Scheme (Framework)
The methodology-neutral rulebook: 12 scheme + 5 governance + 3 CAB + 3 annexes. Defines the floor; pathways operate above it.
Provider Pathways
Each provider's pathway annex documents its declared choices on the variation surface (A–E thresholds, benchmark, database, engine, gap-filling, QA method). Currently one applicant pathway (Eaternity EOS), preparing for the initial validation engagement.
Feedback & Complaints
Submit feedback or file a formal complaint about an environmental assessment issued under the EmpCo scheme.
Scheme Design Research
Which conformity-assessment standards were adopted or set aside and why, how the European conformity-assessment-body landscape was mapped, and how a conformity assessment body (CAB) can assess its own fit.
Scheme Documents
EmpCo Specification
The authoritative version is maintained in the public repository. The compiled PDF includes all 25 normative documents.
Framework PDF is the strict, methodology-neutral scheme. Framework + Pathway is the same framework with the Eaternity EOS applicant pathway annex appended — the actual submission document for the validation engagement (provider content, not normative framework). Both reflect the same underlying scheme version. The normative floor (§1.4.1) is aligned with Rulebook v1.1; framework-level changes follow the ESFC Working Group process, provider-corpus changes follow GOV-02.
Companion Documents (informative, non-normative)
The Technical Reference Card is a condensed reference of EmpCo scheme requirements — quick-lookup companion to the framework PDF. The Provider Onboarding Guide covers sector fit, simplification options, and the onboarding roadmap for providers preparing for certification. Both are informative companions; the framework PDF is authoritative.
How this version was designed
The standards-and-conformity-assessment research behind the scheme — which standards were adopted or set aside and why, and how a conformity assessment body can map its own fit.
Read the research
Document Map
| ID | Document |
|---|---|
| Scheme (EmpCo-01 to EmpCo-12) | |
| EmpCo-01 | Scope |
| EmpCo-02 | Normative References |
| EmpCo-03 | Terms and Definitions |
| EmpCo-04 | Rating Criteria |
| EmpCo-05 | Methodology |
| EmpCo-06 | Data Requirements |
| EmpCo-07 | Assessment Process |
| EmpCo-08 | Label Usage |
| EmpCo-09 | Non-Compliance |
| EmpCo-10 | Complaints & Appeals |
| EmpCo-11 | Surveillance |
| EmpCo-12 | Change Management |
| Governance (GOV-01 to GOV-06) | |
| GOV-01 | Open Access Policy |
| GOV-02 | Stakeholder Consultation |
| GOV-03 | Impartiality Policy |
| GOV-04 | Governance Structure (incl. Certification Committee charter) |
| GOV-05 | Certification Committee Rules of Procedure |
| GOV-06 | Scientific Review Process (Layer 1/2) |
| Conformity Assessment Body (VVB-01 to VVB-03) | |
| VVB-01 | CAB Requirements |
| VVB-02 | Engagement Team Competencies |
| VVB-03 | Engagement Methodology Companion |
| Technical Annexes | |
| Annex C | Data Quality |
| Annex D | Characterisation Factors (EF 3.1 / IPCC AR6) |
| Annex G | Trader Pass-Through Clauses |
| Annex F | Document History |
| Provider Pathways | |
| Template | Canonical PA-01..PA-08 structure for any pathway annex |
| eaternity-eos | Eaternity EOS pathway annex (applicant, v1.3.1-draft) · canonical source |
Annexes A (Rating Thresholds), B (Benchmark Data), and E (EOS Architecture) were moved to provider pathway annexes in v0.3.4-draft, since rating systems and calculation engines are provider-defined under the methodology-neutral framework. The previous content is preserved at git tag archive/v0.3.3-eaternity-monolithic.
Version History
| Version | Date | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5.14 | 2026-09-29 | Editorial | View |
| 0.5.13 | 2026-09-28 | Major (consultation to be opened) | View |
| 0.5.12 | 2026-09-23 | Minor | View |
| 0.5.11 | 2026-09-15 | Minor | View |
| 0.5.10 | 2026-09-03 | Editorial + Minor | View |
| 0.5.9 | 2026-08-18 | Minor | View |
| 0.5.8 | 2026-08-18 | Minor | View |
| 0.5.7 | 2026-08-06 | Correction | View |
| 0.5.6 | 2026-08-05 | Correction | View |
| 0.5.5 | 2026-08-04 | Major | View |
| 0.5.4 | 2026-07-29 | Minor | View |
| 0.5.3 | 2026-07-29 | Minor | View |
| 0.5.2 | 2026-07-25 | Minor | View |
| 0.5.1 | 2026-07-25 | Minor | View |
| 0.5.0 | 2026-07-21 | Minor | View |
| 0.4.1 | 2026-07-14 | Minor | View |
| 0.4.0 | 2026-07-08 | Major | View |
| 0.3.8 | 2026-06-16 | Minor | View |
| 0.3.7 | 2026-05-01 | Minor | View |
| 0.3.6 | 2026-04-28 | Minor | View |
| 0.3.5 | 2026-04-28 | Minor (superseded) | View |
| 0.3.4 | 2026-04-27 | Major | View |
| 0.3.3 | 2026-04-21 | Major | View |
| 0.3.2 | 2026-03-27 | Minor | View |
| 0.3.1 | 2026-03-07 | Non-subst. | View |
| 0.3.0 | 2026-02-06 | Major | View |
| 0.2.0 | 2026-02-06 | Major | View |
| 0.1.0 | 2026-02-06 | Initial | View |
Key Changes
- 0.5.11 (15 Sep 2026): Converged with ESFC Rulebook v1.1 (finalised 14 September 2026): first-cycle transition rule for the VVB (§2.5), provisional listing (§1.2.1), materiality for a rating (§11.4.5), level of assurance fixed as reasonable at validation and limited at annual verification (§11.5), one legend per claim surface (§8.2.5), effectiveness of suspension (§11.4.6), two-function contracting (GOV-04 §6.1)
- 0.5.10 (3 Sep 2026): Currency pass against the published PDF (title page, 22 per-document version stamps, superseded benchmark figures, consultation notice); Annex D.6.2 withdraws the AR5→AR6 materiality presumption
- 0.5.9 (18 Aug 2026): Cumulative materiality against the validation baseline (§12.4.4): both deltas published per release; a cumulative crossing is a major change with VVB approval before deployment and baseline reset on approval
- 0.5.8 (18 Aug 2026): Claim surface decoupled from assurance level: on-pack and shelf claims at any level, verified by sampling; Enhanced Assurance becomes an expressly ordered option
- 0.5.5–0.5.7 (Aug 2026): EF 3.1 leg of the floor adopted as pathway-declared LCIA under an AR6-generation guardrail; Daily Food Unit definition corrected and stated as operated, with the announced 2026 definition named
- 0.5.2–0.5.4 (Jul 2026): Legal position paper (scheme owner's own analysis, competition-law narrowing of GOV-01 §6.1); Layer-2 fixed question list extended to eight (reproducibility, quantified uncertainty); RFP bundle rev F dispatched, concordance re-anchored to Rulebook v0.4
- 0.5.0–0.5.1 (Jul 2026): Working-group convergence: transition registration, self-managed pathway, scientific review process; committee consolidated into one organ with two functions
- 0.4.1 (14 Jul 2026): Trader register, Certification Committee operationalised, applicant pathway, provider terms live
- 0.4.0 (8 Jul 2026): Rebuilt from ISO/IEC 17065 certification to ISO/IEC 17029 + ISO 14065 validation/verification (ISO 14067 product scope); VVB-01 to VVB-03 replace the certification-body documents; label licence from the Certification Committee plus VVB statements replace the CB certificate
- 0.3.x (Feb–Jun 2026): Assurance levels replace Score/Gastro and change management added (0.3.0); scheme ownership transferred to ESFC (0.3.3); methodology-neutral framework with provider pathway annexes (0.3.4); floor consolidated to EF 3.1, A–E rating and DFU (0.3.6); trader binding architecture (0.3.7); first working-group feedback round (0.3.8)
Methodology-neutral framework
Provider Pathways
Each organisation operating a calculation system used to produce environmental assessments under EmpCo submits a provider pathway annex declaring its choices on the variation surface (A–E thresholds, benchmark, LCI database, calculation engine, gap-filling logic, QA delivery method). The framework defines a normative floor — EF 3.1 LCIA method, DFU functional unit, A–E rating system, a declared system boundary with covered and excluded life-cycle stages disclosed, ISO 14044 cut-off, QA outcomes, change management — that is uniformly mandatory; provider pathways operate above it.
