# What is an EPD? Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are ISO 14025 Type III eco-labels that transparently and objectively report the environmental performance of a product or service from a life cycle perspective. An EPD is the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) and are third-party verified, typically public, documents. In order for EPDs to be compared, Product Category Rules (PCRs) are used, which define the 'rules' for how to perform the LCA that underpins an EPD. The development of EPDs is government by standards, primarily ISO 14040/14044, ISO 14025, EN15804, or ISO 21930. # Types of EPDs There are three primary types of EPDs for construction products: 1. **Industry average**: an average of multiple manufacturers, typically developed by a trade organization. 2. **Product-specific**: an average of multiple facilities that make the same product, typically developed by a single manufacturer. 3. **Facility-specific**: data for a single product developed at a single facility (most specific). EPDs for structural materials typically only include Modules A1-A3 “cradle-to-gate” data. Other, background data sources (typically found in LCA tools or software) are used for the remaining modules. # How to Review an EPD An EPD is shared as a PDF with a lot of information about the LCA that was performed. A checklist of questions to follow when reviewing an EPD includes: - [ ] Product description: what is the product? - [ ] Declared or functional unit of measure: what is being measured? - [ ] What product category rule (PCR) was followed? - [ ] Expiration date: is the EPD still valid? - [ ] Manufacturer and location: who and where? - [ ] Stages and Modules: which parts of the life cycle are included? - [ ] Global warming impact based upon declared or functional unit. - [ ] Is a facility-specific EPD available? - [ ] Are supply chain-specific data available for high-impact processes? - [ ] Is uncertainty in the data reported? # Industry Average EPDs for Structural Materials The SE 2050 group has compiled industry-average EPDs for structural materials. These are included in the [ECOM tool](https://se2050.org/ecom-tool/), with the compiled list of EPDs and their sources updated regularly. # Material Baselines The Carbon Leadership Forum has published a set of material baselines, which are composed of many industry-average EPDs. [2023 CLF North American Material Baselines Report](https://carbonleadershipforum.org/clf-material-baselines-2023/) Example industry-average EPD for [Ready Mixed Concrete (2022)](https://www.nrmca.org/wp-content/uploads/NRMCA_EPDV3.2_2023.pdf) accessed from NRMCA's EPD [library](https://www.nrmca.org/association-resources/sustainability/environmental-product-declarations/). Example industry-wide and facility-specific EPDs for structural steel from [AISC](https://www.aisc.org/sustainability/leed-v4/). Current [EPDs for Wood Products](https://www.woodworks.org/wp-content/uploads/expert-tips/expert-tips_current-epds-for-wood-products.pdf) compiled by WoodWorks (updated May 2025). # EC3 [Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator](https://buildingtransparency.org/ec3) (EC3) Tool contains a large database of EPDs that can be used to compare different construction products. # Navigation Return: [[Home]] Suggested Next: [[Construction Emissions (A4 and A5)]]