Environmental Product Declarations in Construction: Navigating the Need for EPDs in a Diverse and Global Construction Industry
The buildings across our planet contribute to over a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. In construction, until recently, ongoing operational energy consumption has been the greatest source of emissions – and accordingly, where reduction efforts have tended to focus. However, as buildings become more efficient and the greening of the energy sector results in greater reductions in CO2 emissions, the relative contribution of embodied carbon to a building’s lifetime is becoming more important. An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) provides verified information about the impact a material or product has upon the environment based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). EPDs are similar to the food ingredient labels – although quantifying a variety of environmental impacts including global warming gases, toxicity to water and land, fossil fuel depletion and water extraction. For more information on EPDs, download our complimentary webinar.