Version: 24.08

Glossary

Term	Definition	Source
Allocation	Partitioning the input or output flows of a process or a product system between the product system under study and one or more other product systems	DIN EN ISO 14040
Attributable process	Those processes that consists of all service, material and energy flows that become, make and carry a product throughout its life cycle.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Bio-based Materials	Material of biological origin (biomass excluding material embededded in geological formations and / or fossilised)	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy, doi:10.2777/172132, P. 9
Bio-based products	wholly or partly derived from materials of biological origin, excluding materials embedded in geological formations and/or fossilised.
Biomass	Material of biological origin, excluding material embedded in geological formations or transformed material of biological origin, excluding material embedded in geological formations or transformed to fossilized material and excluding peat	DIN ISO 14021
By-Product	Substance or object, resulting from a production process, the primary aim of which is not the production of that item, and does not constitute waste (as defined in Directive 2008/98/E on waste)	Art. 5 No. 1 WFD (Waste framework directive 2008/98/EC)
Biodiversity	Biological diversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part: diversity in species, between species and of ecosystems.	Art. 2 UN Convention on biological diversity; ESRS E4 (COM(2023) 5303 final
Carbon offsetting	Mechanism for compensatingfor a full PCF or a partial PCF through the prevention of the release of,reduction in, or removal of an amount of GHG emissions in a process outside the product system under study	DIN EN ISO 14067
CAS Number	a unique numerical identifier assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) to every chemical substance described in the open scientific literature. / Except for a small selection of most common substances released under CCBY-NC license the CAS numbers are a proprietary identification scheme to be licensed from CAS (USA)	CAS REGISTRY / CAS
Certificate of Decstruction	An official document issued in accordance with the minimum requirements set out by the European Commission's Decision of February 19, 2002. It confirms the proper disposal of an end-of-life vehicle and is required for vehicle deregistration.	2000/53/EC
Chain-of-Custody approach	A process by which inputs and outputs and associated information are transferred, monitored and controlled as they move through each step in the relevant supply chain. See Mass Balance for details	ISO 22095
Chemical Recycling	Chemical or feedstock recycling refers to the conversion of plastic polymers into their monomers or chemical building blocks or basic chemicals, i. e. depolymerisation by means of thermochemical or chemical processes, although there is currently no uniform, legally binding definition.	Background Paper pn Chemical Recycling - German Environmental Agency, Dec 2020
Circular Econamy	See chapter 3.1; but also “An ec economic system that uses a systemic approach to maintain a circular flow of resources, by recovering, retaining or adding to their value, while contributing to sustainable development	ISO/DIS 59004:2023(E)
Circular Economy Principles	The Circular Economy is based on three principles, driven by design: (i) eliminate waste and pollution; (ii) circulate products and materials at their highest value; and (iii) regenerate nature.	EFRAG-Draft ESRS (11/2022)
Carbon offsetting	Mechanism for compensatingfor a full PCF or a partial PCF through the prevention of the release of,reduction in, or removal of an amount of GHG emissions in a process outside the product system under study	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 18
Closed-loop recycling	In a closed loop, the secondary material from one product system is either reused in the same product system (real closed-loop) or used in another product system without changing the inherent technical properties of the material (quasi closed-loop).
CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent)	Unit for comparing the radiative forcing of a greenhouse gas to that of carbon dioxide	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p.20
component	part or small assembly of parts used as part of a larger assembly	Artikel 2 Begriffsbestimmungen 200053EG
Compostable	characteristic of a product, packaging or associated component that allows it to biodegrade, generating a relatively homogeneous and stable humus-like substance.	DIN ISO 14021
Consumer	Any natural person who, in contracts covered by this Directive, is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession	2011/83/EU on conusmer rights
Co-product	Any of two or more products comning from the same unit process or product system	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p.22
Cradle-to-gate PCF	Part of a product’s full lifecycle, covering all emissions allocated to a product upstream of a company plus all emissions resulting from processes within the company until the product leaves the suppliers' gate	WBCSD Pathfinder
Cut-off criteria	Specification of the amount of material or energy flow or the level of significance of GHG emissions associated with unit processor the product system, to be excluded from a PCF study	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019 p.24
Declared unit	Quantity of a product for use as a reference unit in the quantification of a Cradle-to-Gate PCF	adapted from DIN EN iso 14067
Degradable	A characteristic of a product or packaging that, with respect to specific conditions, allows it to break down to a specific extent within a given time.	DIN ISO 14021
Digital Twin	The Digital Twin is a virtual representation of assets and adheres to the following characteristics: The DT has at least one Catena-X-wide unique ID. Digital Twins are organized by a set of Aspects. The set can be extended over lifetime. An Aspect of a DT includes both structural as well as behavioral data and models (including operations and simulation models). The semantics of an Aspect can be described via semantic models A single Aspect can be connected to different heterogenous data sources (including behavioural models) The DT can represent asset types (e.g. virtual prototype of a car) and asset instances (e.g. real car) A DT can cover the whole asset lifecycle including (e.g. planning phase, production, sales, use and decommissioning phase). However, in practice there may be more than one twin with different IDs representing different lifecycle phases (e.g. a twin for types and multiple twins for instances). An asset can have more than one DT The DT represents current available information about an asset (synchronized at a specified frequency and fidelity) which can be leveraged for simulation and business process integration By using aspects the DT can reference other DT to express "part of" or "consists of" relations	Catena-X definition
Direct emissions	GHG emissions from the processes that are owned or controlled by the reporting company	WBCSD Pathfinder
Downstream emissions	Indirect GHG emissions that occur in the value chain following the processes owned or controlled by the reporting company	WBCSD PAthfinder
Durability	The ability of a product, component or material to remain functional and relevant when used as intended.	EFRAG - Draft ESRS (11/2022)
ecological assessment	compilation and evoluation of the inputs, outputs, and potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle	Artikel 2 Begriffsbestimmungen 200053EG
