What is an Environmental Product Declaration?

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a document that transparently communicates a product's environmental performance — including its carbon footprint, resource use, and other impact categories — over its life cycle. EPDs are built on the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) and follow international standards (ISO 14025 and ISO 14040/14044), and are independently verified before publication.

Why EPDs matter

EPDs allow buyers, architects, engineers, and procurement teams to compare the environmental impact of similar products on an apples-to-apples basis. They're increasingly required or incentivized in green building certifications (such as LEED and BREEAM) and by procurement policies that favor lower-impact materials.

What's typically included in an EPD

  • Product description and intended use
  • The scope and boundaries of the underlying LCA
  • Environmental impact indicators (global warming potential, resource depletion, water use, and others)
  • Verification details, including the third party that reviewed the declaration

EPD vs. LCA

An LCA is the underlying analysis; an EPD is the standardized, publicly disclosed document that communicates its results. Not every LCA becomes an EPD, but every EPD is built on one.

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