EPD Made Simple: How to Interpret Environmental Product Declarations

Milja Sarapää, VILPE’s project manager and EPD expert

Sustainable development and environmental friendliness have become key themes in the construction industry, as the impacts of building materials and processes on the environment are significant. Amid the climate crisis, it is increasingly important to understand how material choices affect the overall environmental impacts of construction. Supporting this effort are Environmental Product Declarations, or EPDs, whose purpose is to provide transparent, standardized, and third-party-verified information about the environmental impacts of products throughout their entire lifecycle.

How should EPDs be read and interpreted to ensure that the information they provide truly guides more sustainable choices? We asked Milja Sarapää, VILPE’s project manager and EPD expert, who is responsible for the company’s own calculations and the preparation of environmental declarations.

What does EPD mean and why is it important?

An EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) is an environmental declaration based on a life cycle assessment (LCA). It provides information about a product’s environmental impacts, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal.

“EPD calculations help compare the environmental impacts of products objectively and consistently, enabling designers, builders, and procurement professionals to make more informed and low-carbon material choices,” says Sarapää.

EPDs and legislation

The European Union’s Construction Products Regulation (CPR) and national regulations are increasingly emphasizing the environmental properties of construction products. For example, CE-marked products are required to provide information on their carbon footprints. Several EU member states, including Finland, have incorporated requirements into their national legislation for assessing the environmental impacts of buildings and construction materials.

“The requirement for a climate declaration will take effect on January 1, 2026, and will apply to all new construction projects requiring permits, except for single-family homes, semi-detached houses, renovations, or extensions. The level of requirements and their definitions are still under development. The requirement will likely apply to primary products, such as concrete materials, and will mandate the use of EPDs to evaluate the environmental impacts of construction materials,” explains Sarapää.

What information does an EPD contain?

An EPD presents various environmental impact indicators that measure aspects such as a product’s greenhouse gas emissions, impact on the ozone layer, acidification and eutrophication potential, and photochemical ozone formation. It also specifies which lifecycle stages are included in the assessment.

“For example, the Global Warming Potential (GWP) indicates the heating potential of greenhouse gases, standardized to carbon dioxide equivalence. However, it’s important to consider all indicators, as a single figure doesn’t tell the whole story. A comprehensive assessment of environmental impacts includes multiple perspectives, such as the risks of eutrophication or acidification,” explains Sarapää.

How to read and compare EPD calculations

  1. Check and relate to the declared unit: Ensure that the EPDs you are comparing use the same declared unit, such as “1 kg of product” or “1 m² of installed material.” This makes the results comparable.
  2. Examine lifecycle stage coverage: It is essential to consider which lifecycle stages the EPD covers. Some EPDs may only include production stages (A1–A3 and C- and D-stages), while others expand the scope to include installation, usage, and deconstruction. Comparisons are fair only if the assessments cover the same stages.
  3. Evaluate all indicators together: Focusing solely on the carbon footprint is not enough. Examine multiple impact indicators to get a comprehensive view. A product might have low emissions but pose a significant risk of eutrophication, which could be critical for local water bodies.
  4. Relate values to your project: Consider how the environmental impacts of the product reflect on your construction project. For instance, if the project is near valuable water bodies, the eutrophication potential (EP) may become a particularly important selection criterion.

How are EPD calculations done at VILPE?

VILPE is committed to sustainable development and strives to minimize the environmental impacts of its operations across all production stages. The company’s products emphasize energy efficiency, low carbon emissions, and durability. Sarapää, together with her project team, prepares the calculations required for verifying VILPE’s EPDs. VILPE has decided to perform the calculations internally, as this enables continuous updates while also enhancing internal expertise.

For the calculations, Sarapää uses the One Click LCA software, from which data is automatically sent to EPD Hub experts for verification. Published EPDs are valid for five years. If a product or its manufacturing process is significantly changed (impact over ±10%), the calculations are updated. Additionally, the EPD is revised and sent for re-verification.

“When we at VILPE carry out the EPD calculations ourselves, we stay up to date on the environmental impacts of our products and can develop our operations in a more environmentally friendly direction. For example, EPD calculations are now also taken into account in the design of new products. If, for instance, a material is replaced with a more sustainable but perhaps more energy-intensive raw material, we can perform new calculations and ensure that the EPD data reflects reality. This way, the customer can trust that the calculations are up to date,” says Sarapää.

Remember the big picture

According to Sarapää, an EPD is a valuable tool, but it does not cover aspects such as a product’s social impacts, like working conditions or user well-being. Sometimes calculations can be inaccurate because the data might be incomplete or generic. A comprehensive sustainability assessment also requires additional data sources and perspectives.

“An EPD is primarily a tool to support decision-making and the development of operations. It provides a clear and measurable view of certain environmental aspects. However, I encourage looking at the sustainability of construction projects from a broad perspective: in addition to materials, factors such as energy efficiency, lifespan, maintenance needs, and recycling opportunities must also be considered,” Sarapää states.

Read more:

Example of the EPD for VILPE’s Croco fasteners.

EPD for Croco FastenersDownload