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 credible and comparable information on the environmental performance of products. For example, different product groups can be compared with each other.

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. EPDs help to make the environmental impact of a building measurable and comparable. The positive environmental impact of a building influences the price, resale value and return on investment of a property. For example, certified green buildings accounted for EUR 5.3 billion of individual commercial properties in 2014 (total volume EUR 27.9 billion).

The following certification systems use EPDs in building certification:

NBB: Sustainable Building Rating System

DGNB: German Sustainable Building Council

BREEAM: Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method

LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design