Governance note. The normative-floor items above (LCIA method, functional unit, rating system) are framework-level requirements aligned with the ESFC EmpCo Rulebook v1.1 (finalised 14 September 2026, adopted for pilot use). Any change goes through the ESFC Working Group process and GOV-02 stakeholder consultation.
Registered pathways
| Pathway | Provider | Status | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Eaternity EOS eaternity-eos · v1.3.1-draft |
Eaternity AG (Zurich, CH) Climate · DFU · A–E rating · EF 3.1 |
Applicant — in validation preparation | Overview · Annex PDF · EDB Changelog · Regression · Benchmark · Branch |
EmpCo-10
Feedback & Complaints
Any party with a legitimate interest may submit feedback or file a formal complaint. Acknowledgement within 5 business days, resolution within 30 calendar days.
Your submission has been received. We will respond within 10 business days for complaints, or at the next review cycle for feedback.
Something went wrong. Please try again or email compliance@esf-coalition.org directly.
| # | Action | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acknowledgement of receipt | 5 business days |
| 2 | Initial assessment and classification | 10 business days |
| 3 | Investigation | 20 business days |
| 4 | Response with findings | 30 calendar days |
| 5 | Corrective actions (if needed) | Per EmpCo-09 |
| 6 | Final closure notification | 10 business days |
Compliance: compliance@esf-coalition.org
Stakeholder Engagement: stakeholder@esf-coalition.org
Post:
European Sustainable Food Coalition
Attn: Compliance
(address available on request via esf-coalition.org)
EmpCo-11
Certification Status
Public certification information per Section 11.
Status
Pre-validation
Validity
Pending initial validation
EU Directive applies
27 Sep 2026
Conformity Assessment Body (CAB)
- Body
- Bureau Veritas Solutions Denmark A/S, Fredericia (DK)
- Engaged
- 14 September 2026 — methodology review (Function 1), contracted by Eaternity. Annual surveillance and sampling review (Function 2): contracted by ESFC as scheme owner.
- Engagement
- ISO 14064-3:2019, assessed against ISO 14067:2018 and the ESFC EmpCo Rulebook v1.1. Initial assessment at reasonable assurance, annual surveillance at limited assurance.
- Accreditation
- Under the Rulebook’s first-cycle transition clause (§2.4a). The statement is not issued under accreditation.
- Documents
- Declaration to customers (PDF, signed 15 September 2026) · assessment status on the pathway page
Trader register
Eaternity EOS pathway register (status counts; nightly signed export)
Scope of certification
Climate-impact claim verification (Sept 2026 release). Other indicators (water, nutrition, animal welfare, deforestation) may be operationally supported by individual provider pathways but are not in the scheme's validated/verified scope until added by major scheme change with ESFC member approval; no accredited verification scope currently exists for non-GHG indicators.
Are you a conformity assessment body (CAB)? The scheme is anchored on ISO/IEC 17029 + ISO 14065 with ISO 14067 product scope, with engagements under ISO 14064-3. Two routes are open to a body: accreditation for this scope under Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, or, during the first certification cycle, acceptance by ESFC under Rulebook §2.4a on the basis of a written demonstration of conformity to those standards. Why this route was chosen, how the European conformity-assessment-body landscape was mapped, and how your accreditation scope maps to EmpCo: Scheme Design Research and the CAB RFP context. The Rulebook is issued to bodies by the scheme owner. Expressions of interest: stakeholder@esf-coalition.org.
GOV-02
Stakeholder Consultation
Major changes require a minimum 60-day public consultation. All outcomes are archived here.
Consultation — closed 13 September 2026
Comment window closed: 15 July – 13 September 2026 (60 days). Outcome and adoption record: see the archive below.
Floor to guardrails — functional unit, LCIA method and rating shape as declared pathway choices
Major-change proposal (GOV-02 §5.2): the three method items of the §1.4.1 floor would become provider-declared choices behind hard guardrails (AR6-generation LCIA mandatory; on-label functional-unit disclosure + comparability classes, DFU as default and anchor; published thresholds/benchmark with an ambition floor for scheme-defined terms). ISO 14067 alignment stays on the floor. No floor item changes unless adopted; the first pathway's declarations are unaffected either way.
Read the proposal Submissions log (001: AR6 vintage hierarchy) Submit a commentConsultation Archive (release-by-release rationale, July–September 2026)
2026-09-29
v0.5.14-draft-vv — terminology: CAB replaces VVB throughout (ADR-0003); no change of substance. The assessing body is the conformity assessment body (CAB) in every document, as in the ESFC Rulebook, the Annex A/B templates and the engagement contract.
