EPD Certification

To view the Environmental Product Declaration requirements, please follow this link

WHAT IS EPD?

For most Ukrainian manufacturers, the acronym EPD still sounds like just another complex European bureaucratic term. However, given European integration, the implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and the reconstruction of Ukraine based on the "Build Back Better" principles, this document is rapidly becoming a gateway to major markets.

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a Type III environmental declaration, which is an official, internationally recognized document. In simple terms, it is an environmental passport for your product. It contains accurate, independently verified, and scientifically grounded data on the environmental footprint a product leaves throughout its entire life cycle – from raw material extraction, manufacturing, and transportation to its use and final disposal or recycling.

For most Ukrainian manufacturers, the acronym EPD still sounds like just another complex European bureaucratic term. However, given European integration, the implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and the reconstruction of Ukraine based on the "Build Back Better" principles, this document is rapidly becoming a gateway to major markets.

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a Type III environmental declaration, which is an official, internationally recognized document. In simple terms, it is an environmental passport for your product. It contains accurate, independently verified, and scientifically grounded data on the environmental footprint a product leaves throughout its entire life cycle – from raw material extraction, manufacturing, and transportation to its use and final disposal or recycling.

An EPD is critically important for companies exporting goods to the EU, participating in "green" public procurement, or supplying materials for facilities certified under green building systems (LEED, BREEAM, DGNB). If you manufacture construction materials (cement, glass, metal, insulation, bricks, etc.) and plan to supply them to modern commercial facilities or participate in major international infrastructure projects, developers will require an EPD from you. The presence of this declaration automatically awards points to a building during certification under global environmental standards.

Many manufacturers are intimidated by the novelty of this procedure, but an EPD is not just another environmental certificate that evaluates a product based on "eco/non-eco" criteria. It is a transparent quantitative assessment (e.g., the exact volume of CO2 emissions per 1 ton or 1 cubic meter of products) calculated using the strict international Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology.

STEP-BY-STEP ALGORITHM FOR EPD DEVELOPMENT AND REGISTRATION

Stage 1: Data Collection ➔ Stage 2: LCA Assessment ➔ Stage 3: EPD Preparation ➔ Stage 4: Verification ➔ Stage 5: Registration

Stage	Stage Title	Process Description
Stage 1	Inventory Data Collection for Products	Collecting detailed information regarding the consumption of raw materials, energy resources, water, logistical routes, and waste generation at your production facility over a specified period.
Stage 2	Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)	Conducting scientifically grounded modeling and calculation of the environmental footprint (including the Carbon Footprint) using specialized software in accordance with the ISO 14040/44 standards.
Stage 3	Preparation of the EPD Report	Drafting the official environmental declaration document containing a textual and graphical description of the product's environmental profile in accordance with the Product Category Rules (PCR).
Stage 4	Independent Verification of the LCA and EPD Report	Conducting a mandatory review (audit) of the developed documents by an accredited independent third-party verifier to confirm the accuracy of calculations.
Stage 5	EPD Registration in the EPD International System	Final publication of the verified declaration in the global database of The International EPD System. After this, your certificate becomes public, is recognized worldwide, and receives a unique registration number.

ADVANTAGES OF EPD FOR YOUR BUSINESS

1. Unimpeded export to European Union countries amid the implementation of the carbon tax (CBAM).

The European Union is actively implementing the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Importing goods into the EU without a clear and declared carbon footprint is becoming either impossible or financially unviable due to heavy taxes. An EPD is the primary tool to verify a low level of CO2 emissions.

2. Additional points in tenders and major infrastructure projects.

As part of Ukraine's reconstruction, international donors (The World Bank, EBRD, EIB) impose stringent environmental requirements on procurement. Companies with a verified EPD receive a tremendous competitive edge and higher scores during the evaluation of tender proposals.

3. Official status as an environmentally responsible brand without the risk of "greenwashing".

Instead of unsubstantiated slogans regarding the "eco-friendliness" of your brand, you obtain official figures entered into an international registry that cannot be questioned. This secures the absolute trust of major foreign partners and investors. ICR provides turnkey EPD certification services – from data collection and LCA calculation to verification and declaration registration in the international EPD International system. If you are also interested in ISO 14001 certification – Environmental Management Systems, learn about ISO 14001:2015. Read more about how the certification process is conducted at ICR.