IEC TS 63058:2021

IEC TS 63058 ®
Edition 1.0 2021-01
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATION
SPECIFICATION
TECHNIQUE
colour
inside
Switchgear and controlgear and their assemblies for low voltage –
Environmental aspects
Appareillages et ensembles d'appareillages basse tension –
Aspects environnementaux
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from
either IEC or IEC's member National Committee in the country of the requester. If you have any questions about IEC
copyright or have an enquiry about obtaining additional rights to this publication, please contact the address below or
your local IEC member National Committee for further information.

Droits de reproduction réservés. Sauf indication contraire, aucune partie de cette publication ne peut être reproduite
ni utilisée sous quelque forme que ce soit et par aucun procédé, électronique ou mécanique, y compris la photocopie
et les microfilms, sans l'accord écrit de l'IEC ou du Comité national de l'IEC du pays du demandeur. Si vous avez des
questions sur le copyright de l'IEC ou si vous désirez obtenir des droits supplémentaires sur cette publication, utilisez
les coordonnées ci-après ou contactez le Comité national de l'IEC de votre pays de résidence.

IEC Central Office Tel.: +41 22 919 02 11
3, rue de Varembé info@iec.ch
CH-1211 Geneva 20 www.iec.ch
Switzerland
About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading global organization that prepares and publishes
International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.

About IEC publications
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC. Please make sure that you have the
latest edition, a corrigendum or an amendment might have been published.

IEC publications search - webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform IEC online collection - oc.iec.ch
The advanced search enables to find IEC publications by a Discover our powerful search engine and read freely all the
variety of criteria (reference number, text, technical publications previews. With a subscription you will always
committee, …). It also gives information on projects, replaced have access to up to date content tailored to your needs.
and withdrawn publications.
Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished
The world's leading online dictionary on electrotechnology,
Stay up to date on all new IEC publications. Just Published
containing more than 22 000 terminological entries in English
details all new publications released. Available online and
and French, with equivalent terms in 18 additional languages.
once a month by email.
Also known as the International Electrotechnical Vocabulary

(IEV) online.
IEC Customer Service Centre - webstore.iec.ch/csc
If you wish to give us your feedback on this publication or
need further assistance, please contact the Customer Service
Centre: sales@iec.ch.
A propos de l'IEC
La Commission Electrotechnique Internationale (IEC) est la première organisation mondiale qui élabore et publie des
Normes internationales pour tout ce qui a trait à l'électricité, à l'électronique et aux technologies apparentées.

A propos des publications IEC
Le contenu technique des publications IEC est constamment revu. Veuillez vous assurer que vous possédez l’édition la
plus récente, un corrigendum ou amendement peut avoir été publié.

Recherche de publications IEC - IEC online collection - oc.iec.ch
webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform Découvrez notre puissant moteur de recherche et consultez
La recherche avancée permet de trouver des publications IEC gratuitement tous les aperçus des publications. Avec un
en utilisant différents critères (numéro de référence, texte, abonnement, vous aurez toujours accès à un contenu à jour
comité d’études, …). Elle donne aussi des informations sur adapté à vos besoins.
les projets et les publications remplacées ou retirées.

Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished
Le premier dictionnaire d'électrotechnologie en ligne au
Restez informé sur les nouvelles publications IEC. Just
monde, avec plus de 22 000 articles terminologiques en
Published détaille les nouvelles publications parues.
anglais et en français, ainsi que les termes équivalents dans
Disponible en ligne et une fois par mois par email.
16 langues additionnelles. Egalement appelé Vocabulaire

Electrotechnique International (IEV) en ligne.
Service Clients - webstore.iec.ch/csc

Si vous désirez nous donner des commentaires sur cette
publication ou si vous avez des questions contactez-nous:
sales@iec.ch.
IEC TS 63058 ®
Edition 1.0 2021-01
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATION
SPECIFICATION
TECHNIQUE
colour
inside
Switchgear and controlgear and their assemblies for low voltage –

Environmental aspects
Appareillages et ensembles d'appareillages basse tension –

Aspects environnementaux
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 13.020.01, 29.130.20 ISBN 978-2-8322-9287-7

