9. Why Should I Care About Environmental Product
Declarations?
• “I’m looking through you. Where did you go?
I thought I knew you. What did I know?”
– The Beatles
“I’m Looking Through You” on Rubber Soul
z
• “It is no longer enough to report the positive impacts
of a product. Full disclosure is the only way to create
and support an authentic message in today’s
marketplace.”
– John Wells
President and CEO of Interface Americas
9
10. Environmental Impact Reporting
A Need for Brevity and Consistency
Environmental Facts
Functional unit: 1 yd3 of 3,000 psi concrete
Primary Energy Demand [BTU] 9.3x105
Renewable [BTU] 5.9x104
Non-Renewable [BTU] 8.7x105
Global Warming Potential [lb CO2 eq] 360
Acidification Potential [lb H+ eq] 40
Eutrophication Potential [lb N eq] 0.39
Ozone Depletion Potential [lb CFC-11 eq] 2.4x10-10
Smog Potential [lb O3 eq] 21
Boundaries: Cradle-to-Gate Fly Ash: 20%
Company: XYZ Concrete Slag: 10%
Total Recycled Content: 30%
Image source: adapted from www.turbosquid.com
10
11. EPDs, LCAs, and PCRs
Decoding the Acronyms
Product Category Rule (PCR)
The Guidelines “Set of specific rules, requirements, and guidelines for
developing Type III environmental product declarations
for one or more product categories” (ISO 14025)
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
The Analysis “Compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and
the potential environmental impacts of a product
system throughout its life cycle” (ISO 14040)
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
The Declaration “Providing quantified environmental data using
predetermined parameters and, where relevant,
additional environmental information” (ISO 14025)
11
12. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
Type III Environmental Declaration
Succinct reporting of life cycle environmental profiles
• Declare environmental impacts (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, energy
demand)
• Facilitate equitable comparisons across similar products
• Encourage the demand for (and supply of) environmentally-preferable
products
Rigorous creation and verification process
• Ensures credibility and consistency with best practices
• Involves multiple third-party review steps
Standardized for consistency
• Standardized through ISO 14025: Type III Environmental Declaration
• Follows ISO 14040/44 standards for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
12
14. Market Drivers
Why should you get involved?
Structural Steel Asphalt Rejuvenator
• EPDs are quickly gaining
traction in all industries
• Standard format for communicating
environmental performance
• Activity in the B&C sector
• Specific guidelines
• ISO 14025 – General EPD
guidance
• ISO 21930 – Specific B&C
guidance
• EN 15804 – PCR harmonization
• PCRs already exist for many
construction products
• Metals and basic materials
• Building products
Concrete Roofing Tile
14
15. Market Drivers
EPDs in LEED
• EPDs are being integrated into the
LEED rating system
• Currently put forth as Pilot Credit 61
(formerly Pilot Credit 43)
• LEED v4 Draft, 4th Public Comment
• Credit Category: Materials and
Resources Credit Category
• Credit Name: Materials Life Cycle
Assessment and Disclosure
15
16. Market Drivers
EPDs in LEED
• Two points possible
• One for structural elements
• One for non-structural elements
• Two options
• Industry-wide EPD: calculated at cost
• Product-specific EPD: calculated at
twice cost
16
17. Market Drivers
Webinar Poll
• Why are you interested in EPDs?
(check all that apply)
• Direct demand from customers
• LEED points
• Reliable upstream reporting
• Marketing purposes
• Internal knowledge / Benchmarking
Results will be presented in a few minutes
17
19. EPD Development Process
1. Search for and evaluate existing
PCRs
2. If necessary, create a new PCR
3. Conduct an LCA
4. Verify that the LCA follows the PCR
5. Create the EPD
6. Register the EPD with a program
operator
19
20. EPD Development Process
1. Search for and evaluate existing PCRs
• GEDnet – the Global Environmental Declarations Network
http://pcr-library.edf.org.tw/
• JEMAI – Japanese Environmental Management Association for Industry
http://www.ecoleaf-jemai.jp/eng/pcr.html
• The Green Yardstick
http://nywww.environdec.com/en/Product-Category-Rules/PCR-Search/
• IBU – Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V. (German Institute for Buildings and the
Environment)
http://bau-umwelt.de/hp478/Product-Category-Rules-PCR.htm
2. If necessary, create a new PCR
Approval
and
Panel publication
review
Open
consultation
Draft
creation
PCR
proposal
20
21. EPD Development Process
Identify Needs
3. Conduct the LCA & Drivers
• Product Definitions Goals
• Functional Unit Boundaries
Define Goal & • Data Requirements Exclusions
Scope • Mapping the System
Refine Goal &
Scope
Data Collection Types of inputs (Materials, Energy,
Costs, etc.)
Information from business units &
suppliers (EH&S, Purchasing,
Process Engineering, Technical
Modeling in Support, R&D, etc.)
GaBi
Evaluate environmental
indicators, such as:
• Global Warming Run Analysis Quality Control Final Analysis
Potential & Check & Interpretation
• Primary Energy Demand
• Acidification
• Eutrophication
• Smog Review and Develop Product Profiles,
Edit Model Communicate to
• Toxicity
Customers, Integrate with
ISO 14001, etc.
