What Factors Determine the Quality and Reliability of an Environmental Product Declaration?

When businesses and designers rely on sustainability information, they need documents that are clear, trustworthy, and consistent. This is why understanding the factors that influence the quality and reliability of an Environmental Product Declaration becomes essential. An EPD is only as strong as the process behind it, and knowing what affects that strength helps professionals evaluate whether the information can be used with confidence. In this introductory section, we will explore the foundations that determine how credible an EPD truly is, while also acknowledging how environmental product declarations serve as useful tools for environmental decision making.

Understanding the Purpose of an EPD

Before exploring the factors that influence quality, it is important to understand what an EPD actually does. An EPD is a standardized document that communicates the environmental performance of a product over its entire life cycle. It is not designed to judge the product as good or bad. Instead, its goal is to present verified data so that decision makers can compare options through a consistent format.

Because EPDs follow strict rules and structured methods, many people assume that all EPDs are equal in reliability. However, this is far from true. Some EPDs are more rigorous than others. Some rely on stronger data. Some follow more detailed calculation rules. And the credibility of the verification process also varies. This is why analyzing the factors that shape quality is essential for anyone who uses EPDs in design, procurement, manufacturing, or sustainability reporting.

Factor One: The Quality of the Life Cycle Assessment

Why the LCA Foundation Matters

Every EPD is built on a Life Cycle Assessment. The strength of the LCA determines the accuracy of the EPD. If the LCA is missing data, uses inconsistent assumptions, or lacks transparency, the entire document becomes weaker.

Elements That Influence LCA Quality

Several conditions determine whether the LCA within an EPD is trustworthy:

• Completeness of data: The LCA should include all relevant stages from raw material extraction to end of life.
  
  

• Accuracy of data sources: Reliable data is usually recent, regionally relevant, and based on measured values rather than guesses.
  
  

• Modeling assumptions: The LCA should openly state its assumptions, such as energy sources, transportation distances, and manufacturing processes.
  
  

• Methodological consistency: The LCA needs to follow standardized methods to ensure that the results can be compared with other products.
  
  

If any of these pieces are missing or weak, the final EPD results can become misleading, even if the document appears complete at first glance.

Factor Two: The Use of Product Category Rules

What Product Category Rules Do

Product Category Rules, often called PCRs, are guidelines that explain how to create an EPD for a specific product type. They define which environmental impacts must be included, what data to use, how to measure performance, and how to present the information.

Why PCR Quality Matters

The quality of a PCR directly affects the level of detail inside an EPD. A strong PCR creates stricter guidelines, which lead to more consistent and reliable results. A weak PCR leaves room for interpretation, inconsistency, and variation.

A reliable PCR should:

• Set clear boundaries for the LCA.
  
  

• Identify required data sources.
  
  

• Use consistent impact assessment methods.
  
  

• Provide transparent instructions for EPD creators.
  
  

Without well-developed PCRs, comparing two EPDs becomes extremely difficult. Even if both documents have accurate data, they might not follow the same rules, making the comparison uneven.

Factor Three: Transparency of the Information

Clear Documentation Improves Reliability

Transparency is one of the biggest indicators of EPD quality. A strong EPD provides enough detail for someone to understand the product’s environmental impacts and review the assumptions behind them.

A transparent EPD will explain:

• How the data was collected.
  
  

• What assumptions were made.
  
  

• What limitations exist within the LCA.
  
  

• How the calculations were performed.
  
  

• Why certain processes or data points were excluded.
  
  

If an EPD hides important information or uses unclear terms, it becomes harder to trust the results. Transparency does not mean overwhelming the reader with technical complexity. Instead, it means presenting the information in a clear way that allows others to evaluate the credibility of the analysis.

Factor Four: The Verification Process

Importance of Independent Review

Another key factor influencing quality is verification. A reliable EPD uses third-party verification, meaning that an independent expert reviews the LCA and the final document. This ensures that the methodology follows recognized standards and that the data is presented correctly.

What Strong Verification Looks Like

Quality verification includes:

• Review by someone with expertise in LCA and environmental standards.
  
  

• Ensuring the EPD follows the correct PCR.
  
  

• Verifying that data sources are credible.
  
  

• Checking that calculations are accurate.
  
  

• Confirming that the document includes all required sections.
  
