Product assessments: LCA, EPD and PEF

There is a growing need for clarity and proof of the environmental impact of products in a variety of industries, such as the construction sector. Global and regional institutions are requiring producers to identify and declare product related emissions. As a result, sustainability efforts are growing, and companies are increasingly searching for ways in which they can measure and decrease the emissions related to their products.

At the product-level, there are methodologies that can evaluate or assess the environmental performance of products. Examples of such methodologies are Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), and Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP). Such methodologies are regulated by international and European norms, and provide valuable insights into a product’s environmental impact, enabling informed decision-making essential for the transition towards sustainability.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive methodology regulated by ISO 14040/44 for evaluating a product’s environmental impact throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction, production and distribution, to usage and disposal. As a result, the emissions for various environmental impact categories, such as Global Warming Potential (GWP), Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP), and Water Depletion Potential (GWP), are calculated and evaluated. Based on this, efforts can be made to reduce the environmental impact, and sustainability strategies can be build and optimized.

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) according to ISO 14025 and EN 15804 is a standardized and third-party verified document that provides transparent and credible insights into a product’s environmental performance based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. EPDs offer a transparent and comparable summary of a product’s environmental impact that can aid private and public stakeholders in environmentally aware decision-making. Kiwa’s solutions regarding EPDs encompass EPD development and verification via the EPD Programme Operator Kiwa-Ecobility Experts.

Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP)

Similar to Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), the Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP) evaluation is based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. A CFP is made in accordance with ISO 14067, and it provides the information on the environmental impact category Global Warming Potential (GWP) (one of the categories also shown in an EPD), which forms the basis for a Carbon or CO2 Footprint.

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Create your life cycle assessment and EPD with R<THINK

R<THINK is a software application that enables companies to create Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), and Carbon Footprints of Products (CFP), efficiently and according to international and European standards. With R<THINK you can carry out project-specific calculations as well as calculate the environmental impact of your entire product portfolio.

Whitepaper: The new European Construction Product Regulation

The European Union has recently adopted a new Construction Product Regulation (CPR), which introduces significant changes aimed at harmonizing the conditions for the marketing of construction products within the EU. This regulation, adopted by the European Parliament on April 10, 2024, repeals the previous Regulation (EU) 305/2011 and amends Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, establishing a more robust framework for the assessment, verification, and sustainability of construction products.

Ecobility Experts

As a programme operator for EPDs, Ecobility Experts support companies, associations or organisations in communicating quantifiable environmental information for products and services on a European harmonised, scientific basis