EPDs in the

Construction Sector

An Overview of Drivers, Practices,

and Strategies

Steve Baer

Nicholas Santero

Susan Fredholm Murphy

Speakers

Steve Baer

Principal Consultant

Nicholas Santero

Senior Consultant

Susan Murphy

Senior Consultant

Moderator

John Heckman

Managing Director

Proprietary & Industry-specific Content

Carbon & Energy Optimization

Environmental Management

Sustainability Reporting

Supply Chain Sustainability

Portfolio Sustainability Management

Life Cycle Assessment and Carbon Foot printing

Design for Compliance and Environment

Collaborative Sustainability and Communication

Integrated / Embedded Calculation Engines

Compliance Process Management

LCA Databases and Sustainability Content

Regulatory Content for Product Compliance

Best Practices Library

Benchmarking Libraries

Sustainability Strategy Development

Sustainability Assessment

Sustainability Planning and Management

Sustainability Performance and Improvement

PE International Products and Services Overview

3 31.07.2012

Global locations

PE Offices in: Berlin • Bhilai • Boston • Boulder • Chicago • Copenhagen • Guelph • Hamburg • Istanbul • Johannesburg • Kuala Lumpur •

London • Lyon • Mumbai • Melbourne • Ottawa • Paoli/Philadelphia • Perth • Ravenna • San Francisco • Seattle • Sheffield •

Stuttgart • Tokyo • Vienna • Wellington • Zurich

4 31.07.2012

Global customer base

North America Europe Rest of the World

5 31.07.2012

Unparalleled expertise

22% 29%

27% 22%

15+ years

experience

10 – 15 years

experience 5 – 10 years

experience

< 5 years

experience

29 Dr.’s / PhD’s…

159 Diploma’s / MSc’s

6 31.07.2012

Agenda

1. What are EPDs?

2. Market Drivers

3. EPD Development Process

4. Barriers and Solutions

5. Streamlined EPD Generation using

GaBi

7

What are

EPDs?

8

z

• “I’m looking through you. Where did you go?

I thought I knew you. What did I know?”

– The Beatles

“I’m Looking Through You” on Rubber Soul

• “It is no longer enough to report the positive impacts

of a product. Full disclosure is the only way to create

and support an authentic message in today’s

marketplace.”

– John Wells

President and CEO of Interface Americas

Why Should I Care About Environmental Product

Declarations?

9

Environmental Impact Reporting A Need for Brevity and Consistency

10

Environmental Facts Functional unit: 1 yd3 of 3,000 psi concrete

Primary Energy Demand [BTU] 9.3x105

Renewable [BTU] 5.9x104

Non-Renewable [BTU] 8.7x105

Global Warming Potential [lb CO2 eq] 360

Acidification Potential [lb H+ eq] 40

Eutrophication Potential [lb N eq] 0.39

Ozone Depletion Potential [lb CFC-11 eq] 2.4x10-10

Smog Potential [lb O3 eq] 21

Boundaries: Cradle-to-Gate

Company: XYZ Concrete

Total Recycled Content: 30%

Fly Ash: 20%

Slag: 10%

Image source: adapted from www.turbosquid.com

EPDs, LCAs, and PCRs Decoding the Acronyms

11

Product Category Rule (PCR)

“Set of specific rules, requirements, and guidelines for

developing Type III environmental product declarations

for one or more product categories” (ISO 14025)

The Guidelines

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

“Compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and

the potential environmental impacts of a product

system throughout its life cycle” (ISO 14040)

The Analysis

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

“Providing quantified environmental data using

predetermined parameters and, where relevant,

additional environmental information” (ISO 14025)

The Declaration

• Declare environmental impacts (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, energy demand)

• Facilitate equitable comparisons across similar products

• Encourage the demand for (and supply of) environmentally-preferable products

Succinct reporting of life cycle environmental profiles

• Ensures credibility and consistency with best practices

• Involves multiple third-party review steps

Rigorous creation and verification process

• Standardized through ISO 14025: Type III Environmental Declaration

• Follows ISO 14040/44 standards for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Standardized for consistency

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) Type III Environmental Declaration

12

Market Drivers

13

• EPDs are quickly gaining traction in all industries

• Standard format for communicating environmental performance

• Activity in the B&C sector

• Specific guidelines

• ISO 14025 – General EPD guidance

• ISO 21930 – Specific B&C guidance

• EN 15804 – PCR harmonization

• PCRs already exist for many construction products

• Metals and basic materials

• Building products

Market Drivers Why should you get involved?