  

Some EPDs rely on self-declaration instead of third-party verification. These documents might still contain useful information, but they are not considered as reliable because they have not undergone an independent review.

Factor Five: Quality of Data Sources

Primary vs Secondary Data

Data quality plays a major role in the strength of an EPD. Data is generally categorized as primary or secondary. Primary data comes directly from measurements at a manufacturing facility. Secondary data comes from databases, literature, or estimated values.

While both forms of data are used in LCAs, strong EPDs prefer primary data whenever possible. Secondary data is acceptable as long as it is reliable, up to date, and appropriate for the region or process being analyzed.

Age and Relevance of Data

Data should also be current. The more recent the information, the more accurate the environmental profile. Old data may reflect technologies, energy sources, or manufacturing practices that no longer exist.

Factor Six: Boundary Choices and System Definitions

How Boundaries Influence Results

Life cycle boundaries determine which parts of the product’s life are included in the analysis. For example, some EPDs include maintenance, replacement, and disposal, while others stop at manufacturing. These boundary choices affect the results.

Why Clear Boundaries Strengthen Reliability

A high quality EPD will:

• Clearly show which stages are included.
  
  

• Explain why certain stages are not included.
  
  

• Use consistent boundaries that follow the PCR.
  
  

Without this clarity, someone reading the EPD may misunderstand the real environmental impact of the product. Boundaries ensure that comparisons are fair and meaningful.

Factor Seven: Consistency With International Standards

Standards Provide Structure

EPDs are governed by a series of international standards that guide how they are created. The most important standards outline:

• Requirements for LCAs.
  
  

• Rules for reporting impacts.
  
  

• Structure of the EPD document.
  
  

Staying consistent with these standards ensures that EPDs remain trustworthy across different industries and regions.

The Impact of Standardization

When an EPD follows clear international standards, the results become more comparable across product types and markets. This consistency supports transparency, fairness, and reliability in environmental reporting.

Factor Eight: Clarity of Communication

A Readable EPD Increases Trust

Even when the underlying data is strong, the way the information is communicated can affect trust. A reliable EPD presents information clearly and avoids overly technical wording that may confuse readers.

A well written EPD:

• Uses logical organization.
  
  

• Offers clear explanations of results.
  
  

• Provides visual aids such as tables or figures when appropriate.
  
  

• Avoids unnecessary complexity.
  
  

Clarity ensures that the audience understands the environmental performance without misinterpretation or confusion.

Factor Nine: Updates and Revisions

Why Regular Updates Matter

Products change over time. Manufacturing processes evolve. Energy mixes vary by year. As these changes occur, an EPD must remain current to maintain accuracy.

Most EPDs have an expiration or recommended update period. When an EPD is regularly updated, it remains relevant and trustworthy.

The Role of Continuous Improvement

Regular updates allow manufacturers to incorporate improvements and refine their environmental strategies. This also supports transparency and accountability across the product’s lifespan.

Factor Ten: Comparability and Context

EPDs Need Context for Good Decision Making

An EPD may contain accurate data but still be misinterpreted if presented without context. Readers need to understand the broader environmental implications of the results. This includes the scale of impacts, comparisons within a category, and the role of assumptions.

Good EPDs help readers understand:

• How impacts are distributed across life cycle stages.
  
  

• What factors influence the results most.
  
  

• How the product compares to similar categories.
  
  

Without contextual explanations, even high quality data can be misunderstood.

Using EPDs Effectively

Effective use of environmental product declarations requires more than simply reading numbers on a page. Decision makers should look at the assumptions behind the data, the verification process, and the structure of the document before drawing conclusions. Understanding these factors allows professionals to avoid misinterpretation and make informed choices based on accurate, transparent information.

Ensuring Trust in Environmental Data

Trust grows when data is clear and reliable. High quality EPDs support better sustainability decisions, reinforce transparency, and help communicate environmental impacts in a standardized way. By evaluating the factors discussed above, readers can better understand how to interpret an EPD and what signs indicate reliability.

Final Thought

Quality and reliability are essential for any document used in environmental decision making. Strong EPDs reflect rigorous data collection, transparent reporting, strong verification, and consistency with standards. When these elements work together, environmental product declarations become powerful tools that help transform sustainability from intention into informed action. By understanding what drives quality, readers can rely on EPDs with confidence and make choices that support meaningful environmental progress.