Learn more about environmental declarations
What are EPD Environmental Declarations? What does the declaration creation process look like and how can it help you convince customers of your product?
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What are EPD Environmental Declarations? What does the declaration creation process look like and how can it help you convince customers of your product?
Environmental Declarations
Environmental product declarations for building materials describe various aspects such as greenhouse gas emissions during production, energy consumption, water consumption, emissions of pollutants into the air and water, consumption of natural resources, and waste.
In the case of environmental product declarations for building materials, this information is provided in a standardized manner, in accordance with the international standard ISO 14025 and EN 15804. As a result, declarations are easy to compare and allow for an assessment of the impact of different products on the environment.
A verified environmental declaration remains valid for five years. Based on publicly available EPDs, any interested architect, designer, engineer, investor, facility manager, or auditor can review the environmental performance indicators and product impact on the environment.
LCA
Life cycle analysis (LCA) is a tool that allows for an assessment of a product's impact on the environment. Within LCA, one of the aspects considered is CO2 emissions, as this gas is one of the main factors affecting climate change.
Within LCA, CO2 emissions are often measured in terms of 'carbon footprint.' This is a measure of the total amount of CO2 emissions (or CO2 equivalents) produced during the product's life cycle. The life cycle can be divided into specific intervals.
The analysis covers the processes of raw material extraction and transportation as well as the production of the product until it is delivered to the customer.
The analysis includes materials and energy in the production chain and all processes such as transport and assembly until the product is disposed of.
LCA COMPONENTS
CO2 emissions can be generated already during the extraction and transportation of natural resources needed for the production of a given product.
During the production of the product, CO2 emissions can be generated by the consumption of electricity, fossil fuels, water, and by the emission of pollutants into the air and water.
The third stage of the product life cycle. It assesses the impact of transport and installation of products on greenhouse gas emissions.
At this stage, the impact of product use on CO2 emissions is assessed.
The impact of the method of disposal of waste generated during the production and use of the product is assessed, including the emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants.
TYPE III DECLARATIONS
Type III environmental declarations, or EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations), have specific requirements that must be met to be recognized as official and credible. Below are a few basic requirements for EPDs:
