Japan's Ministry Of The Environment Announces "Carbon Footprints Indication Guide"

1. Purpose and Background

On February 4, 2025, Japan's Ministry of the Environment released its "Carbon Footprints Indication Guide (this "Guide")¹. The expression "Carbon Footprints of Products" ("CFP") refers to the amount of greenhouse gases ("GHG") emitted throughout the entire life cycle of a product or service, from the procurement of the raw materials for the product or service to its disposal and recycling, converted into CO2 emissions and indicated on the product or on the system that dispenses it.

The purpose of this Guide is to encourage companies to indicate the CFP in a realistic and appropriate manner and to lead to changes in consumer behavior. The background to this is the lack of globally unified guidelines for the indication of CFPs, an insufficient understanding of CFPs among consumers, and a growing criticism of greenwashing, especially in Europe². Additionally, it is important for companies to note and to indicate the GHG emissions from