The figures in an EPD come from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), calculated according to rules set out in a Product Category Rule (PCR) specific to that product type. EPDs are governed internationally by ISO 14025 and, for construction products, by EN 15804 in Europe and ISO 21930 globally.

What an EPD contains

Every EPD, regardless of product or program operator, includes the same core elements:

  • Manufacturer and product identification, including which specific products or product line the declaration covers
  • The PCR it was written against, and that PCR's reference number and validity period
  • LCA results broken out by life-cycle module — raw material supply and manufacturing (A1–A3), transport and installation (A4–A5), use (B1–B7), and end-of-life (C1–C4), plus any benefits and loads beyond the product's life (Module D)
  • Results for each impact category the PCR requires — typically global warming potential (GWP), ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, and several others, each reported separately rather than combined into one score
  • The name of the independent, third-party verifier and the program operator that published it
  • A validity period, generally five years from publication

Product-specific vs. industry-average EPDs

Not every EPD represents a single manufacturer's product. An industry-average (or "generic") EPD reports averaged results across multiple manufacturers or an entire product category, usually published by a trade association. A product-specific EPD reports one manufacturer's actual data for a specific product or product line, and is generally considered more representative — and more useful for comparing real options — because it isn't smoothed over an industry average. Both types follow the same PCR and reporting structure; the difference is whose data went in.

Why EPDs exist

EPDs exist to make environmental claims comparable and verifiable rather than self-reported and unstandardized. Because every EPD for a given product type is built against the same PCR, results from different manufacturers can be compared on the same basis — something a manufacturer's own marketing claims can't offer. Third-party verification (an independent reviewer checks the underlying LCA and the resulting declaration before publication) is what distinguishes an EPD from a self-declared environmental claim.

Who publishes and uses them

Manufacturers commission and publish EPDs for their own products, typically through an LCA consultant and a program operator. Architects, engineers, and sustainability consultants use them to compare products and document embodied carbon on specific projects. Green building certification systems — LEED, BREEAM, and others — award credits for using EPD-backed products. A growing number of public procurement policies and regulations (see regional requirements) now require or incentivize EPDs directly, rather than treating them as optional documentation.

How an EPD gets made

In short: a manufacturer (often working with an LCA consultant) collects production data, builds an LCA model against the relevant PCR, and submits the results for independent verification before a program operator publishes the final declaration. The full process is covered in How EPDs Work.

  • ISO 14025 — the overarching international standard governing Type III environmental declarations, which EPDs are.
  • EN 15804 — the European core PCR for construction products.
  • ISO 21930 — the international equivalent core PCR for construction products.
  • Product Category Rules — how product-specific PCRs relate to these core standards.

Frequently asked questions

How long is an EPD valid for?

Most EPDs are valid for five years from publication, though the exact term is set by the program operator and stated on the declaration itself. An EPD must be reverified or republished before it expires to remain valid.

Is an EPD the same as a carbon footprint?

No. A carbon footprint typically reports one impact category — global warming potential. An EPD reports several impact categories (global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, ozone depletion, and others) plus full life-cycle-stage detail, following a standardized PCR and third-party verification a simple carbon footprint claim doesn't require.

Who verifies an EPD?

An independent, accredited verifier not involved in producing the underlying LCA reviews the declaration against the relevant PCR and standard (ISO 14025, and EN 15804 or ISO 21930 for construction products) before the program operator publishes it.

Do EPDs expire?

Yes. Once the validity period (typically five years) ends, an EPD is no longer considered current and must be updated and reverified to remain usable for specification or certification purposes.

Sources

  • ISO 14025:2006, Environmental labels and declarations — Type III environmental declarations — Principles and procedures
  • EN 15804:2012+A2:2019, Sustainability of construction works — Environmental product declarations — Core rules for the product category of construction products
  • ISO 21930:2017, Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works — Core rules for environmental product declarations of construction products and services