Environmental Product Declarations

What is an EPD?

An environmental product declaration (EPD) is a standardised and verified way of quantifying the environmental impacts of a product based on a consistent set of rules that have been developed through an extensive stakeholder consultation process.

These impacts are based on the product’s consumption of raw materials and energy, waste generation, and emissions to air, soil and water over its full life cycle. An EPD includes a carbon footprint alongside other environmental indicators.

How can you use EPDs in environmental ratings systems and tender documents?

EPDs may be used by project teams to obtain Green Star points using the Design & As Built and Interiors rating tools under the following credits:

  • Materials > Product Transparency and Sustainability: As an industry-wide EPD
  • Materials > Life Cycle Assessment: By providing data for an EN 15978 compliant whole-of-building whole-of-life assessment
  • Innovation Challenge > Responsible Carbon Impact: By providing embodied carbon impacts (i.e., data on Global Warming Potential) which can be used in the calculation and reduction of the total embodied carbon impacts of a project.

The EPDs are also recognised for credits in the Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) rating scheme of the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA).

EPDs are also being required in increasing numbers of tender documents.

Publications

Who researched and checked the EPDs?

Updated EPDs for five Australian wood products and a new EPD for Glulam have been authored by thinkstep and Stephen Mitchell Associates. They are all independently verified by Kimberley Robertson of Catalyst to ISO 14025 and EN 15804. The EPDs are registered by The Australasian EPD Programme Ltd which is part of the International EPD System.

The white cypress EPD was independently verified by Andrew D. Moore, Life Cycle Logic Pty. Ltd