Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as a competitive parameter within sustainable buildings and building materials

S.C. Andersen; H.F. Larsen; L. Raffnsoe; C. Melvang

doi:10.1088/1755-1315/323/1/012145

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as a competitive parameter within sustainable buildings and building materials

S.C. Andersen
, H.F. Larsen
, L. Raffnsoe
, C. Melvang

EPD Danmark
Teknologisk Institut
MiljøForum Fyn Byggeri, Forskerparken 10, DK-5230 Odense
Green Building Council Denmark, Frederiksborggade 22, DK-1360 Copenhagen,

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Article in proceedings › Communication

Abstract

The demand for technical and verified documentation of buildings and building
materials is growing, along with the increasing focus on sustainability in the built environment.
However, despite a common wish to build sustainably, it is still found that EPDs and LCAs are
not always similarly interpreted, leading to misunderstandings on how they should be used to
quantify and verify sustainability along with being a competitive parameter when choosing
materials.
To overcome this barrier this project seeks to discover:
1. How can EPDs be used as a competitive parameter within the sustainable built
environment?
2. How can product specific EPDs, used as an input to building-level LCAs, help to quantify
the concept of ‘circular economy’?
3. How do some countries seem to succeed in introducing EPDs to industry while others
only succeed to a lesser extent?
By involving the Danish building-industry’s value-chain through qualitative interviews,
workshops and reference groups, as well as by contacting EPD programme operators throughout
Europe and USA, a mapping has been performed on the tendencies of how and to what extend
EPDs are used to quantify and support material decision-making in buildings. Further, the drivers
as to why EPDs are used in some countries is investigated along with suggestions on how to boost
the development, use and integration of EPDs with the aim of quantifying and documenting
sustainability in the built environment.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 323 : Sustainable built environment D-A-CH Conference 2019 (SBE19 Graz) 11–14 September 2019, Graz, Austria
Number of pages	10
Volume	323
Publisher	IOP Publishing
Publication date	2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/323/1/012145
Publication status	Published - 2019
Externally published	Yes
Event	Sustainable Built Environment D-A-CH Conference 2019: Transition Towards a Net Zero Carbon Built Environment, SBE 2019 Graz - Graz, Austria Duration: 11. Sept 2019 → 14. Sept 2019

Conference

Conference	Sustainable Built Environment D-A-CH Conference 2019: Transition Towards a Net Zero Carbon Built Environment, SBE 2019 Graz
Country/Territory	Austria
City	Graz
Period	11/09/2019 → 14/09/2019

Series	IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
ISSN	1755-1307

Documents & Links

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1 Ph.D. thesis

Evaluating Frameworks for Decision Support regarding Environmental Sustainability of Circular Economy within the Built Environment
Andersen, S. C., 30. Jan 2024, Syddansk Universitet. Det Tekniske Fakultet. 513 p.
Research output: Thesis › Ph.D. thesis

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Cite this

Andersen, S. C., Larsen, H. F., Raffnsoe, L., & Melvang, C. (2019). Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as a competitive parameter within sustainable buildings and building materials. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 323: Sustainable built environment D-A-CH Conference 2019 (SBE19 Graz) 11–14 September 2019, Graz, Austria (Vol. 323). IOP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/323/1/012145

Andersen, S.C. ; Larsen, H.F. ; Raffnsoe, L. et al. / Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as a competitive parameter within sustainable buildings and building materials. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 323: Sustainable built environment D-A-CH Conference 2019 (SBE19 Graz) 11–14 September 2019, Graz, Austria. Vol. 323 IOP Publishing, 2019. (IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science).

@inproceedings{7879a809dc45436180c09e81cb2e386d,

title = "Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as a competitive parameter within sustainable buildings and building materials",

abstract = "The demand for technical and verified documentation of buildings and building materials is growing, along with the increasing focus on sustainability in the built environment. However, despite a common wish to build sustainably, it is still found that EPDs and LCAs are not always similarly interpreted, leading to misunderstandings on how they should be used to quantify and verify sustainability along with being a competitive parameter when choosing materials. To overcome this barrier this project seeks to discover: 1. How can EPDs be used as a competitive parameter within the sustainable built environment? 2. How can product specific EPDs, used as an input to building-level LCAs, help to quantify the concept of {\textquoteleft}circular economy{\textquoteright}? 3. How do some countries seem to succeed in introducing EPDs to industry while others only succeed to a lesser extent? By involving the Danish building-industry{\textquoteright}s value-chain through qualitative interviews, workshops and reference groups, as well as by contacting EPD programme operators throughout Europe and USA, a mapping has been performed on the tendencies of how and to what extend EPDs are used to quantify and support material decision-making in buildings. Further, the drivers as to why EPDs are used in some countries is investigated along with suggestions on how to boost the development, use and integration of EPDs with the aim of quantifying and documenting sustainability in the built environment. ",

author = "S.C. Andersen and H.F. Larsen and L. Raffnsoe and C. Melvang",

year = "2019",

doi = "10.1088/1755-1315/323/1/012145",

language = "English",

volume = "323",

series = "IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science",

publisher = "IOP Publishing",

booktitle = "IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 323",

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note = "Sustainable Built Environment D-A-CH Conference 2019: Transition Towards a Net Zero Carbon Built Environment, SBE 2019 Graz ; Conference date: 11-09-2019 Through 14-09-2019",

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Andersen, SC, Larsen, HF, Raffnsoe, L & Melvang, C 2019, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as a competitive parameter within sustainable buildings and building materials. in IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 323: Sustainable built environment D-A-CH Conference 2019 (SBE19 Graz) 11–14 September 2019, Graz, Austria. vol. 323, IOP Publishing, IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Sustainable Built Environment D-A-CH Conference 2019: Transition Towards a Net Zero Carbon Built Environment, SBE 2019 Graz, Graz, Austria, 11/09/2019. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/323/1/012145

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as a competitive parameter within sustainable buildings and building materials. / Andersen, S.C.; Larsen, H.F.; Raffnsoe, L. et al.
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 323: Sustainable built environment D-A-CH Conference 2019 (SBE19 Graz) 11–14 September 2019, Graz, Austria. Vol. 323 IOP Publishing, 2019. (IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Article in proceedings › Communication

TY - GEN

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AU - Andersen, S.C.

AU - Larsen, H.F.

AU - Raffnsoe, L.

AU - Melvang, C.

PY - 2019

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N2 - The demand for technical and verified documentation of buildings and building materials is growing, along with the increasing focus on sustainability in the built environment. However, despite a common wish to build sustainably, it is still found that EPDs and LCAs are not always similarly interpreted, leading to misunderstandings on how they should be used to quantify and verify sustainability along with being a competitive parameter when choosing materials. To overcome this barrier this project seeks to discover: 1. How can EPDs be used as a competitive parameter within the sustainable built environment? 2. How can product specific EPDs, used as an input to building-level LCAs, help to quantify the concept of ‘circular economy’? 3. How do some countries seem to succeed in introducing EPDs to industry while others only succeed to a lesser extent? By involving the Danish building-industry’s value-chain through qualitative interviews, workshops and reference groups, as well as by contacting EPD programme operators throughout Europe and USA, a mapping has been performed on the tendencies of how and to what extend EPDs are used to quantify and support material decision-making in buildings. Further, the drivers as to why EPDs are used in some countries is investigated along with suggestions on how to boost the development, use and integration of EPDs with the aim of quantifying and documenting sustainability in the built environment.

AB - The demand for technical and verified documentation of buildings and building materials is growing, along with the increasing focus on sustainability in the built environment. However, despite a common wish to build sustainably, it is still found that EPDs and LCAs are not always similarly interpreted, leading to misunderstandings on how they should be used to quantify and verify sustainability along with being a competitive parameter when choosing materials. To overcome this barrier this project seeks to discover: 1. How can EPDs be used as a competitive parameter within the sustainable built environment? 2. How can product specific EPDs, used as an input to building-level LCAs, help to quantify the concept of ‘circular economy’? 3. How do some countries seem to succeed in introducing EPDs to industry while others only succeed to a lesser extent? By involving the Danish building-industry’s value-chain through qualitative interviews, workshops and reference groups, as well as by contacting EPD programme operators throughout Europe and USA, a mapping has been performed on the tendencies of how and to what extend EPDs are used to quantify and support material decision-making in buildings. Further, the drivers as to why EPDs are used in some countries is investigated along with suggestions on how to boost the development, use and integration of EPDs with the aim of quantifying and documenting sustainability in the built environment.

U2 - 10.1088/1755-1315/323/1/012145

DO - 10.1088/1755-1315/323/1/012145

M3 - Article in proceedings

VL - 323

T3 - IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science

BT - IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 323

PB - IOP Publishing

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Y2 - 11 September 2019 through 14 September 2019

ER -

Andersen SC, Larsen HF, Raffnsoe L, Melvang C. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as a competitive parameter within sustainable buildings and building materials. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 323: Sustainable built environment D-A-CH Conference 2019 (SBE19 Graz) 11–14 September 2019, Graz, Austria. Vol. 323. IOP Publishing. 2019. (IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science). doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/323/1/012145

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as a competitive parameter within sustainable buildings and building materials

Abstract

Conference

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Related research output

Evaluating Frameworks for Decision Support regarding Environmental Sustainability of Circular Economy within the Built Environment

Cite this