ColaCao Soluble Sobre

The carbon footprint of ColaCao Soluble Sobre is 0.03 kg CO2-eq per functional unit. This value represents the total greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout the entire product life cycle, from raw material extraction, through production, distribution, use, to end-of-life management. The calculation follows the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology and international ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards, ensuring rigorous and comparable results.

A life cycle assessment (LCA) is a standardized methodology that evaluates the environmental impacts of a product throughout all its stages: raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, and end-of-life. For ColaCao Soluble Sobre, with a carbon footprint of 0.03 kg CO2-eq, the LCA allows identifying phases with the greatest environmental impact, comparing design alternatives, making decisions based on scientific data, complying with environmental regulations, and transparently communicating environmental performance to consumers and stakeholders.

A carbon footprint of 0.03 kg CO2-eq equals the emissions generated by ColaCao Soluble Sobre throughout its entire life cycle. To put it in context: each kilogram of CO2-eq represents approximately the emissions from driving a standard car for 5-7 kilometers, or the carbon that a mature tree absorbs in several months. This indicator allows comparing climate impact between similar products, establishing quantifiable reduction targets, and evaluating progress toward carbon neutrality. It's the most internationally recognized metric for measuring the climate impact of products and services.

• Climate change
Impact caused by greenhouse gas emissions (such as CO₂, CH₄, or N₂O) that contribute to global warming and alterations in global climate patterns.

• Ozone depletion
Effect of emissions of substances (e.g., CFCs or halons) that destroy the stratospheric ozone layer, increasing ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth’s surface.

• Photochemical ozone formation
Formation of tropospheric ozone (“smog”) due to reactions between volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides under sunlight, affecting air quality and human health.

• Acidification
Emission of gases like SO₂, NOₓ, or NH₃ that transform into acids in the atmosphere, leading to acid rain and degradation of soils, forests, and aquatic ecosystems.

• Particulate matter formation
Release of fine particles (PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀) that remain suspended in the air, deteriorating air quality and contributing to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

• Eutrophication: freshwater
Excess input of nutrients, mainly phosphorus, into rivers and lakes, causing algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and ecosystem imbalance.

• Eutrophication: marine
Excess nitrogen in marine or coastal environments, leading to uncontrolled algal growth and loss of marine biodiversity.

• Eutrophication: terrestrial
Excess nitrogen deposition in terrestrial ecosystems, altering plant composition and reducing biodiversity.

• Ecotoxicity: freshwater
Toxic effects of chemical substances on aquatic organisms, impairing their survival, growth, or reproduction.

• Human toxicity: carcinogenic
Potential of certain chemicals or emissions to cause cancer in humans throughout the product life cycle.

• Human toxicity: non-carcinogenic
Adverse effects on human health (neurological, respiratory, endocrine, etc.) caused by exposure to non-carcinogenic substances.

• Ionising radiation: human health
Impact on human health due to exposure to ionising radiation from nuclear processes or electricity generation.

• Land use
Occupation, transformation, or degradation of land by human activities (agriculture, livestock, urbanization), affecting soil fertility and biodiversity.

• Water use
Consumption of water resources considering regional scarcity, competition among users, and ecological impacts.

• Energy resources: non-renewable, fossil
Consumption of fossil fuels such as oil, gas, or coal, leading to depletion of finite resources and emissions from their extraction and use.

• Material resources: metals/minerals
Extraction of metals and minerals from the Earth’s crust, considering limited availability and environmental impacts of mining activities.

To reduce the carbon footprint of ColaCao Soluble Sobre from the current 0.03 kg CO2-eq, it's essential to conduct a life cycle assessment that identifies critical impact points. General reduction strategies include: optimizing raw material use by selecting lower-impact alternatives, recycled materials, or renewable sources; improving energy efficiency across all processes and implementing renewable energy sources; reducing weight and optimizing design to minimize necessary material and resources; improving logistics through route optimization and more efficient transportation methods; designing for circularity facilitating repair, reuse, and recycling; extending product lifespan through greater durability. An LCA allows quantifying the potential impact of each improvement before implementation, prioritizing actions with the greatest environmental return.

Life cycle assessments are regulated by international standards that ensure scientific rigor and comparability. The main regulations are: ISO 14040:2006 - establishes LCA principles and methodological framework; ISO 14044:2006 - specifies detailed requirements and guidelines for conducting an LCA; PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) - methodology developed by the European Commission harmonizing environmental footprint calculations; ISO 14067:2018 - specific for product carbon footprint; GHG Protocol - standard for emissions accounting. The LCA of ColaCao Soluble Sobre (0.03 kg CO2-eq) follows these regulations, ensuring transparency, reproducibility, and scientific validity.

The carbon footprint of ColaCao Soluble Sobre (0.03 kg CO2-eq) measures only greenhouse gas emissions, i.e., a single impact category: climate change. A complete life cycle assessment (LCA) is much more comprehensive, evaluating 16 environmental impact categories including acidification, eutrophication, toxicity, resource use, ecotoxicity, among others. While carbon footprint answers "how much CO2 does it generate?", LCA answers "what is the total environmental impact?". A product can have a low carbon footprint but high impact on toxicity or water use, which is why a complete LCA is essential for environmentally responsible decisions and avoiding burden shifting between categories.

Trazable is an AI-powered LCA platform that delivers complete life cycle assessments in 5 minutes, instead of the weeks required by traditional methods. The platform automates inventory data collection, applies PEF characterization factors, evaluates 16 impact categories according to ISO 14040/14044, and generates results such as the 0.03 kg CO2-eq of ColaCao Soluble Sobre. It uses verified scientific databases (ecoinvent, ELCD), advanced algorithms to minimize errors, and allows evaluating alternative scenarios to identify improvements. It democratizes access to professional LCA without requiring advanced technical expertise, while maintaining scientific rigor and regulatory compliance.

A complete life cycle assessment report, such as that of ColaCao Soluble Sobre with 0.03 kg CO2-eq, must include several essential elements according to ISO 14040/14044: Goal and scope definition - functional unit, system boundaries, evaluated impact categories; Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) - input and output data for each process, information sources used; Impact assessment - quantified results of 16 environmental impact categories with applied methodology; Results interpretation - hotspot identification, phase contribution analysis, sensitivity analysis; Assumptions and limitations - uncertainties, justified exclusions, data quality; Improvement recommendations - identified opportunities for impact reduction; Methodological documentation - software used, databases, characterization factors. A transparent and complete report enables verification, comparison, and informed decision-making.

Communicating LCA results like the 0.03 kg CO2-eq of ColaCao Soluble Sobre to the general public requires translating technical data into understandable information: Use tangible comparisons - "equivalent to emissions from X km driving or Y trees for one year"; Contextualize with categories - not just climate change, explain that 16 environmental impacts are evaluated; Visualize hotspots - graphs showing which life cycle phase has greatest impact; Show improvements - compare with previous versions or similar products; Be transparent - explain methodology, limitations, and assumptions; Avoid greenwashing - present complete data without hiding negative impacts; Certifications - support with recognized labels (EPD, Carbon Trust, Cradle to Cradle). The key is honesty, clarity, and focus on concrete continuous improvement actions.