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INSULATION
Declaring an interest in hitting lower carbon goals
Neil Turner of Ecological Building Systems explores how Environmental Product Declarations are helping the construction industry move towards its goals of low carbon building, by providing verifi ed information on environmental impact.
An EPD is a comprehensive document that provides transparent and verifi ed information about a product’s environmental impact, throughout its lifecycle. This includes data on resource consumption, emissions, waste generation and other ecological factors associated with taking a product from raw material extraction to disposal.
EPDs are designed to make it easier for architects, builders and other stakeholders within the construction industry to make choices based on factual – and verifi ed – information. By providing insights into the environmental impacts of materials, EPDs enable professionals to select products that meet specifi c sustainability criteria, ultimately contributing to greener building practices.
Why EPDs are important As sustainability becomes increasingly important, EPDs are an essential resource for specifi ers and building designers seeking to make informed decisions. They offer verifi ed data that can guide the selection of materials that align with sustainability goals.
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WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
he UK construction industry is working towards achieving net zero by 2050. Meeting this goal requires a fundamental shift to low carbon materials and sustainable building design, as the government has set a target of 100% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 1990 levels. As part of supporting this aim, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are becoming a vital tool for architects, builders and specifi ers. enabling them to identify products that have certifi ed sustainability credentials.
One of the key strengths of EPDs is that they assess the environmental impact of a product across its entire lifecycle, from raw material extraction and manufacturing, through operation, to end of life. These assessments are structured into fi ve distinct stages, offering a detailed picture of the product’s performance. This starts with production, by evaluating the extraction of raw materials and manufacturing processes; considering the transportation and installation of products on site. The EPD also takes into account the use of materials, by analysing the emissions and resource consumption during the product’s
ADF JUNE 2025
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