VIEWPOINT EPD ‘PASSPORTS’: A SECRET
WEAPON FOR NET ZERO? Paul Thompson, technical specification and sustainability manager Wrekin
WITH ALARM BELLS ringing following reports that Britain is expected to fall short of the progress required to meet its climate targets, what should manufacturers be doing to contribute to a more sustainable future?
It was a report that painted a worrying picture - that the UK will be producing almost a third more carbon emissions by 2035 than under net zero-aligned scenarios because its supply of clean electricity is not growing quickly enough.
The stark warning came from a recent forecast report by the National Energy System Operator (Neso) illustrating the current 10-year forecast for emissions. It urged the country to go ‘further and faster’ to reach clean energy development targets.
As the report followed calls by the Climate Change Committee to make electricity cheaper - while saying we can still hit the legally binding climate targets - it is clear that the UK has reached a crossroads in its sustainability journey.
On the one hand, the
government’s ambitious net zero targets are fast approaching, and on the other, concerns continue due to major new planning and infrastructure legislation being held up because of disagreements over the inclusion of looser environmental regulations. The manufacturing sector - as a major source of emissions and resource-heavy processes - plays a pivotal role in addressing climate change. A more sustainable approach can not only support net zero goals but can also drive innovation in the construction industry.
One way to do this is by embracing the use of
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) - a kind of ‘sustainability
passport’ for construction materials. With construction professionals increasingly being called to account for the sustainability of the materials they use, the EPD is a tool that is on track to becoming a cornerstone in the journey toward greener, more responsible building practices.
It paves the way for
manufacturers to prove their environmental credentials and helps businesses and consumers to make more informed, eco-conscious choices.
EPDs play a key role in carbon calculation, helping companies to understand and communicate in a transparent way about how their products affect the environment. Each declaration contains detailed information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle, from the impact of raw material extraction to manufacturing, transportation, usage, end-of-life and disposal. These verified science-based documents are not merely marketing tools - they are standardised reports governed by the international standard ISO 15804, which provides a consistent and reliable framework for assessing environmental impact. And they aren’t just for manufacturers - they benefit designers, consultant engineers, contractors and asset owners by providing clear, consistent and comparable environmental data. Through informed decision-making at every stage of the construction process, we can drive our efforts to reduce our collective carbon footprint.
To meet the UK’s ambitious goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, each link in the construction supply chain must take responsibility for reducing its carbon footprint.
The EPD is an invaluable tool in this drive - we can’t manage
October 2025
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net “I firmly
believe that EPDs provide a vital roadmap for the
construction supply chain as it takes responsibility for helping achieve our national net zero targets.”
what we don’t measure. EPDs give the data needed to accurately calculate the embodied carbon of infrastructure projects.
Such schemes often face intense scrutiny due to their long-term environmental impact. By selecting products with EPDs, project managers can ensure they are taking proactive steps to reduce carbon emissions across the scheme’s entire lifecycle. As EPDs are based on international standards, they allow for easy comparison of the environmental performance of similar products from different manufacturers, promoting competition for more sustainable products. In many markets and industries, having an EPD is becoming a requirement to meet environmental regulations or gain certification.
Our current approach to sustainability is no longer fit for purpose, according to a 2025 survey of experts – ‘Sustainability at a Crossroads’ by GlobeScan ERM,
and Volans. It found a consensus among sustainability experts that the current global approach is failing and needs a major overhaul. EPDs are transitioning from being a ‘nice-to-have’ addition to becoming a critical component of modern construction procurement. We are proud to lead the way in our industry, having a comprehensive range of independently verified EPDs for our entire ductile ironwork offering, aligns with our goals of providing high-quality, sustainable and durable construction materials and solutions.
Our EPDs give valuable information about raw material supply, manufacturing production, construction processes and transportation, through to impacts from repairing or upgrading a product, removing an end-of- life product, waste processing and disposal, as well as potential benefits of recycling.
By offering full transparency on carbon emissions, energy use and resource consumption, we’re supporting a more responsible future for the construction industry. I firmly believe that EPDs provide a vital roadmap for the construction supply chain as it takes responsibility for helping achieve our national net zero targets. The manufacturing industry, including the civil engineering sector, needs to sit up and take notice, embracing the opportunities to make a difference.
By harnessing the power of EPDs, that could be a step in the right direction that many companies are looking for. The future of construction lies in sustainability - those who embrace transparency now will be the ones to thrive. BMJ
• To view Wrekin’s EPD in full, head to
www.greenbooklive. com. For more information, visit
www.wrekinproducts.com/epd
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