Rubber — Natural
Materials Medium Confidence
Carbon Cost Index Score
3 kgCO₂e / per kg
Per kg
3 kgCO₂e / kg
Methodology v1.0 · Last reviewed 2026-04-08
Scope Breakdown
| Scope | kgCO₂e | % of Total | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 | 0.3 | 10% | |
| Scope 2 | 0.2 | 7% | |
| Scope 3 | 2.5 | 83% | |
| Total | 3 | 100% |
Emission Hotspots
| Emission Hotspot | Scope | Est. % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Rubber plantation establishment and land-use change | S3 | 35% |
| Sheet rubber or block rubber processing (smoking, drying) | S1 | 18% |
| Fertilizer and agrochemical inputs | S3 | 18% |
| Latex tapping, collection, and coagulation | S3 | 15% |
| Transport (plantation to processor to manufacturer) | S3 | 14% |
Manufacturing Geography
- Region
- Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, China (processing)
- Grid Intensity
- 480 gCO2e/kWh (IEA 2024, Vietnam); 565 gCO2e/kWh (IEA 2024, China)
Material Composition Assumptions
The default reference product is 1 kg of technically specified rubber (TSR 20) or ribbed smoked sheet (RSS) natural rubber:
- Hevea brasiliensis latex: Collected by tapping rubber trees on plantations (7-year maturation before tapping). Latex is ~30% dry rubber content; the remainder is serum (water and proteins).
- Processing: Latex is coagulated with formic acid, sheeted on mills, and either smoked (RSS) or crumbed and dried (TSR/block rubber). Smoking uses fuelwood, contributing to Scope 1 emissions.
- Plantation inputs: Fertilizers (NPK), herbicides, and fungicides. Mature rubber plantations produce approximately 1.2-1.8 tonnes of dry rubber per hectare per year.
Natural rubber accounts for approximately 46% of global rubber consumption (~14 million tonnes/year). It remains irreplaceable for high-performance applications (truck tires, aircraft tires, surgical gloves) due to superior elasticity and fatigue resistance.
Manufacturing Geography
Natural rubber production is concentrated in Southeast Asia:
- Thailand: ~35% of global production, world’s largest producer and exporter.
- Indonesia: ~25%, second-largest producer.
- Vietnam: ~8%, rapidly growing.
- China: ~6% of production but largest consumer. Major processing hub for imported latex.
- Rationale: Rubber processing is thermal-dominated (smoking/drying) with relatively low electricity inputs. Land-use change from tropical forest to rubber plantation is a significant but highly variable emissions factor.
Regional Variation
| Source Region | Land-Use Risk | Estimated Score (per kg) | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand (default) | Moderate | 3.0 kgCO2e | Baseline |
| Indonesia | High (deforestation) | 3.5-5.0 kgCO2e | +20 to +70% |
| Vietnam | Moderate-High | 3.0-3.5 kgCO2e | 0 to +17% |
| Sri Lanka/India | Low (mature plantations) | 2.0-2.5 kgCO2e | -25% |
| Guatemala/Ivory Coast | Variable | 2.5-4.0 kgCO2e | Variable |
Provenance Override Guidance
- FSC or PEFC certification for the rubber plantation source.
- Deforestation-free verified supply chain (no land-use change from primary forest after a cutoff date).
- Plantation-level data: Fertilizer application rates, yield data, and processing energy.
- GPSNR (Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber) membership and reporting.
Methodology Notes
- CCI score of 3 kgCO2e/kg is a conservative estimate consistent with Jawjit et al. (2010) range of 2.5-3.5 kgCO2e/kg for RSS from Thai plantations.
- Scope breakdown: Scope 3 at 83% (2.5 kgCO2e/kg), Scope 1 at 10% (0.3 kgCO2e/kg), Scope 2 at 7% (0.2 kgCO2e/kg).
- Confidence: Medium — published LCA data exists but land-use change emissions vary enormously (0 for mature plantations to >10 kgCO2e/kg for recent forest conversion).
- Functional unit: 1 kg of TSR 20 or RSS natural rubber, cradle to gate.
- Biogenic carbon: Rubber trees sequester CO2 during growth. Biogenic carbon in the product is reported separately per standard LCA conventions.
Related Concepts
Related Categories
Sources
- Jawjit et al. (2010) — Life cycle assessment of natural rubber production in Thailand. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 15, 814-823. Reports 2.5-3.5 kgCO2e/kg for ribbed smoked sheet (RSS) natural rubber including plantation inputs.
- Boonkum et al. (2020) — Carbon footprint of natural rubber production from smallholdings in Southern Thailand. Journal of Cleaner Production, 269, 122-277. Confirms range of 2.0-3.5 kgCO2e/kg depending on land-use change inclusion.
- IRSG (2020) — International Rubber Study Group. World Rubber Industry Outlook. Documents global production geography and sustainability benchmarks.
- Ziegler et al. (2012) — Carbon footprints of Southeast Asian rubber plantations. In Agroforestry for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Documents land-use-change emissions from forest conversion to rubber in mainland Southeast Asia.
- IEA (2024) — Emissions Factors 2024. Grid intensities for major rubber-producing countries.