ATIEL &UEIL Joint Sustainability Committee


Position paper on avoided emissions and handprint methodologies in lubricants


and greases By the DownstreamWorking Group of the ATIEL&UEIL Joint Sustainability Committeei.


1. Executive context and intent WBCSD’s Avoided Emissions Guidance v2 1 represents an important step toward greater consistency, credibility, and comparability in the way avoided emissions claims are quantified and communicated. The lubricants and greases sector supports this objective and aligns with the need for robust, transparent frameworks that prevent overstated or misleading sustainability claims. Independent scientific and industry analyses indicate that lubricant-enabled efficiency improvements can contribute to measurable greenhouse gas reductions23. At EU level, these contributions are estimated to correspond to tens ofmillions of tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided annually, while tribology-related efficiency improvements may represent a significant mitigation potential at the scale of global energy systems. However, certain elements of Guidance v2 - particularly the treatment of efficiency gains in legacy technologies - risk unintentionally excluding real,measurable, and verifiable climate benefits23 already delivered across global systems today.


This position paper sets out the consolidated position of the European lubricants and greases industry - represented by ATIEL & UEIL - on the appropriate application of avoided emissions and handprint concepts. It aims to provide constructive clarification, highlight sector-specific considerations, and propose pathways to ensure that the guidance evolves in a way that recognises genuine climate contributions while maintaining high levels of methodological integrity. It aims to provide technical clarification and propose pathways for ensuring that methodological frameworks fully reflect the role of product-based efficiency enablers.


1World Business Council for Sustainable Development. (2025, July 24). Guidance on avoided


emissions v2.0: Drive innovations and scale solutions toward net zero. 2Woydt, M., Bock, E., Hosenfeldt, T., Bakolas, V., Luther, R., & Wincierz, C. (2023). Tribology in Germany: Effects of tribology on CO₂ emissions in the use phase of products—Contributions of tribology


to defossilization (Version 1). Gesellschaft für Tribologie e.V. 3 Hill,N., Parrett,M., Neiva, R., Hilton, G.,& Yucel, S. (2019, June 20). Lubricants' contribution to fuel economy: Final report for ATIEL EEIG (Ref. ED12057, Issue 3). Ricardo Energy & Environment.


Version 15.09.2026©ATIEL andUEIL Avoided Emissions & Handprint in the Lubricants and Greases Sector


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