end-of-life	the point at which a product or component is taken out of use	Artikel 2 Begriffsbestimmungen 200053EG
end-of-life vehicle	vehicles that are considered waste under Article 1 letter a) of Directive 75/442/EC	Artikel 2 Begriffsbestimmungen 200053EG
End-of-waste	The end-of-waste state for waste in Europe is reached when the material is no longer considered waste under the national implementation of the Waste Framework Directive.	EN 15804
Functional unit	Quantified benefit of a product system for use as a comparison unit
Fossile Materials	Fossil raw materials are all raw materials derived from organic material. They incldude coal, crude oil and natural gas.	Bundesverband Geothermie
Global warming potential (GWP)	Index, based on radiative properties of GHGs, measuring the radiative forcing following a pulse emission of a unit mass of a given GHG in the present-day atmosphere integrated over a chosen time horizon, relative to that of carbon dioxide (CO2)	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 21
Greenhouse gases (GHGs)	Gaseous constitient of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorbs and emits radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the Earth´s surface, the atmosphere, and clouds	DIN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 19
ILCD Format	International Life Cycle Data Format
intermediate product	output from a unit process that is input to other unit processes that require further transformation within the system
input	product, material, or energy flow that enters a unit process. Products and materials include raw materials, intermediate products, and coproducts.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Land use	Human use or management of land within the relevant boundary	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019 p. 30
life cycle	consecutive and interlinked stages to a product, from raw material acquisition or generation from natural resources to final disposal.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019 p. 25
Life cycle assesment (LCA)	Compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 25
Life cycle emissions	The sum of GHG emissions resulting from all stages of the life cycle of a product and within the specified boundaries of the product	WBCSD Pathfinder
Life cycle inventory (LCI)	The phase of life cycle assessment involving the compilation and quantification of inputs and outputs for a product throughout its life cycle (such as a product´s GHG emissions and sources)	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 25
Life cycle inventory results	GHG impact of the studied product per unit of analysis	WBCSD Pathfinder
Mass	In physics, mass is not the same as weight. Mass is both a property of a physical body and a measure of its resistance to acceleration. For disambiguation see definition of "Weight" below
Mass Balance	Mass balance is one of several well-known chain of custody approaches that can be used to track the flow of materials through the value chain. The total quantity of the content in question is tracked through the production system and the allocation of this content is made to the end products based on verifiable accounting. The goal of this method is to ensure proper accounting and to confirm a link between the incoming content (e.g., "sustainable," "recycled," or "organic" according to some definition) and the eventual outgoing product.	https://www.basf.com/global/documents/de/sustainability/we-source-responsibly/Mass-Balance-White-Paper-2020.pdf
Material	Physical good used as input for production processes of goods or services, or physical good suppliedto a customer as output	adapted from WBCSD Pathfinder
Material / Raw Material	Materials are composed of basic substances, (1) either one or more chemical element(s) (like iron, copper) (2) or one or more chemical compound(s) (like acrylic resin, zinc oxide) (3) or one or more materials (like polyamide and glas fibre). Therefore, a material definition is only valid if a definition of (see chemical composition) is given alongside it.	Catena-X Definition, IMDS
Material Composition	see chemical composition	Own Catena-X definition
Material Declaration	Material declaration (MD) is the process mandated to meet the obligations placed on (automobile) manufacturers, and thus on their suppliers, by national and international standards, laws and regulations.	IMDS Information Pages - Home - IMDS Public Pages (mdsystem.com)
Material Details	Collection of material information defined by given context in an information model	Catena-X Definition
Material Identifier	Material Identifier is a alphanumerical identifier that serves programmatic functions (e.g., as data ID) but also satisfies chemical regulation (see material declaration) under national and international law.	Catena-X definition
Material Name	Trivial name (often name of a chemical group) used to denote some material in everyday speech or jargon. Entirely dependent on specific context.	Catena-X definition
Material Type	Groups of materials defined by convention (e.g., IMDS) or ISO Standard (e.g., ISO 62474) in order to simplify communication of relevance of material information (in search or filtering)	https://std.iec.ch/iec62474/iec62474.nsf/Index?open&q=180013
Mechanical Recycling	End-of-life materials can be processed via collecting, sorting, shredding, melting and transforming it into secondary raw materials for a new application. This form of recycling involves processes in which e.g. the polymer structure is not significantly changed and the plastic is preserved as a material. Thus, in terms of its complexity, mechanical recycling takes place at a lower technical level than chemical recycling.	Mechanical recycling (basf.com) Glossar und Methoden / Statistikportal.de
Multi-input-output unit process	Operation or process with multiple inputs, such as materials and energy, and multiple outputs, such as co-products and waste	WBCSD Pathfinder
Negative emissions	Removal of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the atmosphere by deliberate human activities, i.e., in addition to the removal that would occur via natural carbon cycle processes	IPCC glossary
Net negative emissions	A situation of net negative emissions is achieved when,as the result of human activities, more greenhouse gases are removed from the atmosphere than are emitted into it. Where multiple greenhouse gases are involved, the quantification of negative emissions depends on the climate metric chosen to compare emissions of different gases (such as global warming potential, global temperature change potential, and others, as well as the chosen time horizon).	IPCC glossary
Net zero CO2 emissions	Net zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are achieved when anthropogenic CO2 emissions are balanced globally by anthropogenic CO2 removals over a specified period. Net zero CO2 emissions are also referred to as carbon neutrality.	IPCC glossary
Net zero emissions	Net zero emissions are achieved when anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere are balanced by anthropogenic removals over a specified period. Where multiple greenhouse gases are involved, the quantification of net zero emissions depends on the climate metric chosen to compare emissions of different gases (such as global warming potential, global temperature change potential, and others, as well as the chosen time horizon).	IPCC glossary
Open-loop recycling	In open-loop recycling, the material is reused in other productsystems and its inherent properties are changed (e.g., recycled material may have a different chemical composition, a different structure or a higher concentration of dissolved impurities compared to primary material).
