How Ford (OEM), Flex (Tier1), and Micron (Tier2) lower costs and reduce emissions with PCF reporting

Calculating the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of automotive parts is often based on industry averages and assumptions due to missing primary data from supply chains. Multi-tier supplier structures, lack of a common defined methodology of calculation and often use a variety of non-compatible tools – resulting in isolated solutions. Each partner has to choose between investing heavily in custom integrations or accepting limited data quality.
The result: inaccurate PCF calculations, limited reduction potential, and duplicated efforts throughout the value chain.

Ford, Flex and Micron are addressing this challenge by adopting the Catena-X PCF data exchange standard in an ongoing pilot, with the goal of adding additional tiers to the same pilot before the internal go-live. All three companies chose certified Catena-X solutions – SAP’s SDX (FORD),  T-Systems’ Connect and Integrate  (Flex)  and Siemens’ SiGREEN (Micron).
Thanks to the technical interoperability and methodological alignment enabled by Catena-X and its PCF Rulebook, all partners are free to choose the solution that best fit into their IT landscape, while still ensuring seamless data exchange across tiers.

Through the Catena-X framework, Micron, as a Tier-2 supplier, securely provides primary PCF data to Flex, who incorporates it into its own calculations and passes on enriched, accurate values to Ford. This direct exchange of trustworthy, verified PCF data along the supply chain eliminates the need for estimations, secondary data, or manual data consolidation.
Each partner maintains data sovereignty while benefiting from a secure, standardized exchange process – fully aligned with Catena-X interoperability and security principles.

The implementation of the Catena-X PCF Use Case delivers significant business value:

• Access to Primary Data: All partners gain access to verified, primary PCF data, allowing for more precise carbon footprint calculations.
• Emission Data on the correct level: By relying on primary data instead of industry averages the PCF values have been reduced by 46%* compared to values based on industry averages – enabling targeted sustainability measures
• Multi-Tier Collaboration: For the first time, OEMs, Tier-1, and Tier-2 suppliers seamlessly exchange PCF data along the value chain – while using the IT solution of their choice.

This success story demonstrates that sustainability and business value go hand in hand when reliable, interoperable data exchange is enabled.

The collaboration between Ford, Flex, and Micron demonstrates the power of interoperable, open, and secure data exchange. Catena-X not only enabled multi-tiered PCF sharing but also enabled all partners to make true data-driven decisions and strategic plans, reduce costs by using standardized tools, and finally make sustainability measurable. Through freedom of solution choice and standardized collaboration, Catena-X lays the foundation for scalable and efficient decarbonization across the automotive industry.

* General key figure as the result of an internal case study and not related to this specific case