IEC Guide 109-2012 PDF

Full title and description

IEC GUIDE 109:2012 — Environmental aspects - Inclusion in electrotechnical product standards. Guidance intended for standards writers on how to consider environmental impacts of electrotechnical products when preparing product standards.

Abstract

IEC Guide 109:2012 provides practical guidance for standards writers to identify and address environmental aspects of electrotechnical products across their life cycle (raw materials, manufacturing, transport, use, end-of-life). It emphasizes life-cycle thinking, avoidance of provisions that could produce adverse environmental impacts, and the use of environmentally conscious design approaches in product standardization.

General information

• Status: Superseded — the 2012 third edition has been replaced by IEC Guide 109:2026 (Edition 4.0, published Feb 2026).
• Publication date: 14 June 2012 (third edition).
• Publisher: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
• ICS / categories: 13.020.01 — Environment and environmental protection in general.
• Edition / version: Edition 3.0 (2012).
• Number of pages: 33 pages (English/French bilingual publication).

Scope

Guide 109:2012 is aimed at technical committees and standards writers within the IEC (and other SDOs) who prepare electrotechnical product standards. It describes how to identify environmental aspects related to product inputs (materials, energy) and outputs (emissions, waste, hazardous substances) throughout the product life cycle and how to take these aspects into account when drafting normative requirements.

Key topics and requirements

• Life-cycle thinking: consider environmental impacts from raw materials to disposal and recycling.
• Material and energy inputs: identification of resource use and energy sources and their environmental consequences.
• Outputs and emissions: guidance on accounting for air emissions, water effluents, waste generation and hazardous releases.
• Avoidance of unintended adverse impacts arising from standard requirements (e.g., packaging, repairability, recyclability).
• Recommendations for aligning product standards with horizontal environmental standards and tools (use of glossaries, definitions, and horizontal IEC environmental publications).

Typical use and users

Primary users are IEC technical committees, standards writers, national committee experts, and industry stakeholders involved in drafting or reviewing electrotechnical product standards. The Guide is used to ensure environmental aspects are considered consistently and to support incorporation of environmentally conscious design principles into product standards.

Related standards

Related IEC and ISO publications include IEC Guide 108 (use of horizontal standards), IEC 62430 (environmentally conscious design), IEC 62542 (glossary for environmental standardization), and other horizontal environmental publications and ISO guides addressing environmental aspects in standards. IEC Guide 109 has historically been aligned with these horizontal documents to ensure consistency across product committees.

Keywords

environmental aspects; life-cycle; electrotechnical products; eco-design; standards writers; ACEA; environmental standardization; emissions; waste; recyclability.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: IEC Guide 109:2012 is a guidance document for standards writers on how to include and address environmental aspects in electrotechnical product standards.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers identification and consideration of material and energy inputs, outputs (emissions, effluents, waste), hazardous substances, and life-cycle related impacts; and it gives recommendations to avoid creating standard requirements that cause adverse environmental effects.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: IEC technical committees, national mirror committees, standards developers, and industry experts drafting or reviewing electrotechnical product standards use the Guide to ensure environmental considerations are integrated into product requirements.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2012 (3rd) edition is superseded: IEC Guide 109 has a 4th edition published in 2026 (IEC Guide 109:2026, Edition 4.0), which cancels and replaces the 2012 edition. Users should refer to the 2026 edition for the latest guidance.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is an IEC Guide (publication number 109) produced under the Advisory Committee on Environmental Aspects (ACEA) and is intended to be used alongside other IEC environment-related horizontal publications (e.g., IEC Guide 108, IEC 62430, IEC 62542).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Environmental aspects, life-cycle assessment/ thinking, eco-design, electrotechnical product standards, emissions, waste management, hazardous substances, ACEA.