14

Structural Steel Asphalt Rejuvenator

Concrete Roofing Tile

• EPDs are being integrated into the

LEED rating system

• Currently put forth as Pilot Credit 61

(formerly Pilot Credit 43)

• LEED v4 Draft, 4th Public Comment

• Credit Category: Materials and

Resources Credit Category

• Credit Name: Materials Life Cycle

Assessment and Disclosure

Market Drivers EPDs in LEED

15

• Two points possible

• One for structural elements

• One for non-structural elements

• Two options

• Industry-wide EPD: calculated at cost

• Product-specific EPD: calculated at

twice cost

Market Drivers EPDs in LEED

16

Market Drivers Webinar Poll

• Why are you interested in EPDs?

(check all that apply)

• Direct demand from customers

• LEED points

• Reliable upstream reporting

• Marketing purposes

• Internal knowledge / Benchmarking

Results will be presented in a few minutes

17

EPD

Development

Process

18

1. Search for and evaluate existing

PCRs

2. If necessary, create a new PCR

3. Conduct an LCA

4. Verify that the LCA follows the PCR

5. Create the EPD

6. Register the EPD with a program

operator

EPD Development Process

19

1. Search for and evaluate existing PCRs

• GEDnet – the Global Environmental Declarations Network

http://pcr-library.edf.org.tw/

• JEMAI – Japanese Environmental Management Association for Industry

http://www.ecoleaf-jemai.jp/eng/pcr.html

• The Green Yardstick

http://nywww.environdec.com/en/Product-Category-Rules/PCR-Search/

• IBU – Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V. (German Institute for Buildings and the Environment)

http://bau-umwelt.de/hp478/Product-Category-Rules-PCR.htm

2. If necessary, create a new PCR

EPD Development Process

20

PCR proposal

Draft creation

Open consultation

Panel review

Approval and publication

Identify Needs

& Drivers

Define Goal &

Scope

Data Collection

Refine Goal &

Scope

Modeling in

GaBi

Run Analysis

Review and

Edit Model

Quality Control

& Check

Final Analysis

& Interpretation

• Product Definitions Goals

• Functional Unit Boundaries

• Data Requirements Exclusions

• Mapping the System

Types of inputs (Materials, Energy,

Costs, etc.)

Information from business units &

suppliers (EH&S, Purchasing,

Process Engineering, Technical

Support, R&D, etc.)

Evaluate environmental

indicators, such as:

• Global Warming

Potential

• Primary Energy Demand

• Acidification

• Eutrophication

• Smog

• Toxicity

Develop Product Profiles,

Communicate to

Customers, Integrate with

ISO 14001, etc.

EPD Development Process

21 April 27,

3. Conduct the LCA

4. Verify the LCA

• Third party verifies that the LCA follows ISO 14040/14044 guidelines

• Conformance with selected PCR

5. Create the EPD

• Follow the program operator template

• Get your marketing department involved

6. Register the EPD with a program operator

• Multiple operators established in North America

EPD Development Process

22

Barriers and

Solutions

23

Barriers and Solutions Time and Resources + Quality Assurance

24

PCR LCA EPD

$, QA

$, QA $, QA

Barriers and Solutions Time and Resources

25

PCR LCA EPD

$, QA

• Define product category

• Develop compliant rules

• Facilitate stakeholder engagement

• Data collection

• LCA modeling

• Generation of results

• Revise according to QA process

• Synthesize LCA into EPD, according to PCR

• Include additional environmental information

• Disclose LCI data and environmental impacts

$, QA $, QA

Barriers and Solutions Quality Assurance

26

PCR LCA EPD

$, QA

• Third party review (with public comment)

• Compliance with ISO 14040 and 14025

• Meets Program Operator rules

• Third party review

• Conformance with PCR and ISO 14040 and 14025

• Data quality (e.g., representativeness)

• Program Operator review

• Conformance with PCR and ISO 14020 and 14025

• Meets Program Operator rules

$, QA $, QA

• Individually, EPDs are resource-intensive

• LCA reports are thorough, detail-oriented documents

• EPDs often only reflect a single products

• How can we…

• …decrease the time and financial resources needed to create an EPD?

• …expand the breadth of products/families declared?

• …create consistent reports?

• …capture variability across different supply chains?

