The French Eco Score is now “Environmental Cost” (Coût Environmental)
As the deadline for implementation draws closer, the regulation previously known as “French Eco Score” has now been renamed Environmental Cost, or “Coût Environnemental”, in French. Despite the new official name, many stakeholders continue to refer to the regulation as French Eco Score, so we will use the names interchangeably.
Table of Contents
- Is the French Environmental Cost only applicable to textiles?
- How and where will the Environmental Cost be displayed?
- Who needs to comply with the French Environmental labeling?
- What is the difference between the terms “Ecoscore” (or “Eco-score” or “Eco-Score”), and “Environmental Cost”?
- How is the French Environmental Cost related to the PEF score? Are they comparable?
- How is the Environmental Cost used?
- What is the unit of the Environmental Cost?
- In addition to the Environmental Cost, what other environmental impacts will be generated?
- How is the Environmental Cost calculated?
- Is an Environmental Cost generated for each impact category?
- Which impact categories are taken into account when calculating the Environmental Cost?
- Is there a minimum or maximum number for the Environmental Cost?
- As a user, I do not have all the mandatory parameters, can I still generate an Eco-score?
- Can I generate an Environmental for Children sized clothing?
- Are there any plans to expand the material list options?
- My product is a mix of textiles and non-textiles - can I still generate an Eco-score?
- One of the materials in my product does not exist as an option- can I still generate an Eco-score?
- One of the materials in my product does not exist as an option and I’m not sure which proxy to use, is there guidance on this?
- My product does not exist as an option as a product category- can I still generate an Eco-score?
- What background database does Ecobalyse use to calculate the Environmental Cost and the environmental impacts?
- Is the impact of components/trims added to the Environmental Cost calculation?
- Is the impact of packaging added in the Environmental Cost calculation?
- Can MSI materials be used to generate the Eco-score?
- Does the product weight include packaging?
- What is included in the results exports?
- My material constitutes less than X% of the total BOM, can I omit that material from the product’s BOM?
- In what cases will an Environmental Cost not be generated?
Is the French Environmental Cost only applicable to textiles?
Yes. At the moment, this feature only applies to textile products. This is in accordance with the Ecobalyse methodology.
How and where will the Environmental Cost be displayed?
The Environmental Cost will appear in several places: on the product itself, on store shelves or on a website using a visual to help consumers make an informed choice. More information here.
Who needs to comply with the French Environmental labeling?
Environmental labeling requirements apply to all manufacturers, importers and distributors offering textile products for sale in France. This includes any clothing company- whether based in France or abroad-that conducts business in the French market, regardless of where it originates.
What is the difference between the terms “Ecoscore” (or “Eco-score” or “Eco-Score”), and “Environmental Cost”?
In the context of the French Government’s environmental labeling initiatives, the terms Eco-score and Environmental Cost are sometimes used interchangeably and are both aimed at informing consumers about the environmental impacts of products, particularly in the textile sector. The absolute value number that is displayed on labels is referred to as the "Environmental Cost”. In the context of textiles, “Environmental Cost” has replaced the term “Eco-score” which has broader applicability and is a letter ranking system (ABCDE).
How is the French Environmental Cost related to the PEF score? Are they comparable?
The French Environmental Cost (or Eco-score) and the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology are both used to assess the environmental impact of products. In fact, the French Environmental Cost methodology builds on the PEF methodology. However, these schemes differ in scope and application. The PEF is a broader European framework for calculating the environmental footprint of products throughout their life cycle, while the French Environmental Cost is a specific application of the PEF framework for textile products in France. While the French Environmental Cost builds upon the PEF, it incorporates additional indicators such as emissions from microfibers and exports outside the US (considered as waste). The French Environmental Cost is driven/mandated by the French Climate & Resilience Law of 2021.
How is the Environmental Cost used?
The Environmental Cost is used for environmental labeling of textile products in the French market. The exact deployment timeline of environmental labeling for textiles in France is still not confirmed.
What is the unit of the Environmental Cost?
Pts or points of impact.
In addition to the Environmental Cost, what other environmental impacts will be generated?
Yes, all 16 PEF impact categories will be available in the csv download.