– 2 – IEC TS 63058:2021 © IEC:2021
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 5
INTRODUCTION . 7
1 Scope . 8
2 Normative references . 8
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 9
3.1 Terms and definitions . 9
3.2 Abbreviated terms . 15
4 Environmental aspects of switchgear and controlgear and their assemblies . 15
4.1 Product description and classification . 15
4.2 Environmental aspects . 17
5 Environmentally conscious design . 18
5.1 General . 18
5.2 "Cradle to grave" approach . 19
5.3 Inputs . 20
5.4 Outputs . 21
5.5 Qualitative and quantitative assessments. 21
6 PSR for life cycle assessments . 21
6.1 General . 21
6.2 LCA functional unit . 22
6.2.1 General . 22
6.2.2 LCA FU for low-voltage SG&CG . 22
6.2.3 LCA FU for low-voltage SG&CG assemblies . 26
6.3 Basic cut-off rules . 26
6.3.1 Cut-off rules for low-voltage SG&CG . 26
6.3.2 Cut-off rules for low-voltage SG&CG assemblies . 27
6.4 System boundaries . 27
7 Material declaration . 27
7.1 General . 27
7.2 Additional reporting requirements . 28
7.3 Information provision . 28
8 EOL information . 28
8.1 General . 28
8.2 End of life treatment scenario . 29
8.3 Calculation of recoverability and recyclability rate . 30
8.4 Calculation workflow of recoverability and recyclability rates . 31
8.5 Information provision . 31
Annex A (informative) Environmental aspects in environmentally conscious design . 32
A.1 General . 32
A.2 Inputs and outputs to be considered . 32
A.2.1 General . 32
A.2.2 Inputs . 32
A.2.3 Outputs. 32
A.3 Tools for including environmental impacts in product design and
development . 33
Annex B (normative) PSR parameters and default scenarios for LCA . 34

B.1 Common aspects . 34
B.1.1 General . 34
B.1.2 Manufacturing . 34
B.1.3 Distribution . 34
B.1.4 Installation and de-installation . 34
B.1.5 Use . 34
B.1.6 End of life . 35
B.2 PSR parameters and default scenarios for low-voltage SG&CG . 35
B.2.1 General . 35
B.2.2 Use scenarios for switchgear and controlgear . 35
B.3 PSR parameters and default scenarios for assemblies . 37
B.3.1 General . 37
B.3.2 Manufacturing phase of assemblies . 37
B.3.3 Use phase of assemblies . 37
Annex C (normative) LCA of low-voltage SC&CG and their assemblies through use of
standard impact indicators . 39
C.1 General . 39
C.2 Calculation rules . 39
C.3 Explanations for large mean deviations in standard life-cycle indicators . 40
C.4 Standard life-cycle impact indicators for low-voltage SG&CG . 40
C.5 Recommendations for use of LCA impact indicators . 41
Annex D (informative) Example of material declaration . 42
Annex E (informative) Brief introduction to life cycle assessment . 47
E.1 General . 47
E.2 Definition of the goal and scope of the LCA . 47
E.3 Inventory analysis . 47
E.4 Impact assessment . 48
E.5 Interpretation . 48
Bibliography . 49

Figure 1 – Overview of the defined product families of low-voltage SG&CG . 16
Figure 2 – ECD considering upstream and downstream product information . 17
Figure 3 – Conceptual relationship between provisions in product standards and the

environmental impacts associated with the product during its life cycle . 20
Figure D.1 – Main and business information (graphical representation of the XML
code) . 43
Figure D.2 – Product information (graphical representation of the XML code) . 44
Figure D.3 – Declarable substances information (graphical representation of the XML
code) . 45
Figure D.4 – Material classes information (graphical representation of the XML code) . 46

Table 1 – Overview of the standard structure, the content and the corresponding
clauses . 17
Table 2 – LCA FU for low-voltage SG&CG . 22
Table 3 – Further explanation of the generic EOL treatment scenario . 29
a
Table B.1 – Default use scenarios for switchgear and controlgear . 36
Table B.2 – Use scenarios for calculating impacts of assemblies . 37
Table B.3 – Default load conditions for typical circuits in assemblies . 37

– 4 – IEC TS 63058:2021 © IEC:2021
Table C.1 – Standard life-cycle impact indicators for low-voltage SG&CG . 40
Table D.1 – Main and business information (tabular form) . 42
Table D.2 – Product information (tabular form) . 43
Table D.3 – Declarable substances information (tabular form) . 44
Table D.4 – Material classes information (tabular form) . 46

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
SWITCHGEAR AND CONTROLGEAR AND
THEIR ASSEMBLIES FOR LOW VOLTAGE –

Environmental aspects
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as "IEC Publication(s)"). Their
preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with
may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence between
any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of patent
rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
IEC TS 63058 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 121: Switchgear and controlgear
and their assemblies for low voltage. It is a Technical Specification.
The text of this Technical Specification is based on the following documents:
Draft TS Report on voting
121/54/DTS 121/58A/RVDTS
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this Technical Specification is English.
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/standardsdev/publications.

