EPD Certification in KSA ensures transparency in environmental impacts of products, aligning with sustainable development goals.
What is EPD Certification?
The EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) Certification is an international document that transparently, impartially, and verifiedly presents the environmental impacts of a product throughout its lifecycle. Prepared based on the ISO 14025 standard, this certification includes Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data covering the stages of raw material procurement, production, transportation, use, and disposal of the product.
Created under the guidance of Product Category Rules (PCR), the EPD Certification undergoes third-party verification processes to ensure its reliability. It is particularly used in sectors such as construction materials, industrial products, and energy. The EPD Certification helps companies measure their environmental performance, enabling them to achieve sustainability goals and serving as a critical criterion for green building certifications (such as LEED and BREEAM). Additionally, the EPD Certification provides a competitive advantage in the global market while offering environmental transparency to consumers and stakeholders.
How Does the EPD Certification Process Work?
The starting point of the EPD Certification process is the collection of the necessary data to accurately assess the environmental impacts of a product throughout its lifecycle. At this stage, comprehensive information is gathered from all processes, such as energy use in production, raw material consumption, waste management, and logistics. Ensuring that the collected data is accurate, complete, and consistent is of utmost importance.
The collected data is modeled using various software and databases, and a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) report is generated. This analysis comprehensively reveals the environmental impacts of the product at all stages, from “raw material acquisition to the end user” and even “post-use disposal.” The LCA report is prepared in compliance with ISO 14040/44 and EN 15804 standards and forms the foundation of the EPD Certification.
The preparation process of the EPD Certification begins with converting the results of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which reveals the product’s environmental impacts, into a format that complies with ISO 14025 and EN 15804 standards. The LCA analysis evaluates the environmental impacts of the product in detail across all processes, from production to post-use disposal. During this process, a tailored EPD document is created for the company in accordance with the rules and guidelines set by EPD program operators. The finalized document presents environmental data supported by graphs and tables, ensuring it is transparent, comprehensible, and complete from both technical and visual perspectives.
The prepared LCA report and EPD Certification are subjected to a thorough review by an independent and accredited third-party verifier. During this verification process, the accuracy of the provided information and its compliance with international standards are meticulously evaluated. Once the verification process is successfully completed, the EPD Certification is officially approved and becomes valid.
After the verification stage is successfully completed, the EPD Certification is officially published by an international program operator chosen by the manufacturer.
Why Is the EPD Certification Important?
The EPD Certification plays a critical role in sustainability efforts by presenting the environmental impacts of a product transparently and with scientific data. Prepared based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), it enables the measurement and comparison of environmental performance. It is particularly important for green building certifications (such as LEED and BREEAM), contributing additional points to projects. The EPD Certification provides a competitive advantage in the global market, facilitates export processes, and strengthens customer trust by enhancing environmental transparency. Additionally, it supports companies in achieving sustainability goals, contributes to carbon footprint reduction strategies, and aligns with circular economy principles.
What Is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a scientific analysis method that evaluates the environmental impacts of a product at all stages, from raw material acquisition to production, use, and disposal. It is conducted based on ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. LCA measures data such as energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and waste production, revealing the environmental footprint. This analysis helps define sustainability strategies and allows the comparison of products’ environmental performance. It is a critical step in preparing the EPD Certification, enabling companies to reduce their carbon footprint and fulfill their environmental responsibilities.
What Does ISO 14025 Represent?
ISO 14025 is an international standard developed for environmental labels and declarations. It defines Type III environmental declarations and ensures that the environmental impacts of products throughout their lifecycle are presented based on scientific data. ISO 14025 aims to provide transparent, verified, and comparable environmental information. This allows consumers to make sustainable choices while enabling producers to demonstrate the environmental performance of their products on a global scale, gaining a competitive edge in the market.
Environmental Benefits of the EPD Certification
The EPD Certification provides a transparent evaluation of the environmental impacts of products throughout their lifecycle. By measuring factors such as carbon footprint, energy consumption, and water usage, it identifies areas for improvement. Companies develop strategies to reduce environmental impacts, enhance resource efficiency, and minimize waste. Additionally, it promotes sustainable production processes, contributing to climate change mitigation and circular economy goals.
What Is EN 15804?
EN 15804 is a European standard that defines the basic rules for preparing Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for construction materials and products. It aims to present Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data in a transparent, comparable, and consistent manner. EN 15804 evaluates environmental impacts across all lifecycle stages, from raw material acquisition to production, use, and disposal. EPDs prepared according to this standard are recognized in green building certification systems like LEED and BREEAM and are preferred in sustainable building projects. EN 15804 supports the transparent and reliable demonstration of product environmental performance in the international market.
Who Requests the EPD Certification?
The EPD Certification is typically requested by many stakeholders involved in sustainability-focused projects. In the construction sector, contractors, project managers, and designers seeking compliance with green building certification systems (LEED, BREEAM, DGNB) often require EPDs. These certifications accept EPDs as a mandatory or incentivized criterion for proving the environmental impacts of construction materials.
Additionally, manufacturers and industrialists need EPD Certification to demonstrate the environmental performance of their products, gain a competitive advantage in export processes, and establish credibility in the international market. Investors, suppliers, and consultancy firms in public and private sector projects aiming to achieve sustainability goals also demand EPDs.
Lastly, environmentally conscious consumers and companies review EPD Certifications to understand the environmental impacts of the products they purchase throughout their lifecycle. This document enhances transparency and supports eco-friendly choices.
What Is the Difference Between the EPD Certification and Product Carbon Footprint (PCF)?