The EPD Imperative

COGNITION Smart Data reveals exploding demand for Environmental Product Declarations. Are you prepared for the discussion?

The building industry is abuzz with conversations about reaching net zero carbon through sustainable design, building science best practices, green construction techniques, low carbon products (from low-carbon companies), and carbon offsets.

Ratcheting codes, new climate disclosure regulations, and investor requirements are certainly driving the discussion.  So are shifting market dynamics.

Green Builder Media’s COGNITION Smart Data offers compelling insights into how the market has evolved just in the last few years when it comes to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

What’s An EPD?

An is a standardized document that communicate the environmental performance and human health impacts of a product over its lifetime.   EPDs are based on a product’s life-cycle assessment, or LCA, which measures potential environmental impact from natural resource acquisition, through the production and use stage, and ultimately to end of life disposal or recycling.

EPDs are derived from product category rules, or PCRs, which outline how data is collected for specific types of products. As a result of having PCRs, EPDs enable a standard of comparison between different products in the same category, taking into account the most significant environmental aspects of a product and showing objective and verifiable information about the environmental impact.

Clarion Call

In a very short timeframe, EPDs have transformed from obscure to vital.  According to a recent COGNITION survey:

• Nearly 70% of builders claim that they’re familiar with EPDs.
• Over 40% of builders state that EPDs are a “must-have” when specifying products, and another 50% said that EPDs are influential but not a deal breaker. 
• Approximately 85% of builders currently specify products with EPDs.  
• Of those builders who aren’t currently specifying products with EPDs, 50% say that they’ll start doing so within the next year, and 45% say they’ll start doing so in the next few years.  Less than 5% say that they won’t specify products with EPDs.
• When asked why they specify products with EPDs, the top three responses were understanding product roadmaps, regulatory requirements, and consumer demand. 
• Nearly 50% of builders report that they rely on both industry-average and product-specific EPDs equally, whereas nearly 40% prefer product-specific EPDs.
• 35% of builders look for products with EPDs at the product specification stage, 30% look for them during the design phase, and 20% at the product comparison stage.
• Over 60% of builders assert that they’re seeing an increased demand for products with EPDs by consumers.  Another 20% respond that while consumers might not be asking specifically for EPDs, they’re looking for product certifications and information to verify sustainability attributes.

This new COGNITION data is important for building professionals and manufacturers alike.  For builders, offering homes that have low carbon products backed up by EPDs is an excellent way to differentiate your offering, enhance your brand reputation, justify your pricing,  and add value to buyers.

For manufacturers, EPDs are becoming a baseline necessity not just for builders and other product specifiers, but for states like California and municipalities like Boston that are beginning to require that homes and buildings reduce embodied and operational carbon emissions.

Interested in learning more? Green Builder Media’s COGNITION Academy has robust courses on net zero carbon building, green building fundamentals, green product essentials and green building program like ENERGY STAR, Zero Energy Ready Homes, Indoor airPLUS, WaterSense, and HERS ratings. Visit the COGNITION Academy microsite to enroll today!

Check out the COGNITION Carbon Offsets Marketplace if you’re interested in purchasing carbon offsets to mitigate emissions from your products, projects or lifestyle.