– 6 – IEC TS 63058:2021 © IEC:2021
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
IMPORTANT – The 'colour inside' logo on the cover page of this publication indicates
that it contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct understanding
of its contents. Users should therefore print this document using a colour printer.

INTRODUCTION
Increasingly, there is a focus on preserving the natural environment for the good of future
generations. For this to be achieved, efficient use of energy and materials throughout the life
cycle of every product and process to conserve world's finite natural resources is essential. In
addition, release of substances and materials that might be harmful for the environment or
induce climatic changes are to be avoided or minimized. From conception to end of life of a
product, the environmental impact of all the relevant processes should be considered, including
how materials are disposed of or recovered for future use.
In order to contribute to conserving natural resources, manufacturers of low-voltage switchgear
and controlgear and their assemblies should ensure an environmentally conscious design
(ECD) involving:
• phasing-out or minimizing use of hazardous substances or materials;
• efficient use of energy and materials in the manufacture of products;
• ensuring the lowest practical energy consumption by the products while they are in use;
• at the end of product life, the possibility, as far as practical, of recycling materials for future
use, and sorting hazardous components requiring a specific treatment.
Declarations and ECD are increasingly required and in some instances mandated. These can
take several forms, for example, Type II or Type III environmental declaration, material
declaration (MD). In some business, Green Public Procurement (GPP) is applicable and/or ECD
is part of the ISO 14001 certification. Some countries and regions are also actively pushing for
environmental conservation, for example, the European Union through its Ecodesign Directive
and China through Ecodesign Initiative. Systematic demands for ECD will be required by most,
if not all customers, in the medium term.
Assessing the environmental impact of low-voltage switchgear and controlgear and their
assemblies is part of an ECD process. ECD requires the identification, measurement and
reporting of particular impacts. IEC 62430 describes the basic principles of ECD, with the goal
of reducing the potential environmental impacts of products.
Generally, the environmental impact of low-voltage switchgear and controlgear and their
assemblies is very low compared with that of the overall system into which they are incorporated
and the processes to which they contribute. The lifetime impact of processes such as the air-
conditioning of a building, the manufacture of steel or shipping far exceed that of the
manufacture and use of any associated low-voltage switchgear and controlgear.
Even though low-voltage switchgear and controlgear and their assemblies have a relatively
minor impact on the environment, there is a market need for appropriate methods for managing
these environmental matters. A simplified means of estimating the environmental impacts is
required together with readily available data to make the stakeholder's, for example
contractor's, installer's and end user's, task of assessing environmental impacts at system level
easier.
Specific rules for assessing the environmental impacts and providing appropriate data for low-
voltage switchgear and controlgear and their assemblies are among the purposes of this
document. These rules establish a common evaluation scheme of their environmental impacts
-equivalents, ozone depletion) over their
in terms of characterized impact indicators (e.g. CO
whole life cycle.
– 8 – IEC TS 63058:2021 © IEC:2021
SWITCHGEAR AND CONTROLGEAR AND
THEIR ASSEMBLIES FOR LOW VOLTAGE –

Environmental aspects
1 Scope
This document, which is a Technical Specification, provides guidance to manufacturers of low-
voltage switchgear and controlgear and their assemblies in evaluating and improving the
environmental impact of their products, and in enabling effective communication using common
references for environmental information throughout the supply chain.
This document provides:
– guidance on the process and general aspects to implement environmentally-conscious
product design principles, as given in IEC 62430, essential for low-voltage switchgear and
controlgear and their assemblies;
– the Product Specific Rules (PSR) for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA);
NOTE 1 The general methods and the process to execute the LCA are in accordance with ISO 14040 and
ISO 14044 but not addressed in this document.
NOTE 2 PSR and LCA can be used for quantitative ECD and also apply for some environmental declarations,
for example Type III.
– standard environmental impact data derived from case studies and a means of using them;
NOTE 3 This is to encourage manufacturers to apply more effective quantitative methods in the ECD process
to improve the environmental efficiency of their products.
– common rules for communicating information about the presence of regulated substances
and the materials contained in the product, according to IEC 62474;
– guidance on communicating information about the end of life treatment of the product.
NOTE 4 This document is intended to replace Annex O and Annex W of IEC 60947-1:2020.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 60050-904, International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV) – Part 904: Environmental
standardization for electrical and electronic products and systems (available at
www.electropedia.org)
IEC 61439-1:2020, Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies – Part 1: General rules
IEC 62430:2019, Environmentally conscious design (ECD) – Principles, requirements and
guidance
IEC 62474:2018, Material declaration for products of and for the electrotechnical industry
IEC 62474-DB , Material declaration for products of and for the electrotechnical industry
(available at http://std.iec.ch/iec62474)
—————————
"DB" refers to the IEC on-line database.

