{"id":134374,"date":"2023-11-06T08:52:38","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T08:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=134374"},"modified":"2023-11-06T09:32:12","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T09:32:12","slug":"the-importance-environmental-product-declarations-sustainable-construction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/planning-construction-news\/the-importance-environmental-product-declarations-sustainable-construction\/134374\/","title":{"rendered":"The importance of Environmental Product Declarations in sustainable construction"},"content":{"rendered":"

The number of Environmental Product Declarations published for concrete products has surged, but at the same time, there is a shortage of third-party verifiers. Dr Andrew Minson and Nicolas Antoniou of the Global Cement & Concrete Association make the case for automation of EPD production<\/h2>\n

The construction industry is responsible for a significant proportion of the world\u2019s greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts. However, there is a growing movement towards sustainable construction, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of buildings throughout their entire lifecycle, from the extraction of raw materials to the demolition and disposal of the building.<\/p>\n

This shift towards sustainability has given rise to various tools and methodologies, including Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).<\/p>\n

Understanding Environmental Product Declarations<\/h3>\n

EPDs provide transparent and comparable information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle and help stakeholders make informed decisions that align with sustainability goals. EPDs are developed in accordance with international standards and are verified by independent third-party organisations.<\/p>\n

EPDs can be used by architects, engineers and other decision-makers to select building materials and products with a lower environmental impact<\/a>. For example, an engineer may use EPDs to compare the environmental impact of different types of concrete.<\/p>\n

They are also important for achieving green building certifications, such as LEED and BREEAM. Many green building rating systems require projects to earn points for using building materials with EPDs.<\/p>\n

As environmental regulations become more stringent, EPDs are often required for compliance. In many regions, construction projects are mandated to meet certain sustainability criteria, and EPDs are a valuable tool for demonstrating adherence to these requirements. Furthermore, EPDs will play a fundamental role in public low-carbon procurement in the near future.<\/p>\n

The GCCA EPD tool<\/h3>\n

The Global Cement & Concrete Association (GCCA) has developed a web-based solution that allows producers to create Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for clinker, cement, concrete, aggregates and precast products. The GCCA EPD tool<\/a>\u00a0is based on a standardised lifecycle assessment (LCA) methodology that has been developed specifically for the cement and concrete industry.<\/p>\n

The GCCA EPD tool can help cement and concrete producers to:<\/p>\n