Environmental Construction Product Declarations (EPDs®) are an essential instrument for environmental improvement in the construction sector and, therefore, a useful tool for product manufacturers, administrations, technicians, professionals and users.
For product manufacturing companies
- They provide added value to the product and greater recognition
- It allows you to position yourself in the market since the environmental certifications of buildings (LEED, BREAMM, VERDE, DGNB, etc…) award points to products with environmental product declarations.
- Helps differentiate yourself as a company or business organization
- It facilitates access to certain markets, since environmental product declarations are requirements in certain countries such as France (since July 2017), in green public procurement by various administrations, or in certain aid or subsidies.
- It is also a stimulus to eco-design and business eco-innovation.
For administrations
- They provide transparency
- They allow environmental requirements to be accredited in tenders, subsidies, green public procurement, etc.
- They help to promote the transformation of sectors with strong environmental impacts such as the construction sector towards a more sustainable model
- They facilitate the development and promotion of more environmentally friendly activities
- They are an example of a role model for the private sector
For technicians and professionals
- They provide information and knowledge
- They allow decisions to be made with environmental criteria.
- They help to choose the most suitable products for each use, as the nutritional information allows a dietitian to prescribe the most appropriate diet in each case
- They make it easier to quantify the building’s environmental impacts
- They also allow environmental information to be recorded in the building’s digital twin for its definition in project, construction phase, use and maintenance, and future recovery once its useful life has ended.
For building owners and users
- They provide guarantees
- They allow us to ensure that the professionals who have worked in the construction have done so with the greatest safety and providing the maximum guarantee
- They help to give value to the acquired asset
- They provide information that can be useful throughout the operation of the building
- They also allow us to show that we have contributed to the sustainable development of the planet.
They provide objective and comparable information on the environmental compliance of products, enabling architects, builders and clients to make more sustainable choices in the selection of materials and systems for their projects.
EPDs contribute to the promotion of sustainable building by encouraging the use of products with a lower environmental impact.
Companies that rely on EPDs for their products can differentiate themselves from the competition and attract customers who value sustainability.
EPDs can open their doors to new markets and projects where sustainability is a determining factor. This translates into greater growth and profitability potential for companies.
EPDs are increasingly in demand in public tenders and sustainable construction projects, so obtaining them can be an essential requirement to access new opportunities.
In a context in which integrating a life cycle perspective is becoming increasingly important, Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a generator of data and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) as a communication vehicle, have established themselves as the essential tools to assess and minimise the environmental impact of building projects. as well as to help in the choice of construction systems and products that contribute to this. Although currently the use of EPDs in building is mainly linked to public tenders, access to subsidies and obtaining environmental certifications for buildings, in the coming years, it will become the essential and necessary communication vehicle for products in all building projects. For all these reasons, EPDs are the essential tool to help drive sustainability in the construction sector.