Methodology

How is the Truecost score calculated?

A transparent, open, and challengeable calculation model. Every number can be traced to its original source.

In brief

  1. Measure five physicochemical values (carbon, water, land, waste, toxicity)
  2. Normalize each to planetary boundaries: score 100 = 1% of annual per-capita budget
  3. Weight and sum into a single Truecost score (0–100)
  4. Floor rule: if any dimension exceeds 80, the total score is at least 40

All weights, thresholds, and sources are open and challengeable.

Calculation process step by step

Using a 200 g beef patty as an example.

STEP 1 Absolute values in physical units E.g. beef patty (200 g): 12 kg CO₂e 3 080 liters 54 m²·year 0.05 kg waste 2 µDALY STEP 2 Normalization using planetary boundaries Score 100 = 1% of annual per-capita planetary budget 12 kg ÷ 9,5 kg = 100 3 080 L ÷ 3 840 L = 80.2 54 m² ÷ 51 m² = 100 Source: Fanning et al. (2024), Nature — per-capita planetary boundaries STEP 3 Weighted total score Carbon 35% Water 20% Land use 20% Waste 15% Tox. 10% 100×0.35 + 80.2×0.20 + 100×0.20 + 1.0×0.15 + 1.2×0.10 = 71.3 RESULT Truecost score + floor rule 71 0 = no impact 50 100 = very high Floor rule: if any dimension > 80 → total score at least 40

Why a single number?

ISO 14044 and the EU's PEF framework prohibit the use of a single weighted environmental score in public comparisons, because weighting "inevitably involves value choices".

Truecost openly challenges this. The sustainability discourse is broken precisely because people lack a single comparable number. Without it, 99% of the public cannot grasp the proportions. A transparent and challengeable single number is better than no number at all.

That's why we always show both: a single Truecost number as the headline and a five-dimension breakdown below it. You can always drill down to absolute values, formulas, and original sources.

Five dimensions

Normalization reference points are based on Fanning et al. (2024, Nature) per-capita planetary boundaries and Eurostat data.

Carbon Emissions
Weight: 35 %
Score 100 = 9.5 kg CO₂e
Annual budget per capita 950 kg CO₂e
Source Fanning et al. (2024), Nature — per-capita planetary boundary: 0.95 tCO₂/yr

Based on the carbon budget consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C, allocated equally across world population. The richest 10% currently exceed this by 1,700%.

Water Consumption
Weight: 20 %
Score 100 = 3840 liters
Annual budget per capita 384,000 liters
Source Fanning et al. (2024), Nature — per-capita planetary boundary: 384 m³/yr

Freshwater consumption including virtual water in supply chains. Includes green (rain), blue (surface/ground), and grey (dilution) water.

Land Use & Biodiversity
Weight: 20 %
Score 100 = 51 m²·year
Annual budget per capita 5,100 m² MSA-loss equivalent
Source Fanning et al. (2024), Nature — per-capita boundary: 0.51 MSA-loss ha/yr

Land use as proxy for biodiversity impact. MSA (Mean Species Abundance) loss measures how much land use reduces local species populations. Intensive cropland ≈ 0.7 MSA loss per hectare.

Waste & Material Footprint
Weight: 15 %
Score 100 = 5 kg
Annual budget per capita 500 kg waste
Source Eurostat (2022) — EU average municipal waste: 500 kg/person/year

No planetary boundary exists for waste. Reference based on EU average municipal waste generation. This is a known limitation — waste is a proxy for material throughput and circularity.

Toxicity & Health
Weight: 10 %
Score 100 = 162 µDALY
Annual budget per capita 16,200 µDALY
Source ReCiPe 2016 — world per-capita normalization: 0.0162 DALY/person/year

Disability-adjusted life years from environmental exposure. Hardest dimension to quantify at product level. Many items use qualitative estimates with explicit uncertainty notes.

Data confidence

Every absolute value receives a confidence rating and source reference. Confidence is displayed openly on the item page.

High
Peer-reviewed research, multiple sources, established figure
Medium
Reliable source, but significant variation range
Low
Estimate, limited data, explicit uncertainty
Page sections
Explainer video Calculation process Why a single number? Five dimensions Data confidence