Why Standardized EPDs Are the Future of Green Building Procurement

Environmental Product Declarations are essential tools for measuring the embodied carbon and other impacts of building products and can secure valuable point-based credits in green building rating systems, such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED and Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes. But if you’ve ever found them confusing, unreliable or hard to compare, you’re not alone.

For years, procurement managers struggled with an uneven playing field. Manufacturers could cherry-pick data metrics and scope for similar products. This resulted in materials being chosen based on incomplete or intentionally misleading data, undermining the goal of genuinely sustainable building.

That era is officially over.

Building on a decade of standardization efforts, a critical shift in the building industry now makes EPDs trustworthy, comparable, and genuinely useful for compliance: the implementation of the Product Category Rule.

Understanding the Role of the Product Category Rule

The chaos of noncomparable EPDs stemmed from a lack of agreed-upon standards for conducting the underlying lifecycle assessment. An EPD is simply a consumer-friendly summary of the much longer technical LCA document. Without standardization, each LCA could define its scope, boundaries, and most importantly, its declared unit differently for products intended for the same application.

The PCR solves this problem. It is a consensus-driven document that establishes the specific rules and metrics that all products used in a similar application must follow when producing an EPD. By standardizing the LCA, the PCR ensures that the calculated embodied carbon and other key environmental impact metrics are accurate and directly comparable across all compliant materials, which greatly simplifies comparisons.

The PCR mandates three key elements:

1. Scope and Boundaries: What stages of the product’s life cycle must be included (e.g., raw material extraction, manufacturing and transport).
2. Data Inputs: The types of data that must be collected and reported.
3. Declared Unit: The single, consistent functional or physical unit upon which all environmental impacts must be measured. For example, for piping, the PCR would mandate the use of a linear foot of pipe, eliminating the confusion of comparing pipes by weight.

For example, without a PCR, a manufacturer of a heavier, less durable product could choose to declare the environmental impact of its declared unit by product weight and a short time frame and appear “greener” than a superior, lighter competitor that lasts. But when impact is declared by a more rational metric, such as installed linear foot, and uses a fixed span of time, the truth of which is the “greener” products is much more obvious. The PCR basically eliminates market confusion and delivers reliable, apples-to-apples comparisons.

3 Checks for a Fair EPD Comparison

While the PCR provides the essential groundwork for comparability, not all EPDs are created equal. To ensure a truly equitable comparison between two products, a facility manager should check the following:

1. Same Product Category Rule: Verify the EPD cites the exact same PCR. This guarantees they used the same declared unit and LCA scope.
2. Same Declared Unit/Function: Ensure both products fulfill the same functional purpose (e.g., both are for exterior pipe service, not one exterior and one interior).
3. Same EPD Type: Compare like with like: either two product-specific EPDs (representing a single company’s product) or two industry-wide EPDs (representing an industry average for benchmarking).

The Importance of EPDs in Green Rating Systems

The drive toward standardization has made EPDs powerful assets for securing certification. Standardized, industry-average EPDs are now explicitly recognized and awarded point credits under major green building rating systems for both new construction, core and shell, and even renovation projects.

Standardized EPDs are recognized in:

• LEED v4.1 (Materials and Resources: Disclosure and Optimization): Industry-wide EPDs are accepted to earn credit for material disclosure.
• Green Globes 2024 (Section 5.2.1.1): Recognized under the product lifecycle section.
• International Green Construction Code (IGCC) 2025 (Section 901.4.1): Accepted for disclosure and compliance with the green construction code.

Recognize that using a material with a valid, standardized EPD significantly simplifies the documentation process required for certification. You are automatically gathering necessary data to fulfill the disclosure criteria for the Materials and Resources section of most green building rating systems.

Apt for Renovation and Core-and-Shell Projects Too

While new construction projects often drive the adoption of EPDs, they are equally relevant for facilities managers overseeing existing buildings. Green building programs have specific renovation and core-and-shell rating systems, and these standardized EPDs provide a clear, vendor-neutral pathway to earn credits when replacing or upgrading building components.

For core-and-shell or major renovation projects, actively seek out materials with published EPDs. This ensures you fulfill any disclosure requirements and maximize the credit points available under major programs such as LEED’s Interior Design and Construction, and Green Globes’ Sustainable Interiors, Existing Buildings or Core and Shell specifically targeting material replacement or upgrade sections.

Transparency as a Competitive Advantage

The commitment to standardization goes beyond compliance; it provides unprecedented, vendor-neutral transparency that is becoming a competitive necessity for leading industries.

The Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association (PPFA) is a prime example of an industry leading this charge. Recognizing the need for clear comparison, the PPFA recently published 22 industry-average EPDs for plastic piping products from a PCR-driven LCA.

An industry-average EPD is a third-party-verified document that reflects the pooled, anonymous environmental data of multiple manufacturers within an industry. This approach ensures:

• Vendor Neutrality: It does not favor a single manufacturer.
• Accuracy: It represents the typical impact of the product across the industry.
• Anonymity: It requires data submission from a minimum number of companies (typically three) to protect proprietary information.

By embracing the PCR and publishing industry-average EPDs, associations such as PPFA provide building professionals with a reliable, readily available resource. This commitment signals confidence in their environmental performance—a standard all industries should be judged by.

Leveraging Standardized EPDs for Future Projects

The standardization driven by the PCR process eliminates confusion and empowers you to make confident, verifiable and responsible material choices. Be sure to leverage standardized EPDs in your next project, whether it’s a new build or a renovation:

• Specify by PCR: When writing material specifications, include a requirement that all submitted EPDs must adhere to the latest available Product Category Rules for that material type. This guarantees you are receiving and comparing data using the appropriate declared unit. Get the points your project deserves! 
• Demand Transparency: Use the lack of a standardized EPD or the use of an unstandardized methodology as a key consideration in your selection process. Transparent industries that invest in PCRs are showing commitment, while those that do not publish may be concealing energy-intensive production practices.