Using Environmental Product Declaration for Competitive Advantage

Transcription

1 Using Environmental Product Declaration for Competitive Advantage Author: Michael Hill, Eco Integrate Ltd

2 Introduction Sustainability and environmental impacts have been high on the business agenda for many years and much progress has been made in improving the performance of organisations and operations within the factory gate. Increasingly however attention is being turned to impacts across the full life cycle and supply chain of products. Much focus has also been given to impacts of greenhouse gas emissions through carbon footprinting but now other sustainability issues and the use of finite resources are becoming increasingly important. More information on the environmental performance of products is therefore being increasingly requested by decision-makers such as buyers in industry and architects and specifiers in construction as they seek to compare products for their sustainability credentials. What is an EPD? As with a nutritional label on food products an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) 1 declares the environmental performance of a product or service. EPD are presented in a standard way in a single report and have to conform to a set of rules and criteria contained in Product Category Rules (PCR) produced by the EPD programme manager. EPD can be produced for any type of product including building materials, food, furniture and electrical products. Typically companies will produce an EPD where their product has perceived environmental benefits or is new to market and there is a wish to declare the sustainability performance. EPD cover a wide range of environmental and sustainability impact areas including: Global warming potential Water consumption Energy consumption (including the amount of renewable energy used) Resource use (raw materials) Waste generation Acidification of land and water Photochemical ozone creation Eutrophication Ozone depletion Abiotic resource depletion Although less common EPD can also include impacts on human health and social responsibility. The production of the EPD has to be undertaken within prescribed rules of the PCR as laid down by the EPD programme manager of which there are several around the 1 The acronym EPD is used in both the singular and plural form. 2

3 world, e.g. Environdec 2 in Sweden and Institut Bauen und Umvelt e.v. 3, Germany. An EPD also has to conform to the ISO standard ISO for the communication of environmental claims and be verified by a third party verification body. Why Would You Consider an EPD? EPD are used to substantiate environmental marketing claims, provide credible data and allow for the comparison of environmental performance between products designed for the same purpose and for which there is a common PCR. For manufacturers they provide a factual description of environmental performance based on a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a product from cradle to grave in a transparent and standard way. This enables buyers and procurers in the supply chain to use EPD as a means of evaluating the environmental performance of a particular product and in comparison with other products with the confidence that it has been assessed on a standard basis, in accordance with set rules and verified by a third party. For consumers they provide an accurate comparison between products designed for the same purpose and assessed on the same basis providing confidence in the decision process for environmental claims. As the results are reported in the same format it removes the need to review and interpret different types of life cycle assessment reports which may be based on different scope and boundaries and methodologies. How to Go About It The first step should be to establish how an EPD fits with the sustainability goals of the organisation and the selected product in particular. What is the reason for considering the EPD and how will the results be utilised for the business benefit of the organisation and for reporting on the sustainability performance of the product in question? Why is this particular product being selected in preference to another product? For example it could be a product that uses less raw materials and energy in manufacture, is a replacement for a competitive product that uses more environmental impactful materials, is a new product that uses innovative materials compared to those traditionally used in the sector or where the product is more durable and therefore needs less maintenance and has lower replacement cycles over the service life. The next step is to select the appropriate PCR that fits with the purpose and use of the selected product. Consideration should also be given to the location of the EPD programme manager with reference to the markets in which the product will be sold. If an applicable PCR does not exist then a new one must be developed describing the scope and methodology for performing the life cycle assessment and the EPD. EPD are based on the results of a life cycle assessment of a product so a study is conducted for the full life cycle and in accordance with the ISO Environmental Management: Life Cycle Assessment Principles and Framework series of standards. In effect the LCA provides the input data to complete the EPD, is governed by the rules as stipulated by the PCR and is conducted in accordance with the ISO series provisions

4 Using the results from the LCA the third step is to create the EPD reporting on the environmental performance of the product across the life cycle stages and the impact headings. The next step is for a comprehensive audit of the EPD to be conducted by a verification body. Finally the EPD is submitted to the programme management organisation for registration. As a minimum the information contained in the EPD must include the certificate number, the name of the organisation carrying out the assessment, the name and signatures of the verifying organisation, a reference to the PCR on which the EPD has been produced and a statement confirming compliance with ISO The convention is also to provide a description of the declared product/unit (called the functional unit in LCA studies) such as one square metre of material of a given thickness to enable a fair and equal comparison with other products. Finally additional information may be reported on the product s performance and other technical data. Conclusion In the future it is likely that interest in the environmental performance of products will increase as procurement departments and specifiers introduce sustainability requirements into their buying decisions. An EPD is a valuable tool in allowing procurement professionals, designers and architects to evaluate and better understand the environmental impacts of products over their full life cycle. For those companies wishing to gain competitive advantage by demonstrating the comparative environmental credentials of their products EPD are a valuable tool for communication in an effective and robust way. For those companies wishing to gain competitive advantage by demonstrating the comparative environmental credentials of their products EPDs are a valuable tool for communication in an effective and robust way 4

5 About CICS CICS (Complete Integrated Certification Services Ltd) provides sustainability assurance, management systems certification and training, and product certification. Services include third party independent assurance of carbon/water footprints, sustainability/corporate responsibility/environmental reports, and verification under the Emissions Trading Scheme, North American Climate Registry, WRI/WBCSD GHG protocol, Carbon Disclosure Project, PAS 2050 and GRI (Global reporting Initiative). CICS also provides ISO Certification services, including management system certification to ISO 9000, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISO and Product Certification. All services are accredited to internationally recognised standards and guidelines and based upon a policy of providing a unique combination of: industry sector knowledge, specialist auditors, service orientation, cost effectiveness and global reach. About Eco Integrate Ltd Eco Integrate provides a range of environmental and sustainability consultancy services including the carbon footprinting of organisations and products using life cycle assessment (LCA) and in conformance with PAS 2050 and GHG Protocol Product Standards. Where a wider range of environmental impacts needs to be assessed in response to client demands or to report on the environmental performance of products LCA methodology is employed in accordance with the ISO series, Environmental Product Declaration and Product Category Rules. Eco Integrate also designs and implements environmental and sustainability improvement programmes, provides environmental auditing and baseline assessment and checks for legislative compliance.