What is an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)?

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardised document that communicates transparent, verified data about the environmental impact of a product across its entire life cycle — from raw material extraction through manufacturing, use, and end-of-life. EPDs are defined by ISO 14025 and, for construction products, must comply with EN 15804+A2:2019.

What an EPD contains

Every EPD covers the same core structure. It identifies the product or product range, the manufacturer, the programme operator who verified and registered the declaration, and the applicable product category rules. The environmental data itself is presented as a table of indicators — the same indicators, in the same format, for every compliant EPD.

The most important indicator is Global Warming Potential (GWP), expressed in kg CO₂ equivalent per declared unit. This is the product’s climate impact — the figure that architects, engineers, and procurers use when they talk about embodied carbon. EN 15804+A2:2019 requires GWP to be split into three components: fossil (from burning fuels and industrial processes), biogenic (from biological materials), and land use and land use change.

Other mandatory indicators include ozone depletion potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, photochemical ozone creation potential, abiotic resource depletion (for minerals and fossil fuels), particulate matter emissions, ionising radiation, water use, and land use. The full set gives a comprehensive picture of a product’s environmental footprint that goes well beyond carbon alone.

Type I, II, and III declarations — and why the distinction matters

ISO 14020 defines three types of environmental product declarations. Type I ecolabels (such as the EU Ecolabel or Nordic Swan) are pass/fail schemes — a product either meets the criteria or it does not. They are simple to communicate but allow no comparison between products that both pass.

Type II declarations are self-declared environmental claims — a manufacturer states something like „30% recycled content” or „carbon neutral” based on whatever methodology they choose. There is no independent verification and no standardised basis for the claim.

Type III declarations — EPDs — are different in kind. They are quantified, comprehensive, third-party verified, and based on product category rules agreed in advance. Because the methodology is standardised, a procurer can compare two EPDs from different manufacturers for the same product type and the comparison is valid. This is the feature that makes EPDs the tool of choice for green building certifications and public procurement.

Who verifies an EPD

Every EPD must be independently verified by a qualified EPD verifier before it can be registered. In Poland, verification is carried out by independent LCA experts accredited by the programme operator. The verifier reviews the LCA study, the underlying data, the system boundary, and the final EPD document against the applicable product category rules and EN 15804.

Verification is not a rubber stamp. Verifiers regularly require corrections, additional documentation, or scope changes before a declaration can be approved. The independence of the verifier from the manufacturer is a requirement of ISO 14025, and is what distinguishes an EPD from a self-declared claim.

How long an EPD is valid

Under EN 15804, EPDs are valid for five years from the date of registration. After five years, the EPD must be renewed — the underlying data must be reviewed, the LCA study updated if manufacturing has changed, and the declaration re-verified. EPDs that have expired should not be presented as current documentation.

Some programme operators issue EPDs with a shorter validity period if the underlying data quality or the product’s production process warrants it. The validity period and registration date are always stated on the EPD document.

Programme operators and EPD registration

EPDs are not issued by the manufacturer directly — they are registered by a programme operator. The programme operator maintains the rules under which EPDs are issued (the programme instructions), oversees verification, and hosts the public EPD register. In Poland, EPD Polska — operated by Multicert and accredited by PCA — is the national programme operator for construction product EPDs.

EPD Polska is a member of ECO Platform, the European network of programme operators. ECO Platform membership means that EPDs registered by EPD Polska are mutually recognised across all member programmes, allowing Polish manufacturers to present their declarations on international projects without needing re-verification in each country.