IEC TR 62635:2012, Guidelines for end-of-life information provided by manufacturers and
recyclers and for recyclability rate calculation of electrical and electronic equipment
ISO 14006, Environmental management systems – Guidelines for incorporating ecodesign
ISO 14021:2016, Environmental labels and declarations – Self-declared environmental claims
(Type II environmental labelling)
ISO 14025:2006, Environmental labels and declarations – Type III environmental declarations
– Principles and procedures
ISO 14040:2006, Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and
framework
ISO 14044:2006, Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and
guidelines
ISO 14044:2006/AMD1:2017
ISO 14044:2006/AMD2:2020
ISO 14045:2012, Environmental management – Eco-efficiency assessment of product systems
– Principles, requirements and guidelines
EN 45558:2019, General method to declare the use of critical raw materials in energy-related
products
EN 50693:2019, Product category rules for life cycle assessments of electronic and electrical
products and systems
Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook, Recommendations for Life Cycle Impact
Assessment in the European context. First edition November 2011. EUR 24571
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in IEC 60050-904 and the
following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
3.1.1
declarable substance group
group of substances included in the IEC 62474-DB at the date the material declaration is made
Note 1 to entry: Substance group is multiple CAS # (for example Lead compounds).
3.1.2
end of life
life cycle stage of a product starting when it is removed from its intended use phase
[SOURCE: IEC TR 62635:2012, 3.2, modified – Hyphens deleted in term, alternate term
deleted, "use-stage" replaced with "use phase".]
3.1.3
end of life treatment
operation after a waste has been handed over to a facility for product and product part reuse,
material recycling, energy recovery and residue disposal
Note 1 to entry: This includes dismantling, material separation and disposal.

– 10 – IEC TS 63058:2021 © IEC:2021
[SOURCE: IEC TR 62635:2012, 3.3, modified – Hyphens in term deleted, insertion of Note 1 to
entry.]
3.1.4
energy recovery
production of useful energy through direct and controlled combustion or other processing of
waste
Note 1 to entry: Waste incinerators producing hot water, steam and/or electricity are common means for energy
recovery.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-904:2014, 904-04-03]
3.1.5
environment
surroundings in which an organization operates, including air, water, land, natural resources,
flora, fauna, humans and their interrelation
Note 1 to entry: Surroundings can extend from within an organization to the local, regional and global system.
Note 2 to entry: Surroundings can be described in terms of biodiversity, ecosystems, climate or other
characteristics.
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.2.1, modified – "interrelationships" replaced with "interrelation"
in the definition.]
3.1.6
environmental aspect
element of an organization's activities or products that interacts or can interact with the
environment
Note 1 to entry: An environmental aspect can cause (an) environmental impact(s). A significant environmental
aspect is one that has or can have one or more significant environmental impact(s).
Note 2 to entry: Significant environmental aspects are determined by the organization applying one or more criteria.
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.2.2, modified – "or services" deleted in the definition.]
3.1.7
environmental claim
statement, symbol or graphic that indicates an environmental aspect of a product, a component
or packaging
Note 1 to entry: An environmental claim may be made on product or packaging labels, through product literature,
technical bulletins, advertising, publicity, telemarketing, as well as through digital or electronic media such as the
Internet.
[SOURCE: ISO 14021:2016, 3.1.4]
3.1.8
environmentally conscious design
systematic approach which considers environmental aspects in the design and development
with the aim to reduce adverse environmental impacts throughout the life cycle of a product
Note 1 to entry: Other terminology used worldwide with the same meaning includes ecodesign, design for
environment (DFE), green design and environmentally sustainable design.
[SOURCE: IEC 62430:2019, 3.1.1, modified – Abbreviated term "ECD" and Note 2 to entry
deleted.]
3.1.9
environmental declaration program
voluntary program for the development and use of Type III environmental declarations, based
on a set of operating rules (program instructions)
[SOURCE: ISO 14025:2006, 3.3, modified – "Type III" removed from the term and "(program
instructions)" added to the definition.]

