Life Cycle Assessment
What Is an EPD? Environmental Product Declarations and the DPP
What an Environmental Product Declaration is, how one is produced, how PCRs make them comparable and how to reference an EPD inside a Digital Product Passport.
An EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) presents a product's life cycle environmental performance in an independently verified, rules-based form. ISO 14025 defines it as a "Type III environmental declaration".
How an EPD is produced
- Choose the PCR applicable to your product category.
- Run the LCA using the boundary and functional unit the PCR defines. See LCA basics.
- Compile the EPD report in the programme's format.
- Independent verification by a verifier approved by the programme.
- Publication by the programme operator, starting a validity period (typically five years).
Where it is required
- Construction products: EN 15804-based EPDs are standard in green building certification (BREEAM, LEED) and public tenders. See DPP for construction products.
- Furniture and furnishings: in large corporate specifications.
- B2B industrial goods: within customer sustainability programmes.
EPD and DPP together
They are complementary, not competing:
| EPD | DPP | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Verified environmental declaration | Product identity and lifecycle data |
| Scope | Environmental impacts | Identity, composition, compliance, circularity, environment |
| Verification | Mandatory, accredited | Field-based, tiered |
| Validity | Typically five years | Live for the product's lifetime |
The practical approach: carry the EPD in the passport as a source reference — beside the environmental fields, record "source: EPD no. X, verified by Y, valid until Z". See DPP data fields.
No comparison without a PCR
Putting two EPD numbers side by side is only meaningful if both were produced under the same PCR, since different PCRs define different boundaries and functional units. This is the most frequently abused aspect of EPDs.
Frequently asked questions
Is an EPD the same as a carbon footprint?
No. An EPD is a verified declaration covering several impact categories; a PCF looks only at climate impact. See how to calculate a PCF.
How long does an EPD take, and what does it cost?
A few months if the data is ready; cost depends on product complexity and programme fees. Product-family EPDs reduce the per-product cost.
Must I publish the EPD in the passport?
Not mandatory, but it is strong evidence behind environmental fields and directly useful in tender processes.
