Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) play a crucial role in fostering collaboration and sustainability across supply chains. Not only do they provide information, but they can drive positive change by encouraging collaboration and sustainable practices across supply chains. From Developer & Designer through to Contractor, Manufacturer and Supplier, we look at how this collaboration can benefit all.

Written by

Joe Clough

Graduate Sustainability Consultant

To contact please email:

joe.clough@mainer.co.uk

How can the Supply Chains encourage collaboration?

The supply chain is a key component that Mainer Associates used to drive down the embodied carbon within a building. We work at the early stages with Developers, Designers and then later on through Contractors, Manufacturers and Suppliers to reduce embodied carbon targets on projects. The supply chain is key in this process and using EPDs is vital in this collaboration.

How do EPDs work across the Supply Chains?

EPDs play a crucial role in promoting sustainability across various industries, including supply chains. First, let’s delve into how EPDs work in the context of supply chains:

EPDs originated from the need to comprehensively address the environmental impacts of products as traditional assessments often focused on single aspects (e.g., energy consumption or waste generation), leading to fragmented information.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology standardised the assessment of environmental performance throughout a product’s lifecycle.

EPDs as a Product of LCA

LCA assesses environmental impacts, while EPDs provide transparent and standardised information derived from LCA data.

EPDs include lifecycle data (e.g., energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water usage) based on LCA analysis, whilst International standards ensure the scientific basis and credibility of EPDs and Third-party verification enhances transparency and trust among stakeholders1.

Applications of EPDs in Supply Chains

EPDs help companies assess the environmental impacts of their supply chains, by collaborating with suppliers, businesses can optimise material and component environmental performance, enhancing overall sustainability. Supply chain EPD verification also ensures robust data and identifies improvement opportunities.

Efficient Sustainable Practices

EPDs incentivise companies to engage with developers, designers, contractors, manufacturers and suppliers to reduce emissions collaboratively and this engagement improves the product’s overall life cycle and sustainability.

In summary, EPDs provide standardised information, foster transparency, and guide sustainable decision-making across supply chains.

EPD benefits along the Supply Chain

Developers

Risk Mitigation

Understanding the environmental impacts of materials and processes used in development helps mitigate risks associated with potential environmental liabilities. It allows developers to identify and address areas of concern, reducing the likelihood of costly environmental issues down the line.

Improved Resource Management

EPDs provide insights into resource consumption and environmental impacts throughout the lifecycle of a product or development. This information enables developers to optimize resource usage, minimize waste generation, and improve efficiency, leading to cost savings and enhanced sustainability.

Designers

Material Selection

EPDs help designers evaluate and compare the environmental performance of different materials and products. By considering factors such as embodied carbon, energy consumption, and resource depletion, designers can select materials that minimize environmental impacts without compromising performance or aesthetics.

Client expectation

Clients increasingly expect designers to prioritize sustainability in their projects. By incorporating EPDs into their design process, designers can meet client expectations for environmentally responsible design and demonstrate their commitment to sustainability.

Education Tool

EPDs serve as educational tools for designers, helping them deepen their understanding of the environmental implications of their design decisions. By raising awareness of sustainability issues and best practices, EPDs empower designers to make more informed choices and drive positive change in the industry.

Contractors

Compliance and Certification

Many construction projects require compliance with green building standards or certification programs, such as BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method). EPDs provide valuable documentation to demonstrate compliance with environmental performance criteria, facilitating the certification process for contractors.

Quality Assurance

EPDs provide contractors with assurance regarding the environmental performance of the materials and products they use. By selecting materials with verified environmental data, contractors can ensure that they meet project requirements for sustainability and quality, reducing the risk of performance issues or callbacks.

Manufacturers

Market Access and Differentiation

EPDs provide manufacturers with a competitive advantage by demonstrating the environmental performance of their products. This transparency can help manufacturers access markets where environmental considerations are prioritized, such as green building projects or sustainable procurement initiatives. It also helps differentiate their products from competitors, especially when buyers are looking for environmentally preferable options.

Supply Chain Management and Innovation

For manufacturers, EPDs serve as a valuable tool for environmental management and product innovation. By conducting life cycle assessments (LCAs) to develop EPDs, companies gain insights into their production processes and identify areas where efficiency gains can be made. This information can inform strategic decisions, spur innovation, and drive continuous improvement in sustainability performance.

Regulatory Compliance and Market Access

As governments worldwide enact stricter environmental regulations and standards, EPDs can help manufacturers demonstrate compliance with these requirements. Moreover, in some markets, EPDs may be a prerequisite for market access or eligibility for incentives and subsidies aimed at promoting sustainable practices.

Suppliers

Support for Green Procurement

EPDs play a vital role in green procurement initiatives by providing procurers with reliable environmental information to support their purchasing decisions. Governments, businesses, and institutions increasingly incorporate EPDs into their procurement processes to select products with lower environmental footprints, thus driving demand for more sustainable goods and services.

Benchmarking

EPDs follow international standards such as ISO 14025 and EN 15804, ensuring consistency and comparability of environmental information across different regions and industries. This global harmonization facilitates trade and enables companies to communicate their environmental performance effectively in domestic and international markets.

Brand Reputation and Competitive Advantage

By voluntarily disclosing environmental information through EPDs, companies demonstrate their commitment to transparency, sustainability, and corporate responsibility. Such actions can enhance brand reputation and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers who increasingly seek products from socially and environmentally responsible brands.

How can Mainer Associates help?

EPDs are crucial in advancing sustainable development objectives, from fostering transparency and credibility to driving innovation and supporting regulatory compliance.

Working with the supply chain is key to reducing embodied carbon targets. We recently worked on a project, helping 11 & 12 Wellington Place, Leeds to reduce its embodied carbon targets by 333kg CO2e/m2 and EPDs help us achieve this.

By embracing EPDs, we can all make more informed decisions, promote environmentally responsible practices, and contribute to building a more sustainable future.

At Mainer Associates we work with Developers, Designers, Contractors, Manufacturers and Suppliers across the supply chain and create EPDs quickly but without compromising on quality, using One Click LCA software independently verified by a 3rd party, meaning your EPD is recognised by international standard schemes.

If you’d like to start your EPD journey, contact us today at hello@mainer.co.uk

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How do EPDs encourage collaboration throughout the supply chain?

Written by

How can the Supply Chains encourage collaboration?

How do EPDs work across the Supply Chains?