EPD Certification in Poland: Market Overview and Growing Demand

Poland has become one of the fastest-growing EPD markets in Central and Eastern Europe. As procurement requirements tighten across EU-funded infrastructure, residential construction, and commercial real estate, the demand for verified environmental data from Polish manufacturers is accelerating — and the supply side is catching up.

The state of EPD adoption in Poland

EPD Polska, operated by Multicert and accredited by the Polish Centre for Accreditation (PCA), has been registering EPDs since 2020. The register has grown steadily, with declarations spanning concrete, cement, steel, timber products, insulation, windows, and aggregates. Polish manufacturers are present in sectors that are among the highest-volume producers of embodied carbon in the built environment — particularly concrete and steel — making the domestic EPD market commercially significant.

Compared to the Scandinavian or German EPD markets, which have operated for over a decade, Poland is earlier in its adoption curve. But the pace of growth is accelerating. Manufacturers who move first benefit from early-mover advantages: differentiation in procurement, stronger positions in green building supply chains, and established client relationships before EPDs become a baseline requirement.

What is driving demand

Several converging forces are pushing EPD adoption among Polish manufacturers. The most direct is procurement. EU-funded construction projects — roads, public buildings, housing, and infrastructure — increasingly require or incentivise the use of materials with verified environmental data. The Polish government’s investment pipeline, substantially backed by EU cohesion funds, is creating a procurement environment where EPDs are shifting from a differentiator to an expectation.

The second driver is the export market. Polish concrete producers, steel fabricators, insulation manufacturers, and window companies supply projects across Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and the Baltics — markets where EPDs have been standard practice for years. For a Polish manufacturer supplying a DGNB-rated office building in Berlin or a BREEAM Excellent school in Copenhagen, an EN 15804+A2:2019 compliant EPD is not optional.

The third driver is the revised Construction Products Regulation (CPR 2024/3110), which will require environmental declarations as a condition of CE marking for many product categories. Unlike voluntary green building certifications, CPR compliance will be mandatory for market access across the EU. Polish manufacturers who have EPDs in place when implementing regulations take effect will be prepared; those who have not will face compliance costs under time pressure.

The role of EPD Polska

EPD Polska produces EPDs that are aligned with requirements published by ECO Platform — the European umbrella body for EPD programme operators — and recognised internationally. Manufacturers supplying export markets in Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, or the Baltics can use their EPD Polska declaration without re-verification.

The programme operates under ISO 14025, the international standard for Type III environmental declarations, and requires that all EPDs be independently verified before registration. Verification is carried out by LCA experts accredited by EPD Polska who are independent of both the manufacturer and the LCA practitioner who prepared the study.

Sectors leading EPD adoption in Poland

Concrete and concrete products represent the largest share of EPDs registered with EPD Polska, reflecting the sector’s scale and the maturity of the applicable European standard (EN 16757:2022). Cement producers follow closely — cement is the highest-GWP input in concrete manufacture, and EPDs for cement are essential inputs for concrete EPD calculations.

Steel is another priority sector. Polish steel producers supply construction markets across Europe, and structural steel EPDs are among the most requested declarations for DGNB and LEED-certified projects. The high recycled content in electric arc furnace steel gives Polish EAF producers a competitive environmental story to tell — but that story is only credible when backed by a verified EPD.

Thermal insulation, windows and doors, and timber products are growing sectors for EPD certification in Poland. The EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) recast is driving investment in building envelope performance across Europe, increasing demand for EPD data on insulation and window products from architects and contractors pursuing low-energy specifications.

What to expect in the next three years

The trajectory is clear: EPDs will move from voluntary to required for an increasing share of the Polish construction market over the next three years. Manufacturers in the concrete, cement, steel, insulation, and window sectors who have not yet initiated EPD certification should consider doing so now, while the process can be undertaken without the time pressure of regulatory deadlines or lost contracts.

EPD Polska offers a direct and efficient route to a verified, internationally recognised EPD. The process from initial contact to registration typically takes three to six months, depending on the product category and the readiness of the manufacturer’s production data.