How is the Environmental Cost calculated?
Please refer to the Ecobalyse methodology for a detailed explanation of the calculations.
Is an Environmental Cost generated for each impact category?
No, there is no Environmental Cost for each impact category. The Environmental Cost itself in an aggregated number. It takes into account 16 environmental impact categories as well as 2 additional metrics: exports outside of Europe and emissions from microfibers.
Which impact categories are taken into account when calculating the Environmental Cost?
The 16 impact categories are summarized in Table 5 of the methodology (source).
Is there a minimum or maximum number for the Environmental Cost?
The Environmental Cost (number that goes on the product's physical label) does not have a boundary/limit. The unit is points (Pt) with 1 Pt corresponding to the average annual environmental impact of a product as it relates to a European citizen. It can be measured in Points (Pt), in milliPoints (mPt) or in microPoints (µPt) with 1 Pt = 1 000 mPt = 1 000 000 µPt (source).
As a user, I do not have all the mandatory parameters, can I still generate an Eco-score?
No, if one of the mandatory parameters is missing, an Eco-score cannot be generated and an error message will pop on the screen.
Can I generate an Environmental for Children sized clothing?
The Environmental Cost calculation can be applied to both Adult and Children sized clothing.
Are there any plans to expand the material list options?
The current material options are in alignment with the offerings of the Ecobalyse methodology. We are tracking any updates to the methodology and will update accordingly.
My product is a mix of textiles and non-textiles - can I still generate an Eco-score?
At the moment, the Environmental Cost methodology only applies to textiles. If your product contains non-textile materials, an Eco-score will not be generated.
One of the materials in my product does not exist as an option- can I still generate an Eco-score?
There are 38 predefined representative materials available in PIC. Out of the 38 PIC materials, 12 have a direct mapping to Ecobalyse materials, and 10 have a proxy mapping. Please refer to the material mapping in Appendix 2, Table 2 of the methodology.
One of the materials in my product does not exist as an option and I’m not sure which proxy to use, is there guidance on this?
If a material does not exist in PIC or Ecobalyse, an Eco-score will not be generated. Here is some additional guidance from the Ecobalyse methodology:
If your missing material represents less than 20% of the total BOM:
Wool can be used as a proxy for cashmere/mohair
Nylon can be used as a proxy for polyamide
Wool can be used as a proxy for silk
Viscose can be used as a proxy for Lyocell
If your missing material represents more than 20% of the total BOM:
Wool can be used as a proxy for cashmere/mohair
Nylon can be used as a proxy for polyamide
Wool cannot be used as a proxy for silk
Viscose cannot be used as a proxy for Lyocell
My product does not exist as an option as a product category- can I still generate an Eco-score?
There are 38 predefined product categories available in PIC. Out of the 38 categories, 18 have a direct mapping to Ecobalyse products, and 7 have a proxy mapping. Please refer to the product mapping in Appendix 2, Table 1 of the methodology. If the product does not have a proxy mapping, an Eco-score will not be generated.
What background database does Ecobalyse use to calculate the Environmental Cost and the environmental impacts?
Ecobalyse uses Ecoinvent as a background database.
Is the impact of components/trims added to the Environmental Cost calculation?
Components/trims are not mandatory parameters the user has to provide. They are however added in the Environmental Cost calculation. The Ecobalyse methodology provides default components/trims for each product category.
Is the impact of packaging added in the Environmental Cost calculation?
No, packaging is not a mandatory parameter the user has to provide. It is currently not added to the Environmental Cost calculation.
Can MSI materials be used to generate the Eco-score?
Not at the moment.
Does the product weight include packaging?
No, the product weight is the net weight, which excludes all packaging.
What is included in the results exports?
The French Eco-score export includes the Environmental Cost as well as the results of the 16 impact categories.
My material constitutes less than X% of the total BOM, can I omit that material from the product’s BOM?
The Ecobalyse methodology does not provide guidance on this.
In what cases will an Environmental Cost not be generated?
There are several instances where an Environmental Cost will not be generated:
- Material and proxy not available
- Material % do not add up to 100%
- Product category and proxy not available
- Exact product weight not provided
- Country of manufacturing not provided
- Unit of weight not provided