Barriers and Solutions Removing Costs through Streamlining

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Barriers and Solutions Removing Costs through Streamlining

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EPD

EPD

EPD

PCR

PCR

PCR

LCA

LCA

LCA

Barriers and Solutions Removing Costs through Streamlining

29

EPD

EPD

EPD

PCR

$, QA LCA

LCA

LCA

Barriers and Solutions Removing Costs through Streamlining

30

EPD

EPD

EPD

PCR

$, QA

LCA +

Tool

$, QA

Barriers and Solutions Removing Costs through Streamlining

31

PCR

$, QA

LCA +

Tool

$, QA

Streamlined

EPD Generation

using GaBi

32

Barriers and Solutions Removing Costs through Streamlining

33

PCR

$, QA

LCA +

Tool

$, QA

Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi Association Members with Existing Templates

34

1. Gain Web-Access to Existing GaBi LCA

Model with EPD template for select PCRs

• Working together with industry associations, PE

has already prepared standard models and EPD

templates for some product category rules.

• Gain access to this site through your association

or directly from PE

Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi Association Members with Existing Templates

35

1. Gain Web-Access to Existing GaBi LCA

Model with EPD template for select PCRs

2. Enter your company-specific product data

• Bill of Materials

• Scrap Rate,

• Energy Utilization

• etc.

Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi Association Members with Existing Templates

36

1. Gain Web-Access to Existing GaBi LCA

Model with EPD template for select PCRs

2. Enter your company-specific product data

3. Export draft EPD to Rich Text Format

Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi Association Members with Existing Templates

37

1. Gain Web-Access to Existing GaBi LCA

Model with EPD template for select PCRs

2. Enter your company-specific product data

3. Export draft EPD to Rich Text Format

4. Apply Corporate Logos/Images and

other final edits in Word Processor

Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi Association Members with Existing Templates

38

1. Gain Web-Access to Existing GaBi LCA

Model with EPD template for select PCRs

2. Enter your company-specific product data

3. Export draft EPD to Rich Text Format

4. Apply Corporate Logos/Images and other

final edits in Word Processor

5. Submit EPD to Program Operator for

Verification

• PE has professional relationships with many

program operators

Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi Association Members with Existing Templates

39

1. Gain Web-Access to Existing GaBi LCA

Model with EPD template for select PCRs

2. Enter your company-specific product data

3. Export draft EPD to Rich Text Format

4. Apply Corporate Logos/Images and other

final edits in Word Processor

5. Submit EPD to Program Operator for

Verification

6. Repeat Steps 2-5 in future years

• PE updates underlying data (energy and

materials) annually

Updated Annually

Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi GaBi Users

40

1. Model Product Life Cycle in GaBi according

to your company-specific product and

applicable PCR

Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi GaBi Users

41

1. Model Product Life Cycle in GaBi according

to your company-specific product and

applicable PCR

2. Apply generic EPD template or PCR-specific

template

Streamlined EPD Generation Using GaBi GaBi Users

42

1. Model Product Life Cycle in GaBi according

to your company-specific product and

applicable PCR

2. Apply generic EPD template or PCR-specific

template

3. Export draft EPD to Rich Text Format

4. Apply Corporate Logos/Images and other

final edits in Word Processor

5. Submit EPD to Program Operator for

Verification

6. Repeat Steps 2-5 in future years

Updated Annually

Case study

Client Large electronics company

Project

Overview

• Develop EPDs for 59 printers in 14

families

• Streamline EPD generation for

each product

Goals

• Enable EPEAT silver rating

• Build LCA capacity within company

• Identify strategic opportunities for

environmental improvement

43

Outputs

• Publication-ready EPDs for all

printers

• LCA tool to support future analyses

Case study

Client Interface

Project

Overview

• Support a commitment to

transparency

• Ascertain cradle-to-grave

information for product families

Goals

• Create product-specific EPDs for all

carpet lines

• Identify high-impacts sources and

strategies for impact reduction

44

Outputs

• 90% (and counting) of products are

documented through EPDs

• Integration of multiple reduction

methods (e.g., material substitution)

Interface®

• Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)

• Declare environmental impacts using LCA principles

• Growing importance in the building and construction

community, including integration into LEED v4

• EPD development process

•

• Multiple quality assurance steps ensure credibility

• A single EPD can be resource-intensive to generate

• Significant advantages to streamlining EPD development

• Use custom tools to generate EPDs

• Large economy of scale benefits reduced cost + time

Summary

45

PE Assistance at All Levels

46

Internal effort and expertise Consulting support

PE training on GaBi 5

LCA software and

databases

PE Support for

LCA modeling and

EPD generation

Use of PE-designed i-

report to generate on-

demand EPDs

Access to web-based

i-report to generate

on-demand EPDs

Use of PE-designed

EPD templates

z

Steve Baer

617-247-4477 ext 112

s.baer@pe-international.com

Susan Fredholm Murphy

617-247-4477 ext 106

s.murphy@pe-international.com

Nicholas Santero

617-247-4477 ext 123

n.santero@pe-international.com

Contact Information

47