Glossary term

indirect land use change

A regulatory term referring to change in the use of land which is a consequence of direct land use change (3.1.7.5).

1 official sourcessingle_source

What does indirect land use change mean?

Indirect land use change is part of the formal vocabulary used in product carbon-footprint methodology and lifecycle-based climate accounting. For this glossary, the key point is understanding how the source defines the term and where that definition sits within broader compliance or data requirements.

Official definitions by source

ISO 14067:2018

ISO 14067:2018 - Greenhouse gases — Carbon footprint of products

change in the use of land which is a consequence of direct land use change (3.1.7.5), but which occurs outside the relevant boundary

Reference: 3.1.7.6

View official source

Why it matters in practice

In practice, this term matters when companies collect, structure, verify, or communicate sustainability data within product carbon-footprint methodology and lifecycle-based climate accounting.

Minespider commentary

For Minespider, indirect land use change is not just descriptive language. It is a modeling term that affects how sustainability, emissions, lifecycle, or product information should be captured and compared.

Common confusions

Assuming the everyday meaning of indirect land use change is enough without checking the official source definition.
Using indirect land use change as a loose generic label rather than the narrower meaning used in the source text.
Assuming indirect land use change can be interpreted without understanding methodology, scope, or lifecycle context.