Environmental product declaration
An environmental product declaration, or EPD, is a verified report of a product's environmental impacts over its life cycle, based on a standard method.
An environmental product declaration, or EPD, is a verified report of a product's environmental impacts over its life cycle, based on a standard method.
Definition
An environmental product declaration is a standardized document that reports the life-cycle environmental impacts of a product, such as its carbon footprint, in a consistent format. It is based on life-cycle assessment and product category rules.
A plain example
A steel framing supplier publishes an EPD for a product group. A project team reads the declared impacts for the stages covered, compares them with similar products declared under the same rules, and may record the result for a green building submission.
Why it matters
Owners and rating systems increasingly ask for EPDs. They give a documented basis for comparing products, but only when the declared unit, scope and rules are the same across the products being compared.
Common confusion
An EPD reports impacts; it does not say a product is good or bad. It is also not the same as a health product declaration, which covers ingredients and hazards rather than life-cycle impacts. Check the validity period and the program operator.
On a project
Read the declared unit, the life-cycle stages covered, the program operator and the expiry date. Make sure the product named in the EPD is the one in your specification.
Quick answers
- What does an EPD cover? Life-cycle impacts for declared stages, based on a standard method and category rules.
- Can I compare any two EPDs? Only when the declared unit, scope and rules match. Check with the designer.
- Is an EPD the same as an HPD? No. An HPD reports ingredients and hazards, while an EPD reports life-cycle impacts.
Related terms
Always check the project drawings and specification, and confirm requirements with the engineer of record and the local authority.
Questions people ask
What does an EPD cover?
Life-cycle impacts for declared stages, based on a standard method and category rules.
Can I compare any two EPDs?
Only when the declared unit, scope and rules match. Check with the designer.
Is an EPD the same as an HPD?
No. An HPD reports ingredients and hazards, while an EPD reports life-cycle impacts.
Sources and further reading
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