output	product, material, or energy flow that leaves a unit process. Products and material include raw materials, intermediate products, co-products, and releases.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Partial PCF	Sum of GHG emissions and GHG removals of one or more selected process(es) in a product system, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents and based on the selected stages or processes within the life cycle.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 16
Post-consumer Recyclate	Post-Consumer (PCR) recycled content represents the total proportion, by mass, of post-consumer input materials incorporated in the process.	SP-Recycled-Content-Definition-Final-09102021-1.pdf
Post-consumer material	Material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product which can no longer be used for its intended purpose. This includes returns of material from the distribution chain. Post-consumer material can be used in the form of recovered or recycled material as a substitute for primary material.	DIN ISO 14021
Pre-consumer Material	Material diverted from the waste stream during a manufacturing process. Excluded is reutilization of materials such as rework, regrind or scrap generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed within the same process that generated it. Pre-consumer material can be used in the form of recovered or recycled material as a substitute for primary material.	DIN ISO 14021
Primary data	Data pertaining to a specific product or activity within a company’s value chain. Such data may take the form of activity data, emissions, or emission factors. Primary data is site-specific, company-specific (if there are multiple sites for the same product) or supply chain–specific.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Primary Material	Raw material coming from the environment, as well as materials of differing stages of processing (Raw materials, semi- and finished goods), which are used in the production process for the first time.
Process	Set of interrelated or interacting activities that transforms inputs into outputs.	DIN EN ISO 14067, feb. 2019, p. 23
prevention	measures to reduce the quantity and environmental harm of end-of-life vehicles, their materials, and substances.
producer / Manufacturer	the vehicle manufacturer or the commercial importer of a vehicle into a EU Member State
product	a product refers to any goods or service, which can be categorized as services (e.g. transport), software (e.g. computer program, dictionary), hardware (e.g. engine mechanical part), and processed materials (e.g. lubricant). Services have both tangible and intangible elements. The provision of a service can involve activities such as repairing a customer-supplied tangible product (e.g. an automobile) or working on a customer-supplied intangible product (e.g. preparing a tax return using an income statement).
Product carbon footprint (PCF)	Total GHG emissions generated during the life cycle of a product, measured in CO2e. Within the boundary of the CX-PCF Rulebook, emissions related to the product use and end-of-life stages are excluded from the PCF.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Product category	Group of products that can fulfill equivalent functions.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Product category rules (PCR)	A set of specific rules, requirements, and guidelines for calculating PCFs (among other things) and developing environmental declarations for one or more product categories according to EN ISO 14040:2006.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Production	Process of combining various inputs, both material (such as metal, wood, glass, or plastics) and immaterial (such as plans, or knowledge) in order to create output.
product system	collection of unit processes with elementary and product flows, performing one or more defined functions, and which models the life cycle of a product	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 22
Production waste	Waste generated in different industries in connection with production and the opposite to consumption waste, which primarily comprise municipal waste and waste comparable to it.	Production waste/Concepts/Statistics Finland
R-Strategies	Various approaches to implement circular economy, known as R-strategies, have been developed to achieve less resource and material consumption in product chains and make the economy more circular.	Potting, J., et al. "Circular economy: measuring innovation in the product chain." Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving 2544 (2017).
raw materials	primary or secondary material that is used to produce a product. Secondary material includes recycled material.
Recovery	Any operation the principal result of which is waste serving a useful purpose by replacing other materials which would otherwise have been used to fulfill a particular function, or waste being prepared to fulfill that function, in the plant or in the wider economy.	Art. 3 (15) of directive 2008/98 EC
Recovered Material	Material that would have otherwise been disposed of as waste or used for energy recovery, but has instead been collected and recovered [reclaimed] as a material input, in lieu of new primary material, for a recycling or a manufacturing process.	DIN ISO 14021
Recyclate	Secondary raw materials that have been generated by means of the recovery of waste or are generated in the disposal of waste and are suitable for the production of products.
Recycled Content	Proportion, by mass, of recycled material in a product or packaging. The recycled content is the sum of pre-consumer material and post-consumer material.	DIN ISO 14021
Recycled Material	Material, that has been reprocessed from (reclaimed) material by means of a manufacturing process and made into a final product or into a component for incorporation into a product.	DIN ISO 1402
Recycling	Any recovery operation by which waste materials are reprocessed into products, materials or substances whether for the original or other purposes. It includes the reprocessing of organic material but does not include energy recovery and the reprocessing into materials that are to be used as fuels or for backfilling operations. ‘recycling’ means the reprocessing in a production process of the waste materials for the original purpose or for other purposes but excluding energy recovery. Energy recovery means the use of combustible waste as a means to generate energy through direct incineration with or without other waste but with recovery of the heat;	EFRAG – Draft ESRS (11/2022)
Reduce	Increase efficiency in product manufacture or use by consuming fewer natural resources and materials	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy, doi:10.2777/172131, p. 7
Reference flow	Measure of the inputs to or outputs from processes in a given product system required to fulfil the function expressed by the functional unit.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 24
Refurbish	Restore an old product and bring it up to date (to specified quality level)	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy, doi:10.2777/172131, p. 7
Refuse	Make product redundant by abandoning its function or by offering the same function by a radically different (e.g. digital) product or service	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy, doi:10.2777/172131, p. 7
Releases	tbd.
Remanufacture	Remanufacturing is a standardized industrial process by which a used product or part are returned to same-as-new, or better, condition and performance. The process is in line with specific technical specifications, including engineering, quality and testing standards. The process yields fully warranted products. Collecting discarded products or materials that can be refinished and sanitised to serve their original functions	CLEPA, European Environmental Agency - Eionet report ETC/WMGE 2021/10, P. 3
Renewable Energy	Energy from renewable sources’ or ‘renewable energy’ means energy from renewable non-fossil sources, namely wind, solar (solar thermal and solar photovoltaic) and geothermal energy, ambient energy, tide, wave and other ocean energy, hydropower, biomass, landfill gas, sewage treatment plant gas, and biogas.	Renewable Energy Directive (2018/2001)
Renewable materials	Material that is derived from resources that are quickly replenished by ecological cycles or agricultural processes, so that the services provided by these and other linked resources are not endangered and remain available for the next generation.	EFRAG – Draft ESRS (11/2022)
Repair	Repair and maintenance of defective product so it can be used with its original function	Link, ESPR Draft
Repurpose	Use a redundant product or its parts in a new product with different function	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy, doi:10.2777/172131, p. 7
Rethink	Make product use more intensive (e.g. through product-as-a-service, reuse and sharing models or by putting multi-functional products on the market)	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy Circular Economy, doi: 10.2777 / 172131, p. 7
Reuse	Reuse of a product which is still in good condition and fulfils its original function (and is not waste) for the same purpose for which it was conceived	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy, doi:10.2777/172131, p. 7
Reutilization	Reutilization of materials such as rework, regrind, or scrap materials generated within the process and capable of being reused within the same process that generated it. Any operation by which products or components that are not waste are used again for the same purpose for which they were originally intended. Reutilization allows waste to be reduced and materials can be kept in cycle.	Adapted from ISO 14021
Representative product	The representative product can be a real or an averaged (non-existing) product. The averaged product should be calculated based on sales-weighted characteristics of all technologies/materials used in the company’s production system.
Resource inflow	Resource that enters the organisation's infrastructure.	EFRAG – Draft ESRS (11/2022)
Resource outflow	Resource that leaves the organisation's infrastructure.	EFRAG – Draft ESRS (11/2022)
Reuse	Any operation by which products and components that are not waste are used again for the same purpose for which they were conceived. This may involve cleaning or small adjustments so it is ready for the next use without significant definition.	Art. 3 (13) of the Directive 2008/98/EC & EFRAG-Draft ESRS (11/2022)
Risk management	Plans, actions, strategies, or policies to reduce the likelihood and/or consequences of risks or to respond to consequences.	IPCC Glossary, p. 45
Secondary data	Secondary data can include data from databases and published literature, default emission factors from national inventories, calculated data estimates or other representative data, validated by competent authorities.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 28
Secondary Material	Secondary materials are any materials that are not the primary products from manufacturing and other industrial sectors. These materials can include scrap and residuals from production processes and products that have been recovered at the end of their useful life.	United States Environmental Protection Agency
Secondary Material Framework	Secondary Material Quota = on vehicle level, Secondary Material Content = on component level
Secondary Material Quota (on vehicle level)	not found
Secondary Raw Material	Material that serves as a substitute for primary material and is kept in cycle.
Secondary Raw Material Content	The content of materials that serve as substitutes for primary materials and are kept in cycle. The secondary raw material content is calculated in proportion of secondary material and product weight.
Supplier gate	Supplier's production site or supplier's distribution site.
Supply chain	Those involved, through upstream and downstream linkages, in process and activities relating to the provision of products to the user.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 28
Sustainability	A dynamic process that guarantees the persistence of natural and human systems in an equitable manner.	IPCC Glossary, p. 49
System boundary	Boundary based on a set of criteria representing which unit processes are a part of the system under study.	DIN EN ISO 14040, Feb. 2021, p. 13
Treatment	Activities carried out after the end-of-life vehicle is handed over to a facility for the elimination of pollutants, dismantling, coarse crushing, shredding, recycling or preparation for disposal of shredder waste, as well as other activities related to the recycling and/or disposal of end-of-life vehicles and end-of-life vehicle components.
Unit process	Smallest element considered in the life cycle inventory analysis for which input and output data are quantified.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 23
Upstream emissions	Indirect GHG emissions that occur in the value chain prior to the processes owned or controlled by the reporting company. All upstream transportation emissions are also included as part of upstream emissions.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Use stage	That part of the life cycle of a product that occurs between the transfer of the product to the consumer and the end-of-life of the product.	Adapted from WBCSD Pathfinder
Value chain	All the upstream and downstream activities associated with the operations of a company.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Vehicle	Vehicles of classes M1 or N1 according to Annex II Section A of Directive 70/156/EC and three-wheeled vehicles according to Directive 92/61/EC, however excluding three-wheeled motorcycles.
VIN	vehicle identification number	ISO 3779:2009-10
Waste	Materials, co-products, products, or emissions without economic value that the holder intends or is required to dispose of.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 26; WBCSD Pathfinder
Waste	Any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard.	Art. 3(1) of the Directive 2008/98/EC
Waste hierarchy	The waste hierarchy is the following priority order in waste prevention and management: (a) prevention; (b) preparing for re-use; (c) recycling; (d) other recovery, e.g., energy recovery; and (e) disposal.	Art. 4 (1) of the Directive 2008/98/EC
Waste Prevention	Waste prevention is any measure taken to ensure that a substance, material or article does not become a waste. It is used to reduce the amount of waste, the harmful effects of the waste on people and the environment, or the content of harmful substances in materials and articles.	Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz
Term	Definition	Source
-	-	-
Allocation	Partitioning the input or output flows of a process or a product system between the product system under study and one or more other product systems	DIN EN ISO 14040
Attributable process	Those processes that consists of all service, material and energy flows that become, make and carry a product throughout its life cycle.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Bio-based Materials	Material of biological origin (biomass excluding material embededded in geological formations and / or fossilised)	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy, doi:10.2777/172132, P. 9
Bio-based products	wholly or partly derived from materials of biological origin, excluding materials embedded in geological formations and/or fossilised.
