Environmental product declarations (EPDs)
An environmental product declaration (EPD) is a document providing confirmed information about the environmental impact of the product's life cycle based on the results of performed life cycle assessment (LCA). The EPD also contain the information required by the specific Product Category Rules (PCR) and General Programme Instructions. Eventually, EDP is verified by a third party who evaluates the analysis independently.
As the methodology of its preparation is regulated, EPD help build transparency and increase confidence that environmental claims made by manufacturers are accurate. In many ways, such a statement is similar to the ingredient descriptions of food products, but instead of information on nutritional value, there is information on the product's environmental impact.
The first Icelandic EPD was published for Steinull, based on the analysis done by EFLA, confirmed by SINTEF building research in Oslo and published by EPD-Norge.
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More information on EPDs can be found on the International EPD System website or in the presented video.
An open EPD database can be found on the InData network website.
Product Category Rules (PCR)
A Product Category Rule provides specific instructions for how life cycle assessment (LCA) should be performed for a particular product category. More precisely, it includes, among others, the so-called system boundaries (which processes and product's life cycle stages should be considered) and declared or functional units, which should be used for specific products.
More information on PCR can be found on the International EPD System website, and the PCR library can be found here.
