EPD & life cycle assessment

An EPD is a multi-page document that describes the environmental impacts of building products based on a life cycle assessment with quantitative data. It is used for the sustainability assessment of buildings. It is prepared by the manufacturer and checked at the IBU by independent verifiers on the basis of the ISO 14025 and EN 15804 standards and then published. An EPD serves to provide transparency about the environmental impacts of products to the public.

An EPD provides independently verified information on the environmental impacts of products, prepared according to common rules (EN 15804). A comparison is possible at building level where the products compared fulfil the same function and have been assessed under the same rules.

The EPD addresses many audiences with its statements on environmental performance: Planners, architects, construction companies, real estate companies, facility managers and, of course, companies involved in the value chain from raw materials to the building with production and services.

EPDs play an important role in the context of sustainable building certification. They help to make the environmental impacts of a building measurable and comparable. A demonstrably lower environmental impact can affect the price, resale value and return on investment of a property.

The following certification systems use EPDs for building certification:

BNB: Assessment System for Sustainable Building
DGNB: German Sustainable Building Council
BREEAM: Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method
LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design