Glossary term

secondary data

A regulatory term referring to data which do not fulfil the requirements for primary data (3.1.6.1).

1 official sourcessingle_source

What does secondary data mean?

Secondary data is data that does not meet the requirements for primary data, often coming from databases, literature, proxies, or other non-direct sources.

Official definitions by source

ISO 14067:2018

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

data which do not fulfil the requirements for primary data (3.1.6.1)

Reference: 3.1.6.3

View official source

Regulatory context

This term originates in ISO 14067:2018 and/or ISO 14044 LCA methodology. It is used in EU product regulation — particularly under the EU Battery Regulation (PEF method for carbon footprint) and ESPR (environmental footprint) — because both regulations require lifecycle-based quantification of environmental impacts. Practitioners applying these regulations should be familiar with these LCA/PEF concepts to correctly scope, conduct, and verify product-level environmental assessments.

Practical application

This term matters when teams need to disclose where estimates or generic values are being used instead of measured site or process data.

Minespider commentary

For Minespider, secondary data is the fallback evidence tier that must be clearly labeled and governed.

Common confusions

Assuming the everyday meaning of secondary data is enough without checking the official source definition.
Using secondary data as a loose generic label rather than the narrower meaning used in the source text.
Ignoring how secondary data connects to adjacent technical or product terms in the same regulatory framework.