Product assessments: LCA, EPD and PEF

There is a growing need for clarity and proof of the environmental impact of products in a variety of industries, such as the construction sector. Global and regional institutions are requiring producers to identify and declare product related emissions. As a result, sustainability efforts are growing, and companies are increasingly searching for ways in which they can measure and decrease the emissions related to their products.
At the product-level, there are methodologies that can evaluate or assess the environmental performance of products. Examples of such methodologies are Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), and Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP). Such methodologies are regulated by international and European norms, and provide valuable insights into a product’s environmental impact, enabling informed decision-making essential for the transition towards sustainability.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive methodology regulated by ISO 14040/44 for evaluating a product’s environmental impact throughout its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction, production and distribution, to usage and disposal. As a result, the emissions for various environmental impact categories, such as Global Warming Potential (GWP), Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP), and Water Depletion Potential (GWP), are calculated and evaluated. Based on this, efforts can be made to reduce the environmental impact, and sustainability strategies can be build and optimized.

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) according to ISO 14025 and EN 15804 is a standardized and third-party verified document that provides transparent and credible insights into a product’s environmental performance based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. EPDs offer a transparent and comparable summary of a product’s environmental impact that can aid private and public stakeholders in environmentally aware decision-making. Kiwa’s solutions regarding EPDs encompass EPD development and verification via the EPD Programme Operator Kiwa-Ecobility Experts.

Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP)

Similar to Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), the Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP) evaluation is based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. A CFP is made in accordance with ISO 14067, and it provides the information on the environmental impact category Global Warming Potential (GWP) (one of the categories also shown in an EPD), which forms the basis for a Carbon or CO2 Footprint.

Our global services in the field of product assessments

  • Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

    An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a Type III Environmental Declaration and is regulated by ISO 14025 and EN 15804. It contains quantifiable environmental information on a European harmonized, scientific basis. An EPD is based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data.
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  • Life cycle assessment (LCA)

    A Life Cycle Assessment is used to quantify the environmental impacts of processes, products, services or organisations, usually as a basis for other sustainability applications such as Environmental Product Declarations, Product Environmental Footprints and CO2 footprints.
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  • Create your life cycle assessment and EPD with R<THiNK

    R<THiNK is a software application that enables companies to create Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), and Carbon Footprints of Products (CFP), efficiently and according to international and European standards. With R<THiNK you can carry out project-specific calculations as well as calculate the environmental impact of your entire product portfolio.
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  • Introducing the Sustainability Product Passport (SPP)

    Discover how the Sustainability Product Passport (SPP) is transforming construction: A smarter way to measure, understand, and improve the sustainability of building materials.
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  • Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)

    The "Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)" represents the next level of European environmental policy and serves to communicate essential environmental parameters in B2B and B2C.
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  • Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP)

    A Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) following ISO 14067 records the total CO2 emissions that occur directly or indirectly over the life cycle of a product. 
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