Biomass	Material of biological origin, excluding material embedded in geological formations or transformed material of biological origin, excluding material embedded in geological formations or transformed to fossilized material and excluding peat	DIN ISO 14021
By-Product	Substance or object, resulting from a production process, the primary aim of which is not the production of that item, and does not constitute waste (as defined in Directive 2008/98/E on waste)	Art. 5 No. 1 WFD (Waste framework directive 2008/98/EC)
Biodiversity	Biological diversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part: diversity in species, between species and of ecosystems.	Art. 2 UN Convention on biological diversity; ESRS E4 (COM(2023) 5303 final
Carbon offsetting	Mechanism for compensatingfor a full PCF or a partial PCF through the prevention of the release of,reduction in, or removal of an amount of GHG emissions in a process outside the product system under study	DIN EN ISO 14067
CAS Number	a unique numerical identifier assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) to every chemical substance described in the open scientific literature. / Except for a small selection of most common substances released under CCBY-NC license the CAS numbers are a proprietary identification scheme to be licensed from CAS (USA)	CAS REGISTRY / CAS
Certificate of Decstruction	An official document issued in accordance with the minimum requirements set out by the European Commission's Decision of February 19, 2002. It confirms the proper disposal of an end-of-life vehicle and is required for vehicle deregistration.	2000/53/EC
Chain-of-Custody approach	A process by which inputs and outputs and associated information are transferred, monitored and controlled as they move through each step in the relevant supply chain. See Mass Balance for details	ISO 22095
Chemical Recycling	Chemical or feedstock recycling refers to the conversion of plastic polymers into their monomers or chemical building blocks or basic chemicals, i. e. depolymerisation by means of thermochemical or chemical processes, although there is currently no uniform, legally binding definition.	Background Paper pn Chemical Recycling - German Environmental Agency, Dec 2020
Circular Econamy	See chapter 3.1; but also “An ec economic system that uses a systemic approach to maintain a circular flow of resources, by recovering, retaining or adding to their value, while contributing to sustainable development	ISO/DIS 59004:2023(E)
Circular Economy Principles	The Circular Economy is based on three principles, driven by design: (i) eliminate waste and pollution; (ii) circulate products and materials at their highest value; and (iii) regenerate nature.	EFRAG-Draft ESRS (11/2022)
Carbon offsetting	Mechanism for compensatingfor a full PCF or a partial PCF through the prevention of the release of,reduction in, or removal of an amount of GHG emissions in a process outside the product system under study	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 18
Closed-loop recycling	In a closed loop, the secondary material from one product system is either reused in the same product system (real closed-loop) or used in another product system without changing the inherent technical properties of the material (quasi closed-loop).
CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent)	Unit for comparing the radiative forcing of a greenhouse gas to that of carbon dioxide	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p.20
component	part or small assembly of parts used as part of a larger assembly	Artikel 2 Begriffsbestimmungen 200053EG
Compostable	characteristic of a product, packaging or associated component that allows it to biodegrade, generating a relatively homogeneous and stable humus-like substance.	DIN ISO 14021
Consumer	Any natural person who, in contracts covered by this Directive, is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession	2011/83/EU on conusmer rights
Co-product	Any of two or more products comning from the same unit process or product system	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p.22
Cradle-to-gate PCF	Part of a product’s full lifecycle, covering all emissions allocated to a product upstream of a company plus all emissions resulting from processes within the company until the product leaves the suppliers' gate	WBCSD Pathfinder
Cut-off criteria	Specification of the amount of material or energy flow or the level of significance of GHG emissions associated with unit processor the product system, to be excluded from a PCF study	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019 p.24
Declared unit	Quantity of a product for use as a reference unit in the quantification of a Cradle-to-Gate PCF	adapted from DIN EN iso 14067
Degradable	A characteristic of a product or packaging that, with respect to specific conditions, allows it to break down to a specific extent within a given time.	DIN ISO 14021
Digital Twin	The Digital Twin is a virtual representation of assets and adheres to the following characteristics: The DT has at least one Catena-X-wide unique ID. Digital Twins are organized by a set of Aspects. The set can be extended over lifetime. An Aspect of a DT includes both structural as well as behavioral data and models (including operations and simulation models). The semantics of an Aspect can be described via semantic models A single Aspect can be connected to different heterogenous data sources (including behavioural models) The DT can represent asset types (e.g. virtual prototype of a car) and asset instances (e.g. real car) A DT can cover the whole asset lifecycle including (e.g. planning phase, production, sales, use and decommissioning phase). However, in practice there may be more than one twin with different IDs representing different lifecycle phases (e.g. a twin for types and multiple twins for instances). An asset can have more than one DT The DT represents current available information about an asset (synchronized at a specified frequency and fidelity) which can be leveraged for simulation and business process integration By using aspects the DT can reference other DT to express "part of" or "consists of" relations	Catena-X definition
Direct emissions	GHG emissions from the processes that are owned or controlled by the reporting company	WBCSD Pathfinder
Downstream emissions	Indirect GHG emissions that occur in the value chain following the processes owned or controlled by the reporting company	WBCSD PAthfinder
Durability	The ability of a product, component or material to remain functional and relevant when used as intended.	EFRAG - Draft ESRS (11/2022)
ecological assessment	compilation and evoluation of the inputs, outputs, and potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle	Artikel 2 Begriffsbestimmungen 200053EG
end-of-life	the point at which a product or component is taken out of use	Artikel 2 Begriffsbestimmungen 200053EG
end-of-life vehicle	vehicles that are considered waste under Article 1 letter a) of Directive 75/442/EC	Artikel 2 Begriffsbestimmungen 200053EG
End-of-waste	The end-of-waste state for waste in Europe is reached when the material is no longer considered waste under the national implementation of the Waste Framework Directive.	EN 15804
