Demystifying the EPD Process

Currently, the market predominantly adheres to ISO 14025 and EN 15804 standards, indicating a trend towards greater alignment in EPD requirements. The most important standards and regulations are as follows:

• Standard and principles: ISO 14025: This standard provides principles and requirements for Type III environmental declarations, including EPDs. It outlines the methodology for preparing and presenting EPDs consistently and transparently.

• Life-cycle assessment: ISO 14040 and ISO 14044: These standards provide guidelines for conducting life cycle assessments (LCAs), which are often used as the basis for EPDs. They establish principles and frameworks for assessing environmental impacts across a product’s entire life cycle.

• EN 15804 Standard: Specifically pertains to EPDs for construction products. It ensures transparency and comparability, providing guidelines for the preparation and presentation of EPDs within the European market.

• EU Green Public Procurement (GPP) Criteria: EPDs may form part of the criteria for green public procurement in the EU. This encourages the procurement of products with lower environmental impacts, thereby promoting sustainability in public-sector purchasing.

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The EU implements various regulations and directives that influence EPD requirements, including:

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• Construction Products Regulation: Sets standards and requirements for manufacturers to provide information on the environmental performance of their products, including EPDs. It aims to ensure transparency and consistency in environmental information provided by companies operating within the EU.

• Ecodesign Directive: Sets requirements for improving the environmental performance of energy-related products, impacting the information required in EPDs.

• Energy Labelling Directive: Establishes labelling requirements for energy-related products, which may intersect with EPD standards.

• Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD): Mandates reporting on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, which may include disclosures related to product environmental performance, aligning with EPD requirements.