Product environmental sustainability is complicated. One must consider multiple impact types along a complex, long and interwoven supply chain in order to get the true picture of the environmental ‘footprint’ of a product.

Therefore, at the foundation of the eco index tools there exists a framework. This framework was created to guide the process of index development, as well as the use of the tools. It has provided a common platform by which environmental impact is referred and has served as an effective ‘roadmap’ for the work group.

The eco index framework has two major dimensions:

This is the ‘lifecycle’ view of products and their supply chains. These discreet stages are where impacts are realized in the process of creating, delivering, using and managing the end of life, for products. It is important to note that, for consistency sake, this index recognizes where the environmental impacts are experienced, not necessarily created or decided. For example: an innovative design that reduces material waste at manufacturing and final assembly would be recognized at manufacturing, even though the choices were not necessarily made by, or at, the manufacturing plant.

Note: for phase one of the index, transportation and logistics is not included and will be incorporated in a later version of the eco index.

If the lifecycle stages are where impacts are found, then the lenses are the specific impacts which are found along the way. When the index is complete, each of the lenses will have a specific metric associated with them coupled with a clear methodology as to how to determine the measure.

Note: for phase one of the index, only Water, Waste, Energy and GHG are in scope for full metrics footprinting. Some of the other lenses are incorporated into indicators—such as chemicals/toxics. The other lenses will be incorporated into the footprinting in later versions of the eco index.