3.1.10
environmental impact
change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partly resulting from an
organization's environmental aspects
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.2.4]
3.1.11
environmental declaration
claim which indicates the environmental aspects of a product or a service, for example a Type
II or a Type III environmental declaration or a product environmental footprint
Note 1 to entry: An environmental label or declaration may take the form of a statement, symbol or graphic on a
product or package label, in product literature, in technical bulletins, in advertising or in publicity, amongst other
things.
[SOURCE: ISO 14020:2000, 2.1, modified – First preferred term "environmental label" deleted
and "for example a Type II or a Type III environmental declaration or a product environmental
footprint" added.]
3.1.12
Type II environmental declaration
environmental declaration providing self-declared environmental claims according to
ISO 14021:2016
3.1.13
Type III environmental declaration
environmental declaration providing quantified environmental data using predetermined
parameters and, where relevant, additional environmental information
Note 1 to entry: For a Type III declaration, an environmental declaration program is used, including program
instructions and product category rules. The predetermined parameters are based on ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.
Note 2 to entry: The additional environmental information may be quantitative or qualitative.
[SOURCE: ISO 14025:2006, 3.2, modified – Note 1 to entry modified.]
3.1.14
environmental management system
part of the management system used to manage environmental aspects, fulfil compliance
obligations, and address risks and opportunities
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.1.2]
3.1.15
LCA functional unit
quantified performance of a product system for use as a reference unit
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.20, modified – Addition of "LCA" in term.]
3.1.16
standard data
secondary data applicable to a homogeneous product family as resulting from a study
3.1.17
specific data
data directly collected, measured or estimated for a specific product
3.1.18
hazardous substance
substance that can adversely impact the environment with immediate or retarded effect

– 12 – IEC TS 63058:2021 © IEC:2021
3.1.19
homogeneous product family
subgroup of a product family where the environmental aspects can reasonably be expected to
be similar and therefore scalable over the group through a function of certain parameter, for
example electrical ratings or weight
3.1.20
LCA report
accompanying document to the life cycle assessment as a basis to the environmental
declaration giving further detailed information about the inputs, outputs, used LCI-data and the
made assumptions in regard to this document
Note 1 to entry: The LCA report is not meant for external communication but has to be kept for justification proposes
in terms of environmental declaration verification or market surveillance.
3.1.21
life cycle
consecutive and interlinked stages of a product system, from raw material acquisition or
generation from natural resources to the final disposal
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.1]
3.1.22
life cycle assessment
compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental impacts of a
product system throughout its life cycle
[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.2, modified – Abbreviated term "LCA" deleted.]
3.1.23
life cycle inventory
inventory of flows from and to nature for a product system
Note 1 to entry: Inventory flows include inputs of water, energy, and raw materials, and releases to air, land, and
water.
Note 2 to entry: LCI according to the ILCD Guidelines are available in the Life Cycle Data Network (LCDN).
3.1.24
life cycle stage
element of a life cycle
EXAMPLE Raw material acquisition and production, manufacturing, packaging and distribution, installation and use,
maintenance and upgrading, and end of life.
Note 1 to entry: The phrase "life cycle phase" is sometimes used interchangeably with "life cycle stage".
3.1.25
material
substance or mixture of substances within a product or product part
[SOURCE: IEC 62474:2018, 3.15]
3.1.26
material class
defined classification of materials that are established in the referenced IEC 62474 database
for purposes of inventorying aspects of a product, such that no two classes contain the same
materials
[SOURCE: IEC 62474:2018, 3.16, modified – Deletion of the note to entry.]
3.1.27
organization
person or group of people that has its own functions with responsibilities, authorities and
relationships to achieve its objectives