Editorial: the EmpCo-03 definition says that the CAB’s competence and independence rest on ISO/IEC 17029 + ISO 14065, by accreditation or under the first-cycle transition rule (§2.5, Rulebook v1.1 §2.4a). Document identifiers (EmpCo-VVB-01 to -03) and file paths are unchanged. Pathway annex 1.7.6-draft follows.
2026-09-28
v0.5.13-draft-vv — system boundary: the §1.4.1 floor item “cradle-to-grave” is replaced by a pathway-declared boundary consistent with ISO 14067 (cradle-to-grave or a partial CFP), with covered and excluded life-cycle stages declared and the excluded stages named in every claim’s supporting information (converged with Rulebook v1.1 §3.3.2, §9.3, §10.8).
Major (floor item): corrects a declared-vs-operated contradiction — the Eaternity pathway operates to the kitchen, not cradle-to-grave (annex 1.7.4, PA-07.4). §1.4 classifies this as a major change; the GOV-02 stakeholder consultation is to be opened — this change has not been consulted. No computational constant changed.
2026-09-23
v0.5.12-draft-vv — water-scarcity characterisation: §5.5.2 no longer mandates AWARE; a published, peer-reviewed, regionalised model cited by version is required, AWARE 2.0 named as reference model (method-neutral, as Rulebook v1.1 §10.4 for climate).
Minor: aligns the scheme wording with what the Eaternity pathway operates (Pfister 2009 WSI / Scherer 2016) and declares (AWARE 2.0 as next major change, annex 1.7.3). No computational constant changed.
2026-09-15
v0.5.11-draft-vv — convergence with ESFC Rulebook v1.1 (finalised 14 September 2026): first-cycle transition rule (§2.5, Rulebook §2.4a), provisional listing (§1.2.1), materiality for a rating (§11.4.5), level of assurance fixed (§11.5), one legend per surface (§8.2.5), effectiveness of suspension (§11.4.6).
Minor: six Rulebook items transferred verbatim in substance so the provider corpus and the scheme owner's text no longer differ. Known divergence carried, not resolved: eight vs. eleven Layer-2 questions (Scientific Committee item). Rulebook anchors on this page moved from v1.0 to v1.1.
2026-09-03
v0.5.10-draft-vv — currency pass against the published PDF (title page, 22 per-document stamps, superseded benchmark figures, consultation notice); Annex D.6.2 withdraws the AR5→AR6 materiality presumption; §1.4.1 floor formula corrected; claims stated as claims.
Editorial + Minor: the published artifact had drifted seven releases behind its sources; a scheme currency gate now fails the build on stale stamps. No computational constant changed.
2026-08-18
v0.5.9-draft-vv — cumulative materiality against the validation baseline (§12.4.4): both deltas published per release; cumulative crossing → major, VVB approval before deployment, baseline reset on approval. Editorial: canonical domain empco.eaternity.org; portal renamed to provider-disclosure identity; annex 1.6.9 (benchmark restated to the 2026-08 recalculation, current best)
Minor: closes the accumulation gap in release-over-release testing — successive sub-threshold releases can no longer drift beyond the validity conditions. Release cadence remains at the provider's discretion. Mirrors the §12.4 addition proposed to the ESFC Rulebook the same day. No floor item (§1.4.1) and no computational constant changed.
2026-08-18
v0.5.8-draft-vv — claim surface decoupled from assurance level: on-pack/shelf claims at any level, verified by sampling; Enhanced Assurance an expressly ordered option; surface covenants keyed to the claim surface (§1.2.2, §6.2, §8.2.2, Annex G); provider terms Anhang/Schedule E revised the same day; annex 1.6.6
Minor: the assurance level is a data-intake/QA property chosen by the participating company — no claim surface requires a particular level. At retail catalogue scale, sample-based verification (§11.4) is the designed route; per-product Enhanced intake is an option the trader orders, not an entry condition. Trader binding re-keyed to the two contractual forms (schedule / individual agreement), both level-independent; public listing keys to the Enhanced order or opt-in consent, with status confirmation as the verifiability route for on-pack claims at Standard Assurance. No floor item (§1.4.1) and no computational constant changed.
