The key to a faster and more efficient EPD process is getting the EPD right the first time. Understanding the applicable standards, Product Category Rules (PCRs), programme instructions and verification requirements before submission helps reduce errors, additional review rounds and unnecessary delays.
A smooth EPD process benefits everyone involved:
Manufacturers
EPD practitioners
Third-party verifiers.
So you may ask yourself:
“How do I make my EPD process as smooth as possible?”
This is a question that beginning EPD practitioners ask themselves. It is a relevant one, because time is money and the smoother the process is, the faster it will be to have the verified EPD visible on the Program Operator’s web service.
If you are an EPD practitioner, you ideally want to get your EPD right the first time. Once you are done with it, you can spend your time on the next task at hand, whatever it may be.
If you work for a manufacturing company, chances are that you have multiple projects lined up, just waiting for you to work on them. You probably also have a deadline that you have committed to.
If on the other hand you are an EPD consultant, you have probably committed to a fixed price and a time schedule for completing that EPD. If your EPD does not pass the critical review on the first or even second attempt, you will be spending more time on it, which means less revenue for you.
If you are an EPD verifier, you also want to save time. Josh Morshead, the CEO of EPD Hub actually reached out to us and wanted to cooperate, because they have seen a decline in the quality of EPD’s that come to them for verification. So Josh asked if we could create an EPD training to support people who are stuck in verification. Since we already offered EPD training, we decided to do that. We offer it to anyone though, not just someone working with EPD Hub.
It is of course important for EPD Hub that they maintain a high standard and only allow EPD’s that fulfil all requirements to be published. Because of this they will send feedback to the EPD practitioner if the EPD does not pass the verification. They offer a fixed price for verification, including up to three feedback rounds, and they also have limited resources just like everyone else. So they prefer the EPD’s they receive to pass the verification on the first attempt, not to be sent back and reviewed up to three times. In the worst case scenario the EPD never gets published and nobody is happy.
Now everyone wants a smooth process and the key to a smooth and fast process is quality.
If an EPD meets all the requirements of ISO 14025 and other relevant standards (EN 15804 or ISO 21930 for example), General Program Instructions and the relevant Product Category Rule (PCR), then by definition it will pass the verification. Quality saves time, time is money.
It is not as easy as it sounds though
What are the most common issues EPD practitioners struggle with?
As a practitioner you may be faced with a number of issues… and you need to get all of these right:
Data quality
Data collection documentation; product recipe; total annual values for energy, waste, ancillaries; allocation procedure
Data selection (for secondary data); Representative data; Having results for selected reporting standards (EN1504+A1/+A2); having all needed indicators; Avoiding data inconsistencies
Data quality assessment needs to be performed
Assumptions and "green" statements in the product description
Detailed descriptions; Specific product description including standards and technical/performance characteristics; Life Cycle assumptions, understand exactly the LCA model and its representativeness. Completeness of the model, i.e. all needed materials and processes in each life cycle stage.
Only objective and/or third party verified statements; EPD standards do not allow "low carbon", "environmentally friendly", #green" statements unless there is a 3rd party verification declared for it
Modeling issues
Electricity modeling; Check the PCR requirements, "EPD Hub: market based approach for A3". For renewables: or documented contracts & guarantees of origin, or own electricity production... Data hierarchy of electricity data, use what matches your reality.
Energy and biogenic carbon balancing and reporting; Balances according to standards and PCR for each stage and type of material,: Combustible or not, biogenic or not; Cabcon content according to EN16449
End of life; Defining/selecting adequate scenarios, having module D consistent with C3-C4 scenarios, applying net-flow calculation for benefits and loads accounting
How do you make sure your EPD meets all the requirements?
The best way to improve the quality of an EPD before verification is to understand the applicable requirements and check that the LCA, EPD and supporting documentation meet them. This requires competence in LCA methodology, EPD standards, Product Category Rules, programme instructions and verification expectations.
So how do you gain that knowledge?
Can you ask your verifier? Not really. Under the recently updated ISO 14025, the third party verifier is not allowed to provide consulting to the EPD practitioner whose EPD he or she is verifying. So asking your verifier for help is not an option.
What about trial and error? That is a time consuming and potentially expensive alternative. Your EPD verifier will probably have defined a maximum number of failed attempts that are included in their fee, after which they will charge you more, or simply reject your EPD entirely. Also, even if your EPD would pass on the third feedback round, that would take quite a long time. This is time consuming, frustrating and expensive for everyone.
Education?: Yes, that is the most practical alternative: Get training and build the needed competence before submitting your EPD for verification.
When EPD practitioners understand the applicable standards, General Program Instructions, PCR requirements, data-quality expectations, and common verification pitfalls, they can produce EPDs that are complete, consistent, and ready for review.
The logic is simple:
Competence creates quality.
Quality reduces rework.
Less rework means faster verification.
Faster verification means lower cost and earlier publication.
Education is not an extra cost in EPD production. It is an investment to protect your time, your budget, and your credibility.
How can you learn to do an EPD?
As EPD verifiers are not allowed to offer education or consultation to their EPD clients, you need to look elsewhere. This is why Josh from EPD Hub came to us instead of having EPD Hub develop their own training. ISO 14025 is quite strict about the verifier having to be independent. So if EPD Hub or any other verifier organization suggests that you get some training (by us or someone else), that is the reason behind it. On their webpage, EPD Hub actually lists a few training providers they have identified, and we are one of them https://www.epdhub.com/trainings
Here are the training alternatives we offer:
Already working on an EPD, but stuck in verification?
In case you are already working on an EPD and feel insecure, or if you even submitted one and got an overwhelming amount of feedback from your verifier, you should consider our EPD Bootcamp. It is an intensive two-day training that covers all the main reasons why EPDs fail and how to get your EPD right.
Already know how to do an LCA?
If you want to avoid getting into a difficult situation with your EPD in the first place, and learn proactively while you do your first LCA, then our EPD Practitioner training is what you need. The prerequisite for joining is that you need to know how to do an ISO 14044 compliant LCA. Ideally you should also have completed most of the LCA for the product for which you want to develop an EPD.
After the first couple of weeks of theory, you will be working on your own EPD, for your company or your client. During the project phase of the training program, you will get answers to whatever questions you might have, with the clear target to create a verification-ready EPD. It will still not be a walk in the park, but you won’t be alone. You will get support from Matthias Schulz who is has verified over 500 EPDs, and Fabian Diaz, an EPD practitioner known for high quality standards. This significantly increases your chance of getting your EPD right the first time.
Not yet confident conducting an ISO 14044 compliant LCA?
In case you don’t feel confident that you know how to do the underlying ISO14044 compliant LCA, then you need to start by learning that. Our Hands-on LCA training program is an excellent way to get a solid theoretical foundation paired with practical project based learning. It starts with 60 hours of academic-level studies and continues with an 8-week LCA project. This training has been created by Dr. Gregory Norris, who is one of the world's leading LCA scientists.
Several participants have already completed the full learning journey with us—first building the underlying ISO 14044-compliant LCA, then applying that foundation to develop their own EPD.
If you are uncertain about which training is right for you, go ahead and book a meeting with us to find out together