Functional unit	Quantified benefit of a product system for use as a comparison unit
Fossile Materials	Fossil raw materials are all raw materials derived from organic material. They incldude coal, crude oil and natural gas.	Bundesverband Geothermie
Global warming potential (GWP)	Index, based on radiative properties of GHGs, measuring the radiative forcing following a pulse emission of a unit mass of a given GHG in the present-day atmosphere integrated over a chosen time horizon, relative to that of carbon dioxide (CO2)	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 21
Greenhouse gases (GHGs)	Gaseous constitient of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorbs and emits radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the Earth´s surface, the atmosphere, and clouds	DIN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 19
ILCD Format	International Life Cycle Data Format
intermediate product	output from a unit process that is input to other unit processes that require further transformation within the system
input	product, material, or energy flow that enters a unit process. Products and materials include raw materials, intermediate products, and coproducts.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Land use	Human use or management of land within the relevant boundary	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019 p. 30
life cycle	consecutive and interlinked stages to a product, from raw material acquisition or generation from natural resources to final disposal.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019 p. 25
Life cycle assesment (LCA)	Compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 25
Life cycle emissions	The sum of GHG emissions resulting from all stages of the life cycle of a product and within the specified boundaries of the product	WBCSD Pathfinder
Life cycle inventory (LCI)	The phase of life cycle assessment involving the compilation and quantification of inputs and outputs for a product throughout its life cycle (such as a product´s GHG emissions and sources)	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 25
Life cycle inventory results	GHG impact of the studied product per unit of analysis	WBCSD Pathfinder
Mass	In physics, mass is not the same as weight. Mass is both a property of a physical body and a measure of its resistance to acceleration. For disambiguation see definition of "Weight" below
Mass Balance	Mass balance is one of several well-known chain of custody approaches that can be used to track the flow of materials through the value chain. The total quantity of the content in question is tracked through the production system and the allocation of this content is made to the end products based on verifiable accounting. The goal of this method is to ensure proper accounting and to confirm a link between the incoming content (e.g., "sustainable," "recycled," or "organic" according to some definition) and the eventual outgoing product.	https://www.basf.com/global/documents/de/sustainability/we-source-responsibly/Mass-Balance-White-Paper-2020.pdf
Material	Physical good used as input for production processes of goods or services, or physical good suppliedto a customer as output	adapted from WBCSD Pathfinder
Material / Raw Material	Materials are composed of basic substances, (1) either one or more chemical element(s) (like iron, copper) (2) or one or more chemical compound(s) (like acrylic resin, zinc oxide) (3) or one or more materials (like polyamide and glas fibre). Therefore, a material definition is only valid if a definition of (see chemical composition) is given alongside it.	Catena-X Definition, IMDS
Material Composition	see chemical composition	Own Catena-X definition
Material Declaration	Material declaration (MD) is the process mandated to meet the obligations placed on (automobile) manufacturers, and thus on their suppliers, by national and international standards, laws and regulations.	IMDS Information Pages - Home - IMDS Public Pages (mdsystem.com)
Material Details	Collection of material information defined by given context in an information model	Catena-X Definition
Material Identifier	Material Identifier is a alphanumerical identifier that serves programmatic functions (e.g., as data ID) but also satisfies chemical regulation (see material declaration) under national and international law.	Catena-X definition
Material Name	Trivial name (often name of a chemical group) used to denote some material in everyday speech or jargon. Entirely dependent on specific context.	Catena-X definition
Material Type	Groups of materials defined by convention (e.g., IMDS) or ISO Standard (e.g., ISO 62474) in order to simplify communication of relevance of material information (in search or filtering)	https://std.iec.ch/iec62474/iec62474.nsf/Index?open&q=180013
Mechanical Recycling	End-of-life materials can be processed via collecting, sorting, shredding, melting and transforming it into secondary raw materials for a new application. This form of recycling involves processes in which e.g. the polymer structure is not significantly changed and the plastic is preserved as a material. Thus, in terms of its complexity, mechanical recycling takes place at a lower technical level than chemical recycling.	Mechanical recycling (basf.com) Glossar und Methoden/Statistikportal.de
Multi-input-output unit process	Operation or process with multiple inputs, such as materials and energy, and multiple outputs, such as co-products and waste	WBCSD Pathfinder
Negative emissions	Removal of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the atmosphere by deliberate human activities, i.e., in addition to the removal that would occur via natural carbon cycle processes	IPCC glossary
Net negative emissions	A situation of net negative emissions is achieved when,as the result of human activities, more greenhouse gases are removed from the atmosphere than are emitted into it. Where multiple greenhouse gases are involved, the quantification of negative emissions depends on the climate metric chosen to compare emissions of different gases (such as global warming potential, global temperature change potential, and others, as well as the chosen time horizon).	IPCC glossary
Net zero CO2 emissions	Net zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are achieved when anthropogenic CO2 emissions are balanced globally by anthropogenic CO2 removals over a specified period. Net zero CO2 emissions are also referred to as carbon neutrality.	IPCC glossary
Net zero emissions	Net zero emissions are achieved when anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere are balanced by anthropogenic removals over a specified period. Where multiple greenhouse gases are involved, the quantification of net zero emissions depends on the climate metric chosen to compare emissions of different gases (such as global warming potential, global temperature change potential, and others, as well as the chosen time horizon).	IPCC glossary
Open-loop recycling	In open-loop recycling, the material is reused in other productsystems and its inherent properties are changed (e.g., recycled material may have a different chemical composition, a different structure or a higher concentration of dissolved impurities compared to primary material).