2026-08-06
v0.5.7-draft-vv — DFU stated as-operated; announced 2026 DFU definition named (2,000-kcal frame, 5,076 kJ, macro-stripped dry matter); annex 1.6.3
2026-08-05
v0.5.6-draft-vv — DFU definition corrected (one-day reference targets; canonical open-source implementation lci-dfu); pathway annex 1.6.1 synced
2026-08-04
v0.5.5-draft-vv — EF 3.1 leg of floor-to-guardrails adopted (LCIA pathway-declared under AR6-generation guardrail); Rulebook vocabulary on pathway surfaces
2026-07-29
v0.5.4-draft-vv — RFP bundle rev F (dispatch edition), concordance re-anchored to Rulebook v0.4, legal position paper v1.1
2026-07-29
v0.5.3-draft-vv — Layer-2 fixed question list extended six → eight (reproducibility, quantified uncertainty)
2026-07-25
v0.5.2-draft-vv — Legal position paper, competition-law narrowing, convergence fold-in
Minor: the legal foundation is self-resolved — the scheme owner's consolidated own analysis is published as legal-position-paper.md (not legal advice; no external counsel engaged): core question + 11 sub-questions with primary-source basis, confidence levels, counter-arguments and mitigations, including newly verified primary texts (Art. 2(p) label-contained exclusion; UWG Anhang Nr. 4a–4c; Horizontal Guidelines information-exchange paragraphs). GOV-01 §6.1 narrowed to applicant-facing fee transparency (competition-law discipline). Convergence delta D3 folded: hybrid provider–trader pathway (§1.2.7), trader-branded-label rule (§8.2.4), Annex G §G.2.9 (provider monitoring duties and their limits) and §G.2.10 (methodology-use consent). Concordance published: section-by-section Rulebook↔EmpCo mapping with precedence rule and delta register. No floor item (§1.4.1) and no computational constant changed.
2026-07-25
v0.5.1-draft-vv — Committee consolidation: one organ, two functions
Minor (governance): the Certification Committee absorbs the scheme's scientific function (criterion (ii) expert consultation — methodology floor, guardrails, Layer-2 question list, calibrations; recommendations to the scheme owner, submissions to GOV-02) alongside its licence function (criterion (iii), bright-line rule unchanged). Separation is procedural, not organisational; the scientific function is standard-setting, never pathway-specific conformity assessment. Composition rebuilt for independence: independent chair + ≥3 scientific/civil-society members, all meeting the chair's independence bar; provider/trader voting seats replaced by standing hearing rights — no commercially interested party ever votes on a licence (GOV-04 ch. 4; GOV-05 0.3.0 with new §9). Converged with the ESFC Working Group: the Rulebook's "Scientific Committee" and this organ are the same body — one recruitment, one chair. Also in this release window: RFP bundle rev B finalised and published as versioned documentation; GOV-02 consultation submissions log opened. No floor item (§1.4.1) and no computational constant changed.
2026-07-21
v0.5.0-draft-vv — WG convergence release: transition registration, self-managed pathway, scientific review process
Minor: convergence release adopting the ESFC Working-Group Rulebook's additions into EmpCo, each item verified against the European Commission's Q&A on Directive (EU) 2024/825 (June 2026 version) before adoption. (1) Transition registration (intent to certify, §1.2.6): 2+2 months, never consumer-facing, expressly no claim rights — the Directive provides no transition period; the registration documents reasonable-and-proportionate compliance efforts per the Q&A and the CPC Network's old-stock Common Understanding. (2) Self-managed pathway (§1.2.5): a trader with internal LCA capability acts as its own provider. (3) GOV-06 Scientific Review Process: Layer 1 framework alignment inside the accredited validation; Layer 2 fixed six-question review; recognition of existing reviews; reviewer-pool fallback with fee routing via the scheme owner. Hard role principle: the scheme owner administers, never assesses — the Q&A requires the scheme owner and the monitoring third party to be separate legal entities. (4) Two-tier claim-medium rule (§8.2.5): the claim and its scope qualifier must be legible on the medium itself; supporting information may sit behind a QR code (Q&A-confirmed sufficient for that tier). (5) Trader impact assessment on provider-licence suspension (§9.5.4): per-trader written decisions within 5 working days; old-stock measures before recall-level steps. (6) Annual scheme performance report + CAB↔VVB and Individual/Collective↔Enhanced/Standard terminology bridges. Fee wording aligned to the agreed ESFC position (published schedule outside the normative scheme, never gating). No floor item (§1.4.1) and no computational constant changed.
