How EPDs are shaping Saint-Gobain's strategy to reach carbon neutrality by 2050

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Saint-Gobain, a multinational leader in construction products and high-performance materials, is committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.

To achieve this ambitious goal, the company has taken a proactive approach by creating over 1,500 environmental product declarations (EPDs) for its diverse product range. By creating EPDs, Saint-Gobain is empowering customers to make informed decisions about their building materials and contribute to a more sustainable built environment.

“We target carbon neutrality, and EPDs help us identify where we can significantly reduce CO2 emissions in our products. By understanding the environmental impact of our materials, we can develop innovative solutions that minimise our carbon footprint."

– Michaël Medard, LCA Manager within the Marketing and Development division of Saint-Gobain

Michaël Medard, LCA Manager at Saint-Gobain, has always been driven by a passion for sustainability. From the very beginning, he envisioned building something that would make a positive impact on the world. His goal was to contribute to a solid foundation of knowledge about the environmental impact of construction products. This passion led him to become a construction carbon expert, focusing on life-cycle assessments (LCAs) and environmental product declarations (EPDs) for Saint-Gobain.

The role of EPDs in Saint Gobain’s strategy in achieving carbon neutrality

Michaël Medard and his team at Saint-Gobain are dedicated to understanding and reducing the carbon footprint of the company's products. They primarily focus on life-cycle assessments (LCAs), which provide a comprehensive picture of a product's environmental impact from cradle to grave. This includes evaluating the carbon emissions associated with raw material extraction, manufacturing processes, transportation, and end-of-life disposal.

By conducting LCAs, Saint-Gobain can identify areas where they can significantly reduce CO2 emissions and work towards their goal of carbon neutrality. The team works on a wide range of products, not just construction materials, to ensure that all aspects of Saint-Gobain's business contribute to a more sustainable future.

Understanding the carbon footprint of their products is just one part of the equation. Saint-Gobain recognises the importance of a standardised approach to LCA to ensure accurate and comparable results globally. They also prioritise effective communication with stakeholders, both internally and externally, to ensure that everyone understands the implications of the LCA data.

In addition to product-level LCAs, Saint-Gobain utilises tools like One Click LCA to assess the environmental impact of their products within the context of entire buildings. This holistic approach allows them to identify potential synergies and optimise the overall environmental performance of their solutions.

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1500 EPDs: A milestone in Saint-Gobain's sustainability journey

A collective achievement is that today Saint Gobain has created more than 1,500 EPDs all around the world for various kinds of Saint-Gobain construction products, which can all be found in One Click LCA’s database. This is the result of combining the best expertise of professionals with an LCA/EPD tool, making the creation of LCAs and EPDs easier. 'Our objective is that by 2030, 100% of Saint-Gobain products will have an LCA or EPD. It's been 20 years since I started working on LCA in Saint-Gobain. During those 20 years, we have been able to build a foundation at Saint Gobain that people can use today whenever they want to make an LCA anywhere inside the company. It has become our common language. Today we don’t need drivers to push for low-impact or carbon products because it’s already in the DNA of Saint-Gobain. That is to say, it’s not a one-off shot to sustainability, but has become an integrated, essential part of our operations.' , says Michaël Medard, LCA Manager within the Marketing and Development division of Saint-Gobain.

Growing demand for carbon transparency

The market is increasingly demanding knowledge and transparency about the carbon impact of products. Consumers and businesses alike are seeking low-carbon solutions, and the construction industry is no exception.

Saint-Gobain has observed a significant shift in the market's awareness of carbon performance over the past few years. Clients are now routinely asking about EPDs, carbon footprints, and future plans for reducing environmental impact. This trend extends beyond the construction industry, with all sectors becoming more focused on carbon reduction and sustainability.

To meet this growing demand, Saint-Gobain has prioritized the creation of EPDs for its products. The company's goal is to have 100% of its products covered by LCAs or EPDs by 2030. By providing transparency into the environmental performance, the company, is empowering customers to make informed decisions and contribute to a more sustainable built environment. 'Today we use One Click LCA for various purposes. We have the EPDs available, but after all, products are just parts of a building, like Lego, or actual bricks. We need to go to the building level to see the ‘weight’ of the product on a whole building’s environmental impacts. One Click LCA helps us go beyond the product level and see the contribution of our products at the full building level. With One Click LCA, we have access to the biggest database of construction materials worldwide and are able to see and compare EPDs from all our competitors. These benchmarks allow us to quickly screen our products and see where we are standing. And for sure, that can help us position our future solution or system against the competition. It gives us a push and motivation to do better.', shares Michaël Medard.

What slows down decarbonisation progress

While many believe that increasing recycled content automatically leads to carbon reduction, this isn't always the case. It's crucial to gather accurate data, conduct thorough calculations, and critically analyse the results. This approach will provide a clear understanding of the current situation and help identify the most effective steps towards sustainability.

By challenging assumptions and relying on data-driven insights, it’s possible to uncover surprising findings and dispel common myths. This approach not only helps in achieving tangible results but also enables to effectively communicate the progress and inspire others to join the sustainability movement. For example, the mechanism of carbon offsetting starts to be controversial at different levels of discussion. The argument is that yes, it's a quick solution, but it's not sustainable and it's not really a carbon reduction. 'When you want to reduce the carbon, you have to achieve concrete things, rather than do an exchange somewhere so you can continue to pollute, to emit carbon. Once you achieve a concrete resolution, you can put some complementary mechanisms in place, but not rush into any quick fixes. It's important that people know that it's a marathon, not a sprint. You have to do it step by step. We have this goal to be carbon neutral, but it's not something you can achieve in one year. If you make it too quick, from my point of view it’s not sustainable. And the goal is more than just reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, it is to then remain [carbon]neutral. So, you need to have a sustainable solution to achieve that.' , says Michaël Medard, LCA Manager within the Marketing and Development division of Saint-Gobain.

Saint-Gobain's commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 is driven by a comprehensive strategy that leverages environmental product declarations (EPDs) as a powerful tool. By creating over 1,500 EPDs, the company is providing transparency into the environmental impact of its products, empowering customers to make informed choices and contribute to a more sustainable built environment.

The creation of EPDs aligns with Saint-Gobain's broader sustainability goals, including the reduction of CO2 emissions and the development of innovative, low-carbon solutions. As the market increasingly demands knowledge and transparency about the carbon footprint of construction products, Saint-Gobain's proactive approach positions the company as a leader in sustainable construction materials.

Creating EPDs with One Click LCA

One Click LCA works with manufacturers across all construction-related industries to create fast, easy, scaleable EPDs and meet local and global compliance requirements. The range of One Click LCA EPD tools help sustainability professionals deliver EPDs and carbon footprints, to market and deliver sustainable products. EPD Generator allows manufacturers to produce compliant, market-ready EPDs, ensuring compatibility with local requirements such as French NF EN 15804+A2, or international certifications like LEED, BREEAM, and DGNB. By offering features like data automation and user-friendly interface, One Click LCA enables sustainability professionals to quickly and accurately meet environmental targets, enhance transparency, and deliver sustainable products to the market.