output	product, material, or energy flow that leaves a unit process. Products and material include raw materials, intermediate products, co-products, and releases.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Partial PCF	Sum of GHG emissions and GHG removals of one or more selected process(es) in a product system, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents and based on the selected stages or processes within the life cycle.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 16
Post-consumer Recyclate	Post-Consumer (PCR) recycled content represents the total proportion, by mass, of post-consumer input materials incorporated in the process.	SP-Recycled-Content-Definition-Final-09102021-1.pdf
Post-consumer material	Material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product which can no longer be used for its intended purpose. This includes returns of material from the distribution chain. Post-consumer material can be used in the form of recovered or recycled material as a substitute for primary material.	DIN ISO 14021
Pre-consumer Material	Material diverted from the waste stream during a manufacturing process. Excluded is reutilization of materials such as rework, regrind or scrap generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed within the same process that generated it. Pre-consumer material can be used in the form of recovered or recycled material as a substitute for primary material.	DIN ISO 14021
Primary data	Data pertaining to a specific product or activity within a company’s value chain. Such data may take the form of activity data, emissions, or emission factors. Primary data is site-specific, company-specific (if there are multiple sites for the same product) or supply chain–specific.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Primary Material	Raw material coming from the environment, as well as materials of differing stages of processing (Raw materials, semi- and finished goods), which are used in the production process for the first time.
Process	Set of interrelated or interacting activities that transforms inputs into outputs.	DIN EN ISO 14067, feb. 2019, p. 23
prevention	measures to reduce the quantity and environmental harm of end-of-life vehicles, their materials, and substances.
producer / Manufacturer	the vehicle manufacturer or the commercial importer of a vehicle into a EU Member State
product	a product refers to any goods or service, which can be categorized as services (e.g. transport), software (e.g. computer program, dictionary), hardware (e.g. engine mechanical part), and processed materials (e.g. lubricant). Services have both tangible and intangible elements. The provision of a service can involve activities such as repairing a customer-supplied tangible product (e.g. an automobile) or working on a customer-supplied intangible product (e.g. preparing a tax return using an income statement).
Product carbon footprint (PCF)	Total GHG emissions generated during the life cycle of a product, measured in CO2e. Within the boundary of the CX-PCF Rulebook, emissions related to the product use and end-of-life stages are excluded from the PCF.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Product category	Group of products that can fulfill equivalent functions.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Product category rules (PCR)	A set of specific rules, requirements, and guidelines for calculating PCFs (among other things) and developing environmental declarations for one or more product categories according to EN ISO 14040:2006.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Production	Process of combining various inputs, both material (such as metal, wood, glass, or plastics) and immaterial (such as plans, or knowledge) in order to create output.
product system	collection of unit processes with elementary and product flows, performing one or more defined functions, and which models the life cycle of a product	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 22
Production waste	Waste generated in different industries in connection with production and the opposite to consumption waste, which primarily comprise municipal waste and waste comparable to it.	Production waste / Concepts / Statistics Finland
R-Strategies	Various approaches to implement circular economy, known as R-strategies, have been developed to achieve less resource and material consumption in product chains and make the economy more circular.	Potting, J., et al. "Circular economy: measuring innovation in the product chain." Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving 2544 (2017).
raw materials	primary or secondary material that is used to produce a product. Secondary material includes recycled material.
Recovery	Any operation the principal result of which is waste serving a useful purpose by replacing other materials which would otherwise have been used to fulfill a particular function, or waste being prepared to fulfill that function, in the plant or in the wider economy.	Art. 3 (15) of directive 2008/98 EC
Recovered Material	Material that would have otherwise been disposed of as waste or used for energy recovery, but has instead been collected and recovered [reclaimed] as a material input, in lieu of new primary material, for a recycling or a manufacturing process.	DIN ISO 14021
Recyclate	Secondary raw materials that have been generated by means of the recovery of waste or are generated in the disposal of waste and are suitable for the production of products.
Recycled Content	Proportion, by mass, of recycled material in a product or packaging. The recycled content is the sum of pre-consumer material and post-consumer material.	DIN ISO 14021
Recycled Material	Material, that has been reprocessed from (reclaimed) material by means of a manufacturing process and made into a final product or into a component for incorporation into a product.	DIN ISO 1402
Recycling	Any recovery operation by which waste materials are reprocessed into products, materials or substances whether for the original or other purposes. It includes the reprocessing of organic material but does not include energy recovery and the reprocessing into materials that are to be used as fuels or for backfilling operations. ‘recycling’ means the reprocessing in a production process of the waste materials for the original purpose or for other purposes but excluding energy recovery. Energy recovery means the use of combustible waste as a means to generate energy through direct incineration with or without other waste but with recovery of the heat;	EFRAG – Draft ESRS (11/2022)
Reduce	Increase efficiency in product manufacture or use by consuming fewer natural resources and materials	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy, doi:10.2777/172131, p. 7
Reference flow	Measure of the inputs to or outputs from processes in a given product system required to fulfil the function expressed by the functional unit.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 24
Refurbish	Restore an old product and bring it up to date (to specified quality level)	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy, doi:10.2777/172131, p. 7
Refuse	Make product redundant by abandoning its function or by offering the same function by a radically different (e.g. digital) product or service	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy, doi:10.2777/172131, p. 7
Releases	tbd.
