AI-based Total-Carbon-Footprint for a low-carbon European manufacturing sector

Project Information

TCF - Tanso Total Carbon Footprint

Grant agreement ID: 190143516

DOI

10.3030/190143516

Project closed

EC signature date 9 February 2023

Start date 1 March 2023

End date 28 February 2025

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 4 234 903,75

EU contribution

€ 2 499 999,00

Coordinated by

TANSO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TCF - Tanso Total Carbon Footprint (AI-based Total-Carbon-Footprint for a low-carbon European manufacturing sector)

Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2025-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Today, European manufacturing companies face increasing pressure from regulations like CSRD, CBAM, EU Taxonomy, and CSDDD to report Scope 1-3 carbon emissions and product-level emissions. However, due to the fast-evolving regulatory landscape, diverse standards and methodologies, and complex value chains, accurately disclosing carbon values is highly challenging. The cost of non-compliance and inaccurate reporting is significant for both companies and the environment.

Currently, no tool on the market fully enables scalable, regulation-aligned carbon emissions reporting across entire value chains. Consequently, many mid-sized European manufacturers struggle to meet carbon requirements, lose supplier competitiveness, and risk critical global market shares — undermining the intended impact of EU regulations.

Our project addresses this gap. With Tanso’s software, manufacturing companies can calculate their full Scope 1-3 emissions, product emissions, and key corporate sustainability indicators at scale. This enables efficient compliance and supports meaningful decarbonization efforts. Our core Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) module is enhanced by the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) module, along with additional modules supporting CSRD, EU Taxonomy, and CBAM compliance. Tanso’s platform calculates product emissions and leverages synergies with corporate emissions data, applying our unique double-certified methodology aligned with ISO 14064 and ISO 14067.

By doing so, we help companies achieve regulatory compliance and drive efficient decarbonization, supporting the goals of both the EU Green Deal and the EU Clean Industrial Deal.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Extensive comparative research between standards and guidelines for PCF calculations was conducted to understand lifecycle stage scope, indicators, and geographic and sector relevance. Both general standards and sector-specific guidelines and PCRs were considered. This confirmed ISO 14067 as the key standard to focus on.

We assembled a climate intelligence team of carbon specialists to track regulatory changes, maintain emission factors, and develop communication materials. These experts aggregated, filtered, and harmonized >13,000 publicly available emission factors from scientific sources recognized by the industry and >18,000 commercially available ones. Harmonizing across temporal, geographical, and system boundaries resulted in a mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive database of >7,000 emission factors tailored to manufacturers. This includes an annually updated proprietary global dataset for national grid electricity consumption, with fuel source breakdowns for location-based accounting, plus residual mixes and regional district heating factors to improve accuracy.

As an MVP, we launched PCF STARTER, available from Q2 2023 to Q2 2024 to VDMA members. It covers key cradle-to-gate emission sources and is compatible with the VDMA PCF Guideline, GHG Protocol, and ISO 14067. Comparisons between PCFs calculated with PCF STARTER and ISO-certified tools and LCAs showed only negligible differences, validating the MVP’s reliability.

In Q2 2024, building on PCF STARTER learnings, we launched our in-app beta for PCF calculations, tested and refined with multiple customers. In parallel, we aligned our solutions with new regulations (CSRD, CBAM, EU Taxonomy), enabling customers to calculate and optimize CCF and PCF in compliance with evolving EU sustainability rules.

With regulatory shifts accelerating, we prioritized rapid feature delivery and iteration based on feedback. In 2023, our core software was TÜV-certified for GHG Protocol compliance (ISO 14064 equivalent). In 2024, this expanded to full Scope 1-3 ISO 14064 alignment. Our PCF methodology was certified under ISO 14067, and our information security systems under ISO 27001. These certifications show our commitment to excellence, relevance, and trust - and support commercialization.

Market introduction efforts were also completed: our team joined trade fairs for customer feedback, organized webinars, published content on carbon accounting and sustainability reporting, and drove direct sales.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The results of our EIC project that go beyond the state of the art are multifaceted.

Examples include:
• In less than 2 years, we developed our PCF module, achieved ISO 14067 certification, acquired first customers, and delivered quantifiable, competitive results.
• With our MVP, PCF STARTER, leading manufacturers like Heidelberger Druckmaschinen achieved very similar PCF results compared to a previously conducted LCA. Interest exceeded expectations, with more than 300 producing companies testing and providing feedback on the MVP.
• Now, with our ISO-certified PCF in-app solution, our customer FEP saves 67% time using Tanso for PCF calculation at scale.
• Thanks to our detailed emission factor database, expert team, and ability to leverage synergies between CCF and PCF, our customer Crespel & Deiters achieved 35% more accurate PCF calculations and saved 75% time on Scope 1-3 calculations.

Multiple AI features were incorporated into TCF, such as:
• Automated EF mapping for CCF and PCF uploads (Scope 3.1 and BOM)
• Automated impact, risk, and opportunity proposals
• Sample data generation from public reports

These features differentiate TCF from competitors and help customers reduce recurring effort, focusing on value-adding activities.

• Our team was invited as speakers and attendees to notable conferences and panels, including the World Economic Forum and a panel with Robert Habeck (then German Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Climate Action).
• The Fraunhofer Institute benchmarked us against >100 European carbon accounting and management software providers and ranked us among the top recommendations for industrial companies.
• Gyri Reiersen, Co-Founder & CPO, received the “Ethics in Electronics” award for her pioneering work in carbon accounting methodologies in the electronics industry.