21
22. EPD Development Process
4. Verify the LCA
• Third party verifies that the LCA follows
ISO 14040/14044 guidelines
• Conformance with selected PCR
5. Create the EPD
• Follow the program operator template
• Get your marketing department involved
6. Register the EPD with a program
operator
• Multiple operators established in North
America
22
25. Barriers and Solutions
Time and Resources
• Define product category • Synthesize LCA into EPD, according to PCR
• Develop compliant rules • Include additional environmental information
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement • Disclose LCI data and environmental impacts
$, QA $, QA
PCR LCA EPD
QA $,
• Data collection
• LCA modeling
• Generation of results
• Revise according to QA process
25
26. Barriers and Solutions
Quality Assurance
• Third party review (with public comment) • Program Operator review
• Compliance with ISO 14040 and 14025 • Conformance with PCR and ISO 14020 and 14025
• Meets Program Operator rules • Meets Program Operator rules
$, QA $, QA
PCR LCA EPD
QA $,
• Third party review
• Conformance with PCR and ISO 14040 and 14025
• Data quality (e.g., representativeness)
26
27. Barriers and Solutions
Removing Costs through Streamlining
• Individually, EPDs are resource-intensive
• LCA reports are thorough, detail-oriented documents
• EPDs often only reflect a single products
• How can we…
• …decrease the time and financial resources needed to create an EPD?
• …expand the breadth of products/families declared?
• …create consistent reports?
• …capture variability across different supply chains?
27
34. Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi
Association Members with Existing Templates
1. Gain Web-Access to Existing GaBi LCA
Model with EPD template for select PCRs
• Working together with industry associations, PE
has already prepared standard models and EPD
templates for some product category rules.
• Gain access to this site through your association
or directly from PE
34
35. Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi
Association Members with Existing Templates
1. Gain Web-Access to Existing GaBi LCA
Model with EPD template for select PCRs
2. Enter your company-specific product data
• Bill of Materials
• Scrap Rate,
• Energy Utilization
• etc.
35
36. Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi
Association Members with Existing Templates
1. Gain Web-Access to Existing GaBi LCA
Model with EPD template for select PCRs
2. Enter your company-specific product data
3. Export draft EPD to Rich Text Format
36
37. Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi
Association Members with Existing Templates
1. Gain Web-Access to Existing GaBi LCA
Model with EPD template for select PCRs
2. Enter your company-specific product data
3. Export draft EPD to Rich Text Format
4. Apply Corporate Logos/Images and
other final edits in Word Processor
37
38. Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi
Association Members with Existing Templates
1. Gain Web-Access to Existing GaBi LCA
Model with EPD template for select PCRs
2. Enter your company-specific product data
3. Export draft EPD to Rich Text Format
4. Apply Corporate Logos/Images and other
final edits in Word Processor
5. Submit EPD to Program Operator for
Verification
• PE has professional relationships with many
program operators
38
39. Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi
Association Members with Existing Templates
1. Gain Web-Access to Existing GaBi LCA
Model with EPD template for select PCRs
2. Enter your company-specific product data
3. Export draft EPD to Rich Text Format
4. Apply Corporate Logos/Images and other
final edits in Word Processor Updated
Annually
5. Submit EPD to Program Operator for
Verification
6. Repeat Steps 2-5 in future years
• PE updates underlying data (energy and
materials) annually
39
40. Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi
GaBi Users
1. Model Product Life Cycle in GaBi according
to your company-specific product and
applicable PCR
40
41. Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi
GaBi Users
1. Model Product Life Cycle in GaBi according
to your company-specific product and
applicable PCR
2. Apply generic EPD template or PCR-specific
template
41
42. Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi
GaBi Users
1. Model Product Life Cycle in GaBi according
to your company-specific product and
applicable PCR
2. Apply generic EPD template or PCR-specific
template
3. Export draft EPD to Rich Text Format
4. Apply Corporate Logos/Images and other Updated
final edits in Word Processor Annually
5. Submit EPD to Program Operator for
Verification
6. Repeat Steps 2-5 in future years
42
43. Case study
Client Large electronics company
• Develop EPDs for 59 printers in 14
Project families
Overview • Streamline EPD generation for
each product
• Enable EPEAT silver rating
• Build LCA capacity within company
Goals
• Identify strategic opportunities for
environmental improvement
• Publication-ready EPDs for all
Outputs printers
• LCA tool to support future analyses
43
44. Case study
Client Interface
Interface® • Support a commitment to
Project transparency
Overview • Ascertain cradle-to-grave
information for product families
• Create product-specific EPDs for all
carpet lines
Goals
• Identify high-impacts sources and
strategies for impact reduction
• 90% (and counting) of products are
documented through EPDs
Outputs
• Integration of multiple reduction
methods (e.g., material substitution)
44
45. Summary
• Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
• Declare environmental impacts using LCA principles
• Growing importance in the building and construction
community, including integration into LEED v4
• EPD development process
•
• Multiple quality assurance steps ensure credibility
• A single EPD can be resource-intensive to generate
• Significant advantages to streamlining EPD development
• Use custom tools to generate EPDs
• Large economy of scale benefits reduced cost + time
45
46. PE Assistance at All Levels
Internal effort and expertise Consulting support
PE training on GaBi 5 Use of PE-designed Access to web-based
LCA software and EPD templates i-report to generate
databases on-demand EPDs
PE Support for Use of PE-designed i-
LCA modeling and report to generate on-
EPD generation demand EPDs
46
47. Contact Information
Steve Baer
617-247-4477 ext 112
s.baer@pe-international.com
Susan Fredholm Murphy
617-247-4477 ext 106
z
s.murphy@pe-international.com
Nicholas Santero
617-247-4477 ext 123
n.santero@pe-international.com
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