Remanufacture	Remanufacturing is a standardized industrial process by which a used product or part are returned to same-as-new, or better, condition and performance. The process is in line with specific technical specifications, including engineering, quality and testing standards. The process yields fully warranted products. Collecting discarded products or materials that can be refinished and sanitised to serve their original functions	CLEPA, European Environmental Agency - Eionet report ETC/WMGE 2021/10, P. 3
Renewable Energy	Energy from renewable sources’ or ‘renewable energy’ means energy from renewable non-fossil sources, namely wind, solar (solar thermal and solar photovoltaic) and geothermal energy, ambient energy, tide, wave and other ocean energy, hydropower, biomass, landfill gas, sewage treatment plant gas, and biogas.	Renewable Energy Directive (2018/2001)
Renewable materials	Material that is derived from resources that are quickly replenished by ecological cycles or agricultural processes, so that the services provided by these and other linked resources are not endangered and remain available for the next generation.	EFRAG – Draft ESRS (11/2022)
Repair	Repair and maintenance of defective product so it can be used with its original function	Link, ESPR Draft
Repurpose	Use a redundant product or its parts in a new product with different function	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy, doi:10.2777/172131, p. 7
Rethink	Make product use more intensive (e.g. through product-as-a-service, reuse and sharing models or by putting multi-functional products on the market)	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy Circular Economy, doi: 10.2777 / 172131, p. 7
Reuse	Reuse of a product which is still in good condition and fulfils its original function (and is not waste) for the same purpose for which it was conceived	European Commission, Categorisation System for the Circular Economy, doi:10.2777/172131, p. 7
Reutilization	Reutilization of materials such as rework, regrind, or scrap materials generated within the process and capable of being reused within the same process that generated it. Any operation by which products or components that are not waste are used again for the same purpose for which they were originally intended. Reutilization allows waste to be reduced and materials can be kept in cycle.	Adapted from ISO 14021
Representative product	The representative product can be a real or an averaged (non-existing) product. The averaged product should be calculated based on sales-weighted characteristics of all technologies/materials used in the company’s production system.
Resource inflow	Resource that enters the organisation's infrastructure.	EFRAG – Draft ESRS (11/2022)
Resource outflow	Resource that leaves the organisation's infrastructure.	EFRAG – Draft ESRS (11/2022)
Reuse	Any operation by which products and components that are not waste are used again for the same purpose for which they were conceived. This may involve cleaning or small adjustments so it is ready for the next use without significant definition.	Art. 3 (13) of the Directive 2008/98/EC & EFRAG-Draft ESRS (11/2022)
Risk management	Plans, actions, strategies, or policies to reduce the likelihood and/or consequences of risks or to respond to consequences.	IPCC Glossary, p. 45
Secondary data	Secondary data can include data from databases and published literature, default emission factors from national inventories, calculated data estimates or other representative data, validated by competent authorities.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 28
Secondary Material	Secondary materials are any materials that are not the primary products from manufacturing and other industrial sectors. These materials can include scrap and residuals from production processes and products that have been recovered at the end of their useful life.	United States Environmental Protection Agency
Secondary Material Framework	Secondary Material Quota = on vehicle level, Secondary Material Content = on component level
Secondary Material Quota (on vehicle level)	not found
Secondary Raw Material	Material that serves as a substitute for primary material and is kept in cycle.
Secondary Raw Material Content	The content of materials that serve as substitutes for primary materials and are kept in cycle. The secondary raw material content is calculated in proportion of secondary material and product weight.
Supplier gate	Supplier's production site or supplier's distribution site.
Supply chain	Those involved, through upstream and downstream linkages, in process and activities relating to the provision of products to the user.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 28
Sustainability	A dynamic process that guarantees the persistence of natural and human systems in an equitable manner.	IPCC Glossary, p. 49
System boundary	Boundary based on a set of criteria representing which unit processes are a part of the system under study.	DIN EN ISO 14040, Feb. 2021, p. 13
Treatment	Activities carried out after the end-of-life vehicle is handed over to a facility for the elimination of pollutants, dismantling, coarse crushing, shredding, recycling or preparation for disposal of shredder waste, as well as other activities related to the recycling and/or disposal of end-of-life vehicles and end-of-life vehicle components.
Unit process	Smallest element considered in the life cycle inventory analysis for which input and output data are quantified.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 23
Upstream emissions	Indirect GHG emissions that occur in the value chain prior to the processes owned or controlled by the reporting company. All upstream transportation emissions are also included as part of upstream emissions.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Use stage	That part of the life cycle of a product that occurs between the transfer of the product to the consumer and the end-of-life of the product.	Adapted from WBCSD Pathfinder
Value chain	All the upstream and downstream activities associated with the operations of a company.	WBCSD Pathfinder
Vehicle	Vehicles of classes M1 or N1 according to Annex II Section A of Directive 70/156/EC and three-wheeled vehicles according to Directive 92/61/EC, however excluding three-wheeled motorcycles.
VIN	vehicle identification number	ISO 3779:2009-10
Waste	Materials, co-products, products, or emissions without economic value that the holder intends or is required to dispose of.	DIN EN ISO 14067, Feb. 2019, p. 26; WBCSD Pathfinder
Waste	Any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard.	Art. 3(1) of the Directive 2008/98/EC
Waste hierarchy	The waste hierarchy is the following priority order in waste prevention and management: (a) prevention; (b) preparing for re-use; (c) recycling; (d) other recovery, e.g., energy recovery; and (e) disposal.	Art. 4 (1) of the Directive 2008/98/EC
Waste Prevention	Waste prevention is any measure taken to ensure that a substance, material or article does not become a waste. It is used to reduce the amount of waste, the harmful effects of the waste on people and the environment, or the content of harmful substances in materials and articles.	Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz

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This work is licensed under the CC-BY-4.0.

Copyright (c) 2023,2024 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. (represented by Fraunhofer IPK)

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