The Climate Conscious rating is based on the concept of GHG intensity, developed to permit the comparison of an assessed product's carbon footprint over time to similar products, and to communicate the meaning of assessment results to consumers. For example, U.S. national GHG intensity is roughly 543 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) gas for every $1 of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) [1].

TCC is developing a sopisticated, hybrid economic input-output model capacble of readily estimating the GHG intensity of products in an economic sector. Using our model, we will compare the GHG intensity of an assessed product (calculated based on its retail value and carbon footprint) to the average intensity within the same economic sector.

For example, if our assessment attributes 1.3 kilograms of CO₂e emissions to an assessed product, and that product’s retail value is $5.00, its GHG intensity would be 260 grams of CO₂e gas for every $1 of product value.  If the average product in the same economic sector has a GHG intensity of 520 grams of CO₂e per $1 of product value, the assessed product’s GHG intensity could be normalized as 50% less than the industry average.  Thus, its Climate Conscious rating would be 50%.  To simplify this calculation for presentation to consumers, rated products will be labeled in intuitive tiers:

10-40%, Climate ConsciousTM Silver 41-70%, Climate ConsciousTM Gold 71% or greater, Climate ConsciousTM Platinum

Because the baseline of each sector's GHG intensity is dynamic, the Climate Conscious metric will remain progressive during the transition to a low-carbon economy.  In addition, by acknowledging economics, the metric promotes reduced GHG emissions without denying the realities of socio-economic well-being.