vs components based on any customization but will not change the overall weight as we take the final product weight as the source of truth. Since, the relative percentage of weight between materials and components can change, the overall impacts could go up or down depending on if the impact per kg of the component or material is higher.

What happens when I make changes to a product that already has purchase orders linked?

Today, changes do not apply to all existing purchase orders but will update future uploaded purchase orders. In the future, we’re planning to allow for changes to be applied to all existing and future purchase orders.

Why can’t I find certain FEM modules when adding a PO?

FEM modules must meet the following requirements to be eligible for linking, and the system will filter out any FEMs that do not report:

• Production volume 
• Energy use, as well as FEMs that
• report in anything other than piece/pair or kg.

Additionally, the system will only display the following facility types: 

• finalProductAssembly, or 
• printingProductDyeingAndLaundering.

So it’s possible that a facility shared a specific FEM to be available for linking but it’s not showing up in the list.

Audit Functionality

What happens when Higg Index PM or MSI updates after I create a product?

MSI receives regular updates that reflect the most recent methodology. When a product that was created prior to the update it does not automatically update to use the methodology. PIC will notify you when an update is ready and prompt you to recalculate the impact. However, it will not force an update. It can only be prompted by you when you’re ready.

Can we lock previous versions of impact calculations?

In the future, PIC will be able to support “locking” of impact calculations as well as reports. Today, if methodology updates, you will be notified and prompted to recalculate the product impacts. The best practice is to update previous year’s calculations with the most recent methodology. However, there is no “roll-back” ability to undo any previous changes made. To track these changes, there is a built-in audit log that tracks any changes that have been made. This includes the bulk upload that keeps a history of files with the ability to store and re-import any previous files.

Can we toggle between versions when methodologies, emission factors, secondary data sets or primary data are updated?

Today, if methodology updates, you will be notified and prompted to recalculate the product impacts. However, there is no “roll-back” ability to undo any previous changes made. In the future, you will be able to lock reports so that you can refer back to them.

Will users be able to see what Higg FEM data has been verified when they are choosing to bring it into the PIC?

The FEM version and supplier are available but there is not presently the ability to view the status of the assessment in the linking workflow. To get a status report of the selected FEM assessments, you can export by year, supplier name, and status in All Modules or My Modules.