Guide
What is an EPD?
An EPD is an environmental product declaration for a product. It builds on LCA and a PCR. LCAB prepares the data basis. LCAB does not issue the verified EPD.
An EPD is the product declaration. Not ESG.
LCA is the method. Carbon footprint is the climate slice. EPD is the formal Type III declaration that customers and tenders often ask for, especially in construction.
ESG assesses the company. An EPD declares the product. Do not mix the two.
What LCAB prepares
You gather product data, materials, quantities and suppliers. Then you run the guided LCA and fill EN 15804 modules and PCR context.
- Product data, functional unit and system boundary
- LCA following ISO 14040/14044
- EN 15804 modules (typically A1-C). In construction: EN 15804+A2
- PCR and an EPD draft you can send on
What happens outside LCAB
A verified EPD needs a programme operator and an independent third party. LCAB is neither, and LCAB does not certify you.
- Programme operator: sets the rules, PCR and publishes the EPD
- Independent verifier: checks the study outside LCAB
- Only then can you call it verified
How to do it
01
Gather product, materials, quantities and suppliers in LCAB. Without that there is nothing to declare.
02
Run the guided LCA. Set ambition to EPD preparation so you get EN 15804 modules and PCR fields.
03
Find the PCR the customer or programme requires. In construction the frame is typically EN 15804+A2.
04
Generate the EPD preparation in LCAB. It is a documentation draft, not an official EPD.
05
Choose a programme operator and an independent verifier. They check the study outside LCAB.
06
When verification is approved, the programme operator publishes the verified EPD. That step never sits in LCAB.
Common questions
Can LCAB issue a verified EPD?
No. LCAB prepares data, LCA, EN 15804 modules and PCR. A verified EPD needs a programme operator and an independent third party. LCAB is not a programme operator and does not issue it.
Is an EPD the same as ESG?
No. An EPD declares a product environmental impact. ESG assesses the company. An EPD can support the E part. It is not an ESG report.
Is an EPD the same as a digital product passport?
No. An EPD declares environmental impact. A DPP is a broader product passport with traceability and product data. They can share the same master data.
Where do we start if the customer says EPD?
Start with the product, materials and the PCR the customer names. Gather it in LCAB. Decide on programme operator and verification afterwards. Do not promise a verified EPD before it is issued outside LCAB.
Want documentation in one place?
LCAB is a guided platform for companies without an ESG team. Start with the data you already have.