2026-07-14
v0.4.1-draft-vv — Operating-model refinements: trader register, Committee operationalised, applicant pathway, terms live
Minor: (1) the Standard Assurance public roster is replaced by an internal trader register with status confirmation on request — the portal publishes aggregate statistics per provider; traders may opt in to an individual entry; Enhanced Assurance traders remain individually listed (§1.5.2, Annex G §G.2.4). (2) The trader duty to furnish information becomes data-minimising: the provider first discloses the data it already holds under the trader's authorisation; the trader is asked only for the as-displayed claim form, evidence not previously submitted, and notice of authority inquiries (§G.2.3a). (3) The Certification Committee is operationalised: its charter is embedded in the scheme PDF (GOV-04 ch. 4) and complete rules of procedure are published (GOV-05 0.2.0 — collegium voting by majority of votes cast, acting-chair rule, written procedure, urgency ratification); the chair-independence bar is re-anchored on commercial interest in licence outcomes (whether or not an ESFC member) and the working language is English. (4) "Climate-friendly" is a defined rating term bound to the A rating (§8.3.1). (5) The Eaternity pathway annex is published as an applicant pathway at its canonical path (bundle renamed
empco-scheme-with-pathway.pdf). (6) The first provider's customer terms went live on 2026-07-14 implementing Annex G (register clause, acceptance by use). A new CI guard keeps the framework provider-neutral. No floor item (§1.4.1) and no computational constant changed.2026-07-08
v0.4.0-draft-vv — Validation/verification architecture (ISO/IEC 17029 route)
Major: the scheme's conformity-assessment architecture is rebuilt from ISO/IEC 17065 certification to an ISO/IEC 17029 + ISO 14065 validation/verification model (ISO 14067 product scope; ISO 14064-3 engagement process), anchored via the accreditation mechanism of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008. Document set: certification-body/ (CB-01 to CB-03) is replaced by verification-body/ (VVB-01 to VVB-03). Instruments: the CB certificate is replaced by a label licence issued by the scheme's Certification Committee plus validation and verification statements issued by the VVB; provider-level certification becomes provider-pathway validation, and annual surveillance becomes an annual verification engagement. Governance: a Certification Committee charter is added to GOV-04 — the Committee issues, suspends, and withdraws label licences acting only on VVB statements and findings. Decision basis: a 2026-07-08 accreditation-register review (at least 18 register-confirmed bodies — 16 DAkkS + 2 ACCREDIA (RINA, TÜV Italia; Certiquality a probable third), confirmed in the nine registers checked — hold ISO/IEC 17029 + ISO 14065 accreditation with explicit ISO 14067 product scope; no ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation with LCA/PCF scope was found in any register checked) together with the reading of Reg. 765/2008 as the EmpCo recital's second demonstration route. The legal foundation is being built in parallel — the recital and Commission FAQ are non-binding, and this summary is not legal advice. The methodological floor (§1.4.1: EF 3.1, DFU, A–E) is unchanged.
2026-06-16
v0.3.8-draft — WG feedback round (topic 312): standards positioning + clarifications
Minor: a working-group feedback round responding to the EmpCo proposal review. AR5 / input-data layer (§2.6.1 + new Annex D.6.0): AR5-era and literature-sourced input data are admissible when re-characterised to EF 3.1 and flagged in the evidence file; the EF 3.1 reporting floor is unchanged. Standards positioning: §2.5.3 documents the ISO/IEC 17011 accreditation chain (national accreditation body → 17065 CB → EmpCo certificate, per EmpCo Article r(iv)), and §2.5.4 classifies EmpCo as an ISO/IEC 17067 Type 6 scheme — certification of the provider's environmental-assessment process/service with ongoing surveillance, not per-product certification. §1.2.1 states provider-level certification as a systemic, up-front review with per-claim verification reduced to a data-flow check. §2.7 renamed "Data Sources" (Annex C cross-reference); reciprocal §12.5↔§11.4 coverage cross-references; future-scope labelling pass on non-climate indicators. No §1.4.1 floor item changed. Functional-unit B2B scoping and hierarchical system boundaries are tabled for a Working Group options paper, not edited here.
2026-05-01
v0.3.7-draft — Trader binding architecture, CB-03 reframe, leanness pass
Minor: Trader binding (§1.2.2, §8.2.1, §10.3.1.1, §11.4.6, new Annex G, new PA-10): the framework now distinguishes Enhanced Assurance (per-trader licence; individually listed) from Standard Assurance (provider-mediated AGB pass-through; aggregate listing) as the trader-binding architecture. New Annex G defines the model pass-through clauses any provider's customer terms must incorporate; new PA-10 of the pathway annex documents the implementation. Aligns with MSC Consumer-Facing Organisation and Fairtrade National Fairtrade Organisation licensee precedents. CB-03 reframed as informative companion per ISO/IEC 17065 §7.4 (CB defines its own evaluation procedure). Public regression display required on each pathway's verification page (§1.5.1 + §12.5.5). Leanness pass: §6, §7, §8, §11.4 trimmed by ~1,000 lines of pathway-implementation content moved to PA-04/PA-05/PA-07 of the pathway template (framework PDF -16%, ~127 pages). Illustrations cleaned of provider-specific tooling references; governance diagram redrawn as four-party model with trader-tier row. Working-group consultation continues (ESFC EmpCo Working Group, 6 May 2026 online event).
2026-04-28
v0.3.6-draft — Floor consolidated
Minor: the four-dimension recognised-options menu introduced in v0.3.5 is consolidated. LCIA method = EF 3.1, rating system = A–E, functional unit = DFU — all uniformly mandatory in §1.4.1. Claim type reframed as a Sept-2026 scope statement (Climate in scope; others operationally available, not certified). Framework regression-suite minimum added (≥ 300 items spanning ≥ 3 input cases). Companion documents added: Technical Reference Card and Provider Onboarding Guide.
2026-04-28
v0.3.5-draft — Modular floor (superseded)
Transitional. §1.4 was restructured around recognised-options menus for four dimensions (LCIA method, functional unit, rating system, claim type). On review the LCIA and rating-system menus opened abuse paths (AR6 raw without EF 3.1 sub-indicators; "none" rating for a consumer labelling scheme) and were rolled back in v0.3.6 the same day. The framework / pathway split, regression-suite-out-of-framework, portal-nav restructure, and PA-09 declared-choices table introduced in v0.3.5 are all retained.
2026-04-27
v0.3.4-draft — Methodology-neutral framework
Major: scheme generalised from describing one provider's calculation system to a methodology-neutral framework. Two-level certification model (provider + trader). Annexes A, B, E moved to provider pathway annexes. Provider pathway template (PA-01..08) introduced. Evidence file structure §6.5 added. Circulated to ESFC EmpCo Working Group.
2026-04-21
v0.3.3-draft — ESFC ownership; EF 3.1
Major: scheme ownership transferred from Eaternity AG to the European Sustainable Food Coalition (ESFC); Eaternity becomes the founding reference implementer. LCIA method updated from IPCC AR5 to Environmental Footprint (EF) 3.1 (built on IPCC AR6, EU PEF / Green Claims Directive aligned).
2026-03-27
v0.3.2-draft published
Minor: verbosity reduction in Sections 06/07/08; benchmark recalculated from 2026-03 data (3,728 g CO2eq/DFU, water 109.56 L/DFU); GitLab CI/CD pipeline; portal complaint form.
2026-03-07
v0.3.1-draft published
Non-substantive: layout fixes, transparency portal references. No consultation required.
2026-02-06
v0.3.0-draft published
Major: assurance levels, change management (EmpCo-12), outcome-based QA. Draft circulated to CB candidates.
2026-02-06
v0.2.0-draft published
Major: Gastro delivery mode. Internal review.
2026-02-06
Initial scheme (v0.1.0)
24 normative documents. CB engagement initiated.
Consultation Requirements
| Change type | Consultation |
|---|---|
| Major | 60-day public comment + 6 month notice |
| Minor | Stakeholder notification |
| Non-subst. | Published in changelog |
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Regression Test Suite
Every certified provider pathway maintains a regression test suite. Each release is validated against the suite to ensure changes do not materially alter assessment outcomes. The framework defines materiality thresholds; the suite size and composition are provider-declared (PA-07 in the pathway annex).
Rating category change threshold
≤ 2%
of test suite items may change rating. Exceeding triggers major classification (CAB re-validation required).
CO2eq impact change threshold
≤ 5%
of items may have >10% CO2eq/declared-FU change. Exceeding triggers major classification (CAB re-validation required).
Minimum test suite size
Provider-declared
Each pathway documents its suite size, composition, generation method, and CAB access in PA-07 of the pathway annex. Records retained 5 years.