Semantic Data Model (Ontology)
Depending on the use case and related KIT, Catena-X provides different semantic models that help to structure and make use of data via semantic information. These models help to provide a basic meaning to the data and their relationship, thereby enabling interoperability between data sets. Catena-X data models rely on principles as understandability, standardization, accuracy, differentiation, audibility, comprehensiveness, and provision of insights to drive improvement actions.
In an era defined by growing environmental consciousness and sustainability imperatives, the concept of measuring and reducing carbon footprints has become paramount across industries. A pivotal key in this pursuit is an aligned and standardized PCF data model. This data model not only facilitates the systematic calculation and comparison of carbon footprints but also offers a structured approach to managing environmental impact data.
As the global community grapples with the impacts of climate change, consumers, businesses, and governments are seeking actionable ways to mitigate their carbon emissions. The need for a consistent and universally accepted method of quantifying these emissions from diverse products has given rise to the significance of a standardized PCF data model. This model acts as a lingua franca, enabling stakeholders to communicate and analyze carbon footprint information transparently and comprehensively.
For this KIT only the PCF data model is used. The PCF data model follows the CX-0136 Use Case PCF standard and is implemented in compliance with the CX-0003 SAMM Aspect Meta Model standard.
The Catena-X PCF data model has been developed in accordance with the "Technical Specifications for PCF Data Exchange" from the WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development)/ PACT initiative. The basis for the specification of the Catena-X PCF data model is the PCF Rulebook v3.0.0.
The following illustration describes the logical structure of the Catena-X PCF data model:
The table below shows the details of each data field in the Catena-X PCF data model:
M - Mandatory, O - Optional, O* - Mandatory starting 2025
Property | Technical Name | PCF Exchange | PCF Calculation | Data Type Specification | Example | Technical Data Type | Description -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- (General) | | | | | | | (Version Information) | | | | | | | Product Footprint Identifier | id | M | O | String; must be a UUID v4 | 3893bb5d-da16-4dc1-9185-11d97476c254 | PfId | The PCF identifier. Product Footprint Specification Version | specVersion | M | M | Text | urn:io.catenax.pcf:datamodel:version:7.0.0 | String | Version of the PCF data specification. Partial Or Full PCF | partialFullPcf | M | M | Enumeration; "Cradle-to-gate","Cradle-to-grave" | Cradle-to-gate | String | Indicator for partial or full PCF declaration. Previous PCF Identifiers | precedingPfIds | O | O | Non-empty set of strings | 9c5b94b1-35ad-49bb-b118-8e8fc24abf8 | Array of PfId | Set of preceding PCF identifiers without duplicates. Declared as "optional" in WBCSD, needs to be covered by application. Product (Carbon) Footprint Version | version | M | O | Integer in inclusive rage of 0..2^31-1; per default "0" in Catena-X | 0 | Number | Version of the PCF. In Catena-X for example set to "0" per default. Creation of the Product (Carbon) Footprint | created | M | M | Time stamp; must be in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) conforming to ISO 8601 | 2020-03-01T00:00:00Z | DateTime | Timestamp of the creation of the PCF. Status | status | M | O | Enumeration; "Active", "Deprecated"; per default "Active" in Catena-X | Active | String | Status indicator of a PCF. WBCSD specific extension, in Catena-X for example set to "Active" per default. Validity Period Start | validityPeriodStart | O | O | Time stamp; if defined, must be equal to or greater than referencePeriodEnd | 2022-01-01T00:00:01Z | DateTime | Start of interval during which the PCF is declared as valid. If specified, the validity period start must be equal to or greater than the reference period end. Validity Period End | validityPeriodEnd | O | O | Time stamp | 2022-12-31T23:59:59Z | DateTime | End of interval during which the PCF is declared as valid. Comment | comment | O | O | Text | Additional explanatory information not reflected by other attributes | String | Additional information and instructions related to the calculation of the PCF. PCF Legal Statement | pcfLegalStatement | O | O | Text | This PCF (Product Carbon Footprint) is for information purposes only. It is based upon the standards mentioned above. | String | Option for legal statement/ disclaimer. (Company Information) | | | | | | | Company Name | companyName | M | O | String with 1 or more characters | My Corp | NonEmptyString | Name of the PCF data owner. Company Ids | companyIds | M | O | Non-empty set of URN (Uniform Resource Name); array of strings ( ::= "urn:" ":" ) | urn:bpn:id:BPNL000000000DWF | CompanyIdSet | Non-empty set of Uniform Resource Names (URN). Each value is supposed to uniquely identify the PCF data owner. For Catena-X Industry Core compliance the set of URNs must contain at least the Business Partner Number Legal Entity (BPNL) in the specified format urn:bpn:id:BPNL[a-zA-Z0-9]{12}. (Product Information) | | | | | | | Product Description | productDescription | O | O | Text | Ethanol, 95% solution | String | Free-form description of the product. Product Ids | productIds | M | M | Non-empty set of URN; array of strings ( ":" ) | urn:gtin:4712345060507 | ProductIdSet | Non-empty set of product identifiers. Each value is supposed to uniquely identify the product. In Catena-X productId corresponds with Industry Core manufacturerPartId. Product Category | productCategoryCpc | M | O | String; UN CPC Code version 2.1;per default "011-99000" in Catena-X | 011-99000 | CpcCode | UN (United Nations) Product Classification Code (CPC - Central Classification Code) of a given product. WBCSD specific extension, which will probably be declared as "optional" in a later WBCSD specification version. In Catena-X for example specified with default value "011-99000". Product Trade Name | productNameCompany | M | O | String with 1 or more characters | My Product Name | NonEmptyString | Non-empty trade name of a product. In Catena-X productNameCompany corresponds with Industry Core nameAtManufacturer. (PCF) | | | | | | | (Unit Information) | | | | | | | Unit of measurement | declaredUnit | M | M | String; enumeration as specified by WBCSD plus "piece" for Catena-X | kilogram | DeclaredUnit | Unit of analysis of a product in context of the PCF. In Catena-X for example list of valid units includes "piece". Unitary Product Amount | unitaryProductAmount | M | M | Positive, non-zero decimal number | 1000.0 | StrictlyPositiveDecimal | Amount of units contained within a product in context of the PCF. Product Mass Per Declared Unit | productMassPerDeclaredUnit | M | M | Positive, non-zero decimal number | 0.456 | StrictlyPositiveDecimal | Mass of a product per declared unit (net, unpackaged) in context of the PCF. (PCF Assessment & Methodology) | | | | | | | (PCF Assessment Information) | | | | | | | (Boundary Specifications) | | | | | | | Exempted Emissions Percent | exemptedEmissionsPercent | M | M | Decimal number between 0.0 and 5 including | 0.0 | ExemptedEmissionPercent | Applied cut-off percentage of emissions excluded from PCF.For accordance with Catena-X PCF Rulebook (Version 3.0.0) <3%. Exempted Emissions Description | exemptedEmissionsDescription | O | O | Text; can be empty | No exemption | String | Rationale behind exclusion of specific PCF emissions. Packaging Emissions Included | packagingEmissionsIncluded | M | M | Boolean; can be "TRUE" or "FALSE" | TRUE | Boolean | The Catena-X PCF Rulebook (Version 3.0.0) requires to include packaging from a system boundary perspective. "FALSE" is only possible due to the application of the cut-off rule. Flag indicating whether packaging emissions are included in a PCF. WBCSD specific extension. (Technology) | | | | | | | Boundary Processes Description | boundaryProcessesDescription | O | O | Text | Electricity consumption included as an input in the production phase | String | Processes attributable to each lifecycle stage. (Geography) | | | | | | | Geography Country Subdivision | geographyCountrySubdivision | O | O | String; if defined must be ISO 3166-2 Subdivision Code | US-NY | GeographyCountrySubdivision | Subdivision of a country which must be an ISO 3166-2 subdivision code. Geography Country | geographyCountry | O | O | String; if defined must be an ISO 3166-2 alpha-2 code | FR | GeographyCountry | Two letter country code that must conform to data type ISO 3166CC. Region | geographyRegionOrSubregion | M | O | String with 1 or more characters; enumeration as specified by WBCSD plus "Global" and "Several" forCatena-X | Africa | String | Region according to list specified in Catena-X PCF Rulebook (Version 3.0.0). (Time) | | | | | | | Reference Period Start | referencePeriodStart | M | M | Time stamp; must be in UTC conforming to ISO 8601 | 2022-01-01T00:00:01Z | DateTime | Start of time boundary for which a PCF value is considered to be representative. Reference Period End | referencePeriodEnd | M | M | Time stamp; must be in UTC conforming to ISO 8601 | 2022-12-31T23:59:59Z | DateTime | End of time boundary for which a PCF value is considered to be representative. (PCF Methodology) | | | | | | | (Standards) | | | | | | | Cross Sectoral Standard | crossSectoralStandardsUsed:crossSectoralStandard | M | M | Object crossSectoralStandardsUsed: set of Cross Sectoral Standard entries.For each crossSectoralStandard: Enumeration "ISO 14067", "Pathfinder v1", "Pathfinder v2", "GHG Protocol Product Standard", "PAS 2050", "ISO 14040-44", "PEF", "Other" | GHG Protocol Product Standard | CrossSectoralStandardsUsedEnumeration | Discloses a cross-sectoral standard applied for calculating or allocating GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions. Operator or Publisher of Sector Specific Rules | productOrSectorSpecificRules:operator | M | M | Object productOrSectorSpecificRules; set of Product or Sector Specific Rule entries (each including Operator, Rule Names and Other Operator Name)For each operator: enumeration "PEF", "EPD International", "Other"; per default "Other" in Catena-X | Other | ProductOrSectorSpecificRuleOperator | Operator of PCR (Product Category Rule)/ PSR (Product Specific Rule). WBCSD specific extension, in Catena-X for example must always be "Other". Product or Sector Specific Rule Names | productOrSectorSpecificRules:ruleNames | M | M | Object productOrSectorSpecificRules; set of Product or Sector Specific Rule entries (each including Operator, Rule Names and Other Operator Name)For all rulenames: set of RuleName entries | urn:tfs-initiative.com:PCR:The Product Carbon Footprint Guideline for the Chemical Industry:version:v2.0 | NonEmptyString Vector | Non-empty set of rules applied by the specified operator. Other Operator Name | productOrSectorSpecificRules:otherOperatorName | O | O | Object productOrSectorSpecificRules; set of Product or Sector Specific Rule entries (each including Operator, Rule Names and Other Operator Name)For each otherOperatorName: Non-empty string | NSF | NonEmptyString | Other operator of PCR (Product Category Rule)/ PSR (Product Specific Rule). WBCSD specific extension, in Catena-X for example specified by a default value. (GWP Characterization Factor Details) | | | | | | | Characterization Factors | characterizationFactors | M | M | Enumeration "AR6", "AR5"; per default "AR6" in Catena-X | AR6 | CharacterizationFactors | IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) version of the GWP (Global Warming Potential) characterization factors used for calculating the PCF. WBCSD specific extension, in Catena-X for example specified by default with value "AR6". Default value can be overwritten. (Data Sources and Quality) | | | | | | | (Allocation in Foreground (Own Processes)) | | | | | | | Allocation Rules Description | allocationRulesDescription | O | O | Text; per default "In accordance with Catena-X PCF Rulebook" in Catena-X | In accordance with Catena-X PCF Rulebook | String | Allocation rules used and underlying reasoning in context of a PCF. WBCSD specific extension, in Catena-X for example specified by default with value "In accordance with Catena-X PCF Rulebook". Allocation Waste Incineration | allocationWasteIncineration | M | M | Enumeration "cut-off", "reverse cut-off", "system expansion"; per default "cut-off" in Catena-X | cut-off | AllocationWasteIncineration | Allocation approach used for waste incineration with energy recovery as specified by the TFS (Together For Sustainability) initiative. In Catena-X for example must be specified by value "cut-off". (Data Sources) | | | | | | | Primary Data Share | primaryDataShare | O* | O* | Decimal number in range of and including 0..100 | 7.183924 | Percent | Share of primary data in percent. Emission Factor Data Source | secondaryEmissionFactorSources:emissionFactorDS | M | M | Object; set of EmissionFactorDataSources | ecoinvent 3.8 | Set of strings, each with 1 or more characters | Emission factor data sources used to calculate a PCF. (Data Quality) | | | | | | | Coverage Percent | dqi:coveragePercent | O* | O* | Decimal number in range of and including 0..100; per default "100" in Catena-X | 100 | Percent | Percentage of PCF included in the data quality assessment based on the >5% emissions threshold. In Catena-X for example set to "100" per default. Technological DQR (Data Quality Rating) | dqi:technologicalDQR | O | O | Decimal number in range of and including 1..3 | 2.0 | DqiNumber | Technological representativeness of the sources used for PCF calculation based on weighted average of all inputs representing >5% of PCF emissions. Temporal DQR (Data Quality Rating) | dqi:temporalDQR | O | O | Decimal number in range of and including 1..3 | 2.0 | DqiNumber | Temporal representativeness of the sources used for PCF calculation based on weighted average of all inputs representing >5% of PCF emissions. Geographical DQR (Data Quality Rating) | dqi:geographicalDQR | O | O | Decimal number in range of and including 1..3 | 2.0 | DqiNumber | Geographical representativeness of the sources used for PCF calculation based on weighted average of all inputs representing >5% of PCF emissions. Completeness DQR (Data Quality Rating) | dqi:completenessDQR | O | O | Decimal number in range of and including 1..3 | 2.0 | DqiNumber | Completeness of the data collected for PCF calculation based on weighted average of all inputs representing >5% of PCF emissions. Reliability DQR (Data Quality Rating) | dqi:reliabilityDQR | O | O | Decimal number in range of and including 1..3 | 2.0 | DqiNumber | Reliability of the data collected for PCF calculation based on weighted average of all inputs representing >5% of PCF emissions. (Life Cycle Inventory Results) | | | | | | | (Production Stage) | | | | | | | PCF Excluding Biogenic | pcfExcludingBiogenic | M | M | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero | 2.0 | PositiveDecimal | PCF of a product excluding biogenic emissions. PCF Including Biogenic | pcfIncludingBiogenic | O* | O* | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit | 1.0 | Decimal | PCF of a product including biogenic emissions. Optional value in current specification version but will be mandatory in future version. Fossil Emissions | fossilGhgEmissions | O* | O* | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero | 0.5 | PositiveDecimal | Emissions from combustion of fossil sources. Identical to "pcfExcludingBiogenic", will be removed in later version. Biogenic Carbon Emissions Other Than CO2 | biogenicCarbonEmissionsOtherThanCO2 | O* | O* | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero | 1.0 | PositiveDecimal | GWP (Global Warming Potential) of biogenic CO2e-emissions in production phase which contain only GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions other than CO2 - excludes biogenic CO2. Biogenic Carbon Withdrawal | biogenicCarbonWithdrawal | O* | O* | Must be calculated per declared unit in kgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or less than zero | 0.0 | NegativeDecimal | Biogenic carbon content in the product converted to CO2e. Direct land use change Greenhouse Gas Emissions | dlucGhgEmissions | O* | O* | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero | 0.4 | PositiveDecimal | Direct land use change CO2e emissions in context of a PCF. Land use Greenhouse Gas Emissions | luGhgEmissions | O* | O* | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit | 0.3 | Decimal | Land use CO2 emissions in context of a PCF as specified by the TFS (Together For Sustainability) initiative. TFS specific extension. Aircraft Greenhouse Gas Emissions | aircraftGhgEmissions | O* | O* | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero | 0.0 | PositiveDecimal | GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions resulting from aircraft engine usage for the transport of the product. Packaging Greenhouse Gas Emissions | packagingGhgEmissions | O | O | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero | 0.0 | PositiveDecimal | Emissions resulting from the packaging of the product. WBCSD specific extension. In Catena-X not relevant to be reported separately. (Distribution Stage) | | | | | | | Distribution Stage PCF Excluding Biogenic | distributionStagePcfExcludingBiogenic | O | O | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero | 1.5 | PositiveDecimal | PCF for the distribution stage of a product excluding biogenic emissions. Distribution Stage PCF Including Biogenic | distributionStagePcfIncludingBiogenic | O | O | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit | 0.0 | Decimal | PCF for the distribution stage of a product including biogenic emissions. Distribution Stage Fossil Greenhouse Gas Emissions | distributionStageFossilGhgEmissions | O | O | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero | 0.5 | PositiveDecimal | Emissions from the combustion of fossil sources in the distribution stage. Distribution Stage Biogenic Carbon Emissions Other Than CO2 | distributionStageBiogenicCarbonEmissionsOtherThanCO2 | O | O | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero | 1.0 | PositiveDecimal | GWP (Global Warming Potential) of biogenic CO2e-emissions in distribution phase which contain only GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions other than CO2. Excludes biogenic CO2. Distribution Stage Biogenic Carbon Withdrawal | distributionStageBiogenicCarbonWithdrawal | O | O | Must be calculated per declared unit in kgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or less than zero | 0.0 | NegativeDecimal | GWP (Global Warming Potential) of biogenic CO2-withdrawal in distribution stage (biogenic CO2 contained in the product). Distribution Stage direct land use change Greenhouse Gas Emissions | distributionStageDlucGhgEmissions | O | O | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero | 1.0 | PositiveDecimal | Direct land use change CO2e emissions for the distribution stage in context of a PCF. Distribution Stage land use Greenhouse Gas Emissions | distributionStageLuGhgEmissions | O | O | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit | 1.1 | Decimal | Land use CO2 emissions for the distribution stage in context of a PCF as specified by the TFS (Together For Sustainability) initiative. TFS specific extension. Distribution Stage Aircraft Greenhouse Gas Emissions | distributionStageAircraftGhgEmissions | O | O | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero | 0.0 | PositiveDecimal | GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions for the distribution stage resulting from aircraft engine usage for the transport of the product. (Carbon Content) | | | | | | | Carbon Content Total | carbonContentTotal | O* | O* | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgCO2e / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero | 2.5 | PositiveDecimal | Total carbon content per declared unit in context of a PCF. Fossil Carbon Content | fossilCarbonContent | O* | O* | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgC / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero; per default calculated in Catena-X (Total - Biogenic) | 0.1 | PositiveDecimal | Fossil carbon amount embodied in a product. Must be calculated with kgC (kilogram Carbon) / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero; WBCSD specific extension, in Catena-X specified by a calculated value. Biogenic Carbon Content | biogenicCarbonContent | O* | O* | Must be calculated per declared unit withkgC / declaredUnit equal to or greater zero