How specifiers use EPD data to select materials

How are EPDs used in material selection

Environmental product declarations (EPDs) are becoming essential tools for architects, engineers, and construction (AEC) professionals when selecting materials for building projects. Particularly during the design phase, where material choices significantly influence a project’s environmental footprint, EPDs provide the data needed to make informed, sustainable decisions.

This article explores how EPDs are leveraged in material selection, including what Foster + Partners, a leading global architectural firm, looks for in an EPD, the criteria for EPD selection, why the industry needs more EPDs, the distinction between EPDs and LCAs, and the introduction of One Click LCA’s latest tool, EPD Usage Analytics, which allows manufacturers to monitor the interest their product EPDs are generating.

What architects and specifiers look for in an EPD

Foster + Partners, known for their commitment to sustainable design, use EPDs extensively during their projects’ material selection processes. According to Cinthia Castillo, a Senior Sustainability Coordinator at the firm, the selection criteria depend on the project stage. “We are using EPDs in the early design stage to create a carbon range and develop a clear picture. Then, as a project progresses, we focus on specific EPDs, such as those for low-carbon products and specifications,” she explains. Currently, Foster + Partners is working on standardizing internal processes to develop EPD databases that account for the carbon context in different locations.

In early design stages, the focus is on creating a carbon range to understand the environmental impact of materials in a specific region. Transparency is critical at this stage to ensure fair comparisons between materials.

Key factors in material selection for building projects include:

• Transparency: To ensure accurate comparison of materials, factors like recycled content, end-of-life scenarios, manufacturing processes, and fuel types are considered.
• Units of data: EPDs must align with the project’s specified units, such as cubic meters or square meters, to facilitate accurate calculations.
• Regional context: Localized EPDs are preferred for accurate representation of industry practices.
• Low GWP (Global Warming Potential): For later design stages, products with lower embodied carbon are prioritized.
• Availability and compliance: For large-scale projects, materials must be available in sufficient quantities, within the right time frame, and compliant with local codes.

In regions where local EPDs are unavailable, Foster + Partners localizes data from other regions using tools like One Click LCA. However, localized EPDs are always preferable to avoid misrepresenting the local industry. Cinthia provides an example of compliance challenges in the Middle East, where geopolymers were initially considered for a project but had to be replaced due to local code restrictions. This underscores the need for early collaboration with manufacturers and structural engineers.

Criteria in the material selection process — how to use Materials Compass

Selecting the right material involves multiple steps, but tools like One Click LCA's Materials Compass make it easier for architects and designer to find and select low-carbon materials.

Steps to selecting materials:

• Creating a data pool: Collecting comparable EPDs for materials like concrete, steel, or glazing to establish a carbon range.
• Identifying outliers: Refining the data pool to ensure it accurately represents the local industry.
• Adjusting by project phase: During the detailed design stage, specific low-carbon products that meet project specifications are selected. Availability, compliance with local codes, and compatibility with the design are key considerations.

Challenge: Finding low-carbon materials and EPDs

According to Cinthia, one of the biggest challenges in selecting low-carbon materials is finding product-specific environmental data, such as that displayed in EPDs. This is where platforms like the Materials Compass, a database of over 250,000 building materials, can help AEC professionals in their material selection process. In the Materials Compass, you can find products based on their product category, filter by type and location, create a list of relevant products, and then either compare them within the platform or export the list.

Why the construction industry needs more EPDs

According to Cinthia, if a manufacturer has invested significant time and resources into developing innovative technology and products, “if it’s not in an EPD and we don’t have it in our database, then we can’t see you. So that’s why we really do need EPDs—so that we can keep up with the innovations that are coming up all the time.”

To increase visibility of low-carbon products and reach ambitious sustainability targets, the construction industry needs a broader pool of EPDs for multiple reasons, including:

• Localization: Many regions lack local EPDs, leading to the use of data from other areas. This can misrepresent local industries and hinder accurate decision-making.
• Innovation recognition: Manufacturers investing in sustainable technologies may not receive the recognition they deserve if their innovations aren’t documented in EPDs.
• Benchmarking: Accurate industry benchmarks depend on a diverse and representative set of EPDs, which can only be achieved by increasing their availability.

By encouraging more manufacturers to produce EPDs, the industry can move closer to decarbonizing the built environment. 

What’s the difference between an EPD and an LCA?

While often used interchangeably, EPDs and LCAs (life-cycle assessments) serve distinct purposes:

• LCA: A comprehensive study modeling the environmental impact of a product across its entire lifecycle, from raw material extraction to disposal.
• EPD: A standardized, third-party verified document summarizing LCA results in a transparent and comparable format.

According to One Click LCA’s EPD expert, Arturs Alsins, EPDs distill the complexity of LCAs into actionable data that AEC professionals can use during material selection.

Why cover the topic of material selection?

The urgency to decarbonize the built environment makes sustainable material selection a critical issue. Buildings are responsible for 39% of global emissions, 11% of which is directly tied to materials and construction. Construction materials account for a significant portion of a building’s embodied carbon, and the design phase is where impactful decisions can be made. Bridging the knowledge gap between manufacturers and AEC professionals ensures transparency and fosters collaboration, ultimately driving the industry toward its carbon reduction goals.

EPD Usage Analytics — evaluate the performance of your products

One Click LCA’s latest tool, EPD Usage Analytics, is designed to help manufacturers and sustainability managers understand how their product EPDs are being used in projects, the level of interest they generate in the construction industry, and the markets where their products perform the best. The tool provides insights such as:

• View product usage statistics, including EPD selection frequency.
• Track product performance by country, category, and project type.
• Identify top products and those EPDs nearing expiration.
• See how often your EPDs are chosen for projects.
• Make data-driven decisions to refine product strategy.

These features not only enhance transparency but also empower manufacturers to align their offerings with market demands.

Future outlook: construction EPDs on the rise

EPDs are invaluable tools for AEC professionals working to make sustainable material choices in building projects. By providing transparent, comparable data, EPDs enable informed decision-making during the critical design phase. However, the industry must address the need for more localized and diverse EPDs to fully realize their potential.

"We are definitely planning to expand the use of