EPD Basics
What is an EPD?
An Environmental Product Declaration, or EPD, is a document that transparently communicates the environmental performance or impact of any product or material over its lifetime.
EPDs make it possible to compare the impacts of different construction materials and products in order to select the most sustainable option. They provide the transparent data necessary to perform whole-building life-cycle assessment (WBLCA) which is fast becoming a core part of building regulations worldwide.
Architects, engineers and designers
Are able to choose the most sustainable option for their project
Manufacturers
Are able to optimise the impact of their products and market their carbon transparency
An EPD is usually valid for five years, and is generated according to the relevant standards. Construction EPDs are based on the ISO 14040/14044, ISO 14025, EN 15804 or ISO 21930 standards.
Creating an EPD
Creating an Environmental Product Declaration involves the following steps:
Creating an Environmental Product Declaration involves the following steps:
Creating an EPD
Creating an Environmental Product Declaration involves the following steps:
1
Choosing your target standard and PCR
EPD Hub has a single PCR which supports the following standards: EN 15804+A2, EN 50693, ISO 21930 and ISO 14067
Creating an Environmental Product Declaration involves the following steps:
Creating an EPD
Creating an Environmental Product Declaration involves the following steps:
2
Choose your LCA and EPD software
EPD Hub works with pre-verified EPD generators. For example, One Click LCA EPD Generator is a pre-verified and approved software for EPD Hub.
Creating an Environmental Product Declaration involves the following steps:
Creating an EPD
Creating an Environmental Product Declaration involves the following steps:
3
Collect your data for creating the Life-Cycle Assessment and supporting documentation.
Creating an Environmental Product Declaration involves the following steps:
Creating an EPD
Creating an Environmental Product Declaration involves the following steps:
4
Submit your EPD(s) to verification and publishing at EPD Hub via the integration in the pre-verified EPD generator you use.
Creating an Environmental Product Declaration involves the following steps:
Creating an EPD
Creating an Environmental Product Declaration involves the following steps:
5
EPD Hub verifies your EPD(s)
If the EPD passes all the checks, it will be published and you will get a notification. If the EPD needs corrections, you will be notified of required fixes. In this case, you need to do the fixes and resubmit the EPD for re-verification.
Recognition of EPDs
EPDs are recognized based on their third-party verification and standards-compliance. Some of the common requirements for EPDs and EPD Hub compliance are listed in the below table.
What is required from an EPD program operator to be valid under International Standards?
Requirements for EPD programs are defined in the International Standard ISO 14025: Environmental labels and declarations. Type III environmental declarations. Principles and procedures. There are no accreditation procedures for EPD program operators.
EPD programs must fulfil the requirements set out in the standard. The key requirements for EPD programs include publishing General Program Instructions, ensuring that requirements for EPDs are followed, establish procedures for data consistency, publish EPDs and PCRs and maintain publicly available list of published EPDs and PCR, ensure the select of competent independent verifiers and PCR review panel members, establish a transparent procedure for the PCR review, among other responsibilities.
The requirements are spelled out in detail in the chapter 6 of the ISO 14025, and EPD Hub fulfils the requirements to the letter. All required information is freely available on the EPD Hub website.
EPD Hub independent PCR review panel and subsequent technical committee comprises the following highly experienced EPD experts Ari Ilomäki (chair, former chair of CEN/TC 350), Chris Foster, Ugo Pretato and Michael Neaves. The launch of the EPD Hub PCR com-prised an open consultation among industry experts and a four-month long review procedure, which led to several revisions in the EPD Hub PCR.
In addition to the ISO 14025, EPD Hub is complying with the following sectoral standards: EN 15804+A2:2019, ISO 21930:2017, EN ISO 14067:2018 and EN 50693:2019.
Regarding mutual recognition, cross-publishing and national recognition
As of this writing, EPD Hub is focused on full digitalisation of EPD production and publishing process. Mutual recognition programs would require backwards-compatibility with document-based EPD programs. Therefore, EPD Hub is not presently pursuing mutual recognition with any other EPD program operators. On the other hand, users of EPD Hub can cross-publish EPDs in EPD Hub and other programs cost-efficiently. EPD Hub focus is accelerating the pace of digitalisation, and we are currently not a member of coordination organisations in this field as this is not a field in which such organisations can help us move faster in. However, EPD Hub considers recognition for the French construction products and construction regulations as an important priority and is in the process of reviewing solutions to support customers in being able to comply with the French market requirements.
Standards, regulations and certification schemes whose requirements EPD Hub EPDs fulfil
Scheme | Country | EPD Hub EPDs |
|---|---|---|
Green Star | Australia, New Zealand & South Africa | Fully compliant |
HQE | France | Fully compliant |
DGNB | Germany | Fully compliant |
NS 3720 | Norway | Fully compliant |
RICS PS | UK | Fully compliant |
Greater London Authority | UK | Fully compliant |
Ympäristöministeriön vähähiilisyyden arviointimenetelmä | Finland | Fully compliant |
Klimatdeklaration | Sweden | Fully compliant |
Living Building Challenge | International | Fully compliant |
Zero Carbon Challenge | International | Fully compliant |
Byggvarubedömningen | Sweden | Fully compliant |
Miljöbyggnad | Sweden | Fully compliant |
BREEAM | US & International | Fully compliant |
LEED | US & International | Fully compliant |
As of this writing, EPD Hub EPDs do not fulfil the national environmental marketing regulations prevailing in France and Belgium for construction and MEP products which stipulate national database to be used, and they cannot be used for the Dutch MPG calculations which also stipulates the national database to be used. To our best knowledge, EPD Hub EPDs can be used for all international and national EPD requirements which use the EPD Hub's associated standards, and which do not name a specific other EPD program to be used.
Recommended resources
How to make an Environmental Product Declaration and how it helps your business
A guide for Construction Product Manufacturers
E-book by One Click LCA Ltd
If you have been thinking about investing in EPDs but are not sure where to start or are confused by some of the terminologies, this guide is for you. It starts with an overview of EPDs: covering the concepts you need to know to get started. It then takes you through the EPD creation process and ends with a section on how to use EPDs to gain a competitive edge. Along the way, it includes essential supporting information and ends with a glossary.
