ISO 14025:2026 is the second edition of the international standard for environmental product declarations (EPDs). Published in June 2026, it replaces the 2006 edition. EPDs are still based on life cycle assessment (LCA) under ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. LCA measures a product’s inputs, outputs and potential environmental impacts across its life cycle. The changes concern terminology, programme governance, verification, EPD types and EPD tools. The standard sets no universal transition deadline and does not declare existing EPDs invalid.
What ISO 14025 governs
An EPD reports a product’s environmental data through predetermined indicators derived from LCA. The calculation follows product category rules (PCR), which set the declared unit, system boundary and indicators for a product group. Verification and publication follow the general programme instructions (GPI), the rules a programme operator uses to run an EPD programme. ISO 14025 sets requirements for both the programme and its EPDs.
The ISO catalogue lists the 2026 edition as published and the 2006 edition as withdrawn. General requirements shared by all environmental statements now sit in ISO 14020:2022, and the new edition requires users to apply them.
The main changes at a glance
| Topic | 2026 edition | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Normative references | Adds ISO/TS 14027 (PCR development) and ISO/TS 14029 (mutual recognition) | PCR work and recognition between programmes follow named documents |
| Terminology | Deprecates “Type III environmental declaration” and “environmental label” | Update specifications and product literature |
| Additional information | Additional environmental or other sustainability-related information must be substantiated, kept separate from LCA results and free of comparisons | Certificates and claims need their own evidence |
| EPD types | Programmes define EPD types; each EPD declares its type | Know your sites, products, life cycle stages and months of specific data |
| EPD tools | Programmes specify how tools are verified; the EPD names the tool and version where relevant | Check the tool’s verification status |
Rules for programme operators and verification
The GPI must be published online. Among other things, it must say whether mass balance, credit or book-and-claim chain-of-custody models are allowed and how EPD tools are verified. Operators must keep public digital registries of PCRs and EPDs. They must also handle complaints, including errors in published EPDs, disclose their ownership, governance and revenue mechanisms, and manage conflicts of interest.
PCR review and EPD verification are two separate processes. Each PCR is reviewed by a third-party panel with at least a chair and two other members. Verification of EPD data must be independent. It may be done inside or outside the manufacturer’s organisation unless the programme requires a third party, and the EPD states which type applied. Independent verifiers must not have conducted the LCA or developed the EPD, and must have no conflict of interest. EPDs intended for consumers require third-party verification.
What stays the same for construction EPDs
EN 15804+A2 remains the core PCR for construction products. Its normative reference to ISO 14025 is dated: it cites EN ISO 14025:2010, the European adoption of the 2006 edition. For a dated reference, only the cited edition applies. Construction EPDs therefore continue to follow EN 15804, the applicable PCR and the programme’s GPI. Our EN 15804+A2 explainer covers that framework.
The new edition caps EPD validity at five years. Updates that extend validity must meet the current requirements; other updates may be verified against the original or current ones.
How manufacturers can prepare
These are recommendations, not new obligations for existing EPDs. List your EPDs with their validity dates, programme, PCR version and the ISO 14025 edition each one cites. Ask your programme operator which edition its GPI references and how it will handle renewals. Collect the facts you need to declare an EPD type: sites, products averaged, life cycle stages and the period of specific data. Keep evidence for any certificate or claim you want shown as additional information. If your consultant uses an EPD tool, record its name, version and verification status.
EPDportal.org hosts EPD Poland (EPD Polska), an EPD programme operated by Multicert. It also offers a global index of EPD metadata and links from multiple programmes. You can browse the EPD Polska register, find declarations from other programmes in the global EPD search, or contact us about an EPD Poland project.
Frequently asked questions
- Are EPDs verified under ISO 14025:2006 still valid?
- The 2026 edition sets no universal cut-off date. An EPD stays valid for the period it states, subject to its programme’s rules. The new edition matters mainly when an EPD is renewed or updated with extended validity.
- Does the new edition require third-party verification?
- It requires independent verification. Data verification may be internal or external to the manufacturer unless the programme requires a third party. Third-party verification is mandatory for EPDs aimed at consumers.
- Does an EPD show that a product is environmentally better?
- No. ISO 14025 states that an EPD is not in itself a comparative assertion. EPDs can be compared only when strict conditions are met; see PCR selection and EPD comparability.