[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.2.1, modified – Notes 1 and 2 to entry deleted.]
3.1.28
packaging
material that is used to protect or contain a product during transportation, storage, marketing
or use
Note 1 to entry: For the purposes of this document, the term "packaging" also includes any item that is physically
attached to, or included with, a product or its container for the purpose of marketing the product or communicating
information about the product.
[SOURCE: ISO 14021:2016, 3.1.13]
3.1.29
process
set of interrelated or interacting activities which transform inputs into outputs
Note 1 to entry: Inputs to a process are generally outputs of other processes.
Note 2 to entry: Processes in an organization are generally planned and carried out under controlled conditions to
add value.
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.4.1, modified – "that use inputs to deliver an intended result"
replaced with "which transform inputs into outputs", Notes 1, 3, 5 and 6 to entry deleted, Note 2
to entry shortened.]
3.1.30
product
goods or service
[SOURCE: ISO 14024:2018, 3.2]
3.1.31
product category
group of products that can fulfil equivalent functions
[SOURCE: ISO 14025:2006, 3.12]
3.1.32
product category rules
set of specific rules, requirements and guidelines for developing Type II/Type III environmental
declarations and/or for quantitative analysis within an ECD process, for one or more product
categories
[SOURCE: ISO 14025:2006, 3.5, modified – Abbreviated term "PCR" deleted, "Type II/" and
"and/or for quantitative analysis within an ECD process" added.]
3.1.33
product family
subgroup of a product category, technologically or functionally similar products
Note 1 to entry: Basic product families are defined by product standards in IEC 60947 (all parts). Further families
can be defined by the manufacturers.
3.1.34
program operator
body or bodies that conduct a Type III environmental declaration program
[SOURCE: ISO 14025:2006, 3.4, modified – Note to entry deleted.]
3.1.35
product specific rules
specific set of rules and requirements applicable to a product family, complementing product
category rules for life cycle assessment

– 14 – IEC TS 63058:2021 © IEC:2021
3.1.36
use phase
life cycle stage of a product starting when it has been put into service and finishing at end of
life
3.1.37
recycling
operation by which waste products are reprocessed into products, product parts, materials or
substances whether for the original or other purposes
Note 1 to entry: It includes the reuse, the reprocessing of material but does not include the energy recovery and
reprocessing into materials that are to be used as fuels or for back-filling operations.
[SOURCE: IEC TR 62635:2012, 3.16]
3.1.38
recyclability
ability of waste product to be recycled, based on actual practices
[SOURCE: IEC TR 62635:2012, 3.13]
3.1.39
recyclability rate
ratio of recyclable product mass to total product mass
[SOURCE: IEC TR 62635:2012, 3.14]
3.1.40
recovery
operation by which 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
Note 1 to entry: Recovery operations include recycling and energy recovery.
[SOURCE: IEC TR 62635:2012, 3.9, modified – Note 1 to entry added.]
3.1.41
recoverability
ability of a waste product to be recovered, based on actual practices
[SOURCE: IEC TR 62635:2012, 3.11]
3.1.42
recoverability rate
ratio of recoverable products, product parts, materials mass to total waste product mass
reprocessed
[SOURCE: IEC TR 62635:2012, 3.12]
3.1.43
substance
chemical elements and their compounds in the natural state or obtained by any production
process, including any additive necessary to preserve the stability of the product and any
impurities deriving from the process used, but excluding any solvent which may be separated
without affecting the stability of the substance or changing its composition
[SOURCE: IEC 62474:2018, 3.28]
3.1.44
raw material
primary or secondary material that is used to manufacture a product
Note 1 to entry: Secondary material includes recycled material.

[SOURCE: ISO 14040:2006, 3.15, modified – "produce" replaced with "manufacture".]
3.1.45
waste
material or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard
[SOURCE: IEC TR 62635:2012, 3.20]
3.1.46
reference lifetime
theoretical period of time for which the product is expected to be used according to a particular
set of conditions of use
Note 1 to entry: The reference lifetime is used for LCA calculation purposes only. It is not intended to provide
information about the minimum, average or actual duration of the useful life or the overall lifetime of the products.
3.2 Abbreviated terms
CAS chemical abstracts service
EEE electrical and electronic equipment
ECD environmentally conscious design
EOL end of life
EPD environmental product declaration
GPP green public procurement
GWP global warming potential
ILCD international life cycle data
LCA life cycle assessment
LCA FU LCA functional unit
LCDN life cycle data network
LCI life cycle inventory
LCIA life cycle impact assessment
MD material declaration
OHS occupational health and safety
PCR product category rules
PSR product specific rules
RLT reference life time
SG&CG switchgear and controlgear
4 Environmental aspects of switchgear and controlgear and their assemblies
4.1 Product description and classification
In a broad sense, switchgear are switching devices intended for use in connection with
generation, transmission, distribution and conversion of electrical energy in buildings and
industrial area. Controlgear are products for controlling various energ
...