A product-specific type III EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) provides transparent and verified information on the environmental impact of a product.  In addition to describing a product’s main ingredients and how it is made, an EPD analyzes and assesses its environmental impacts during all phases of its Life Cycle.

An EPD is a rather complex document that can be difficult to comprehend, especially its numerical data, where results are presented in summary form through the use of a series of environmental indicators. This practical guide aims to help you better understand  the most important variables.

Before attempting to decipher an EPD, one must first grasp the meaning of Global Warming Potential (GWP).

What is GWP?

The GWP (Global Warming Potential) is a measured indicator of the impact of a product on the greenhouse effect. GWP is also sometimes referenced as a product’s  Carbon Footprint.

In summary, the greenhouse effect is caused by greenhouse gases, substances that trap heat in the atmosphere and cause warming of the Earth’s surface. To compare the climate impact of different greenhouse gases, their warming potential is calculated relative to carbon dioxide (CO₂), with an expressed unit of measurement known as CO₂e or CO₂ equivalent. Because CO₂ is the primary greenhouse gas responsible for most of the Earth’s warming, it was selected to serve as the reference gas. In an EPD, a product’s GWP is quantified into kg CO₂ eq.

Global Warming

An  increase in the release of greenhouse gases, caused by human activities, leads to excessive warming. In practice, when greenhouse gases increase, Earth’s ability to disperse the surplus heat back into space is progressively compromised, thus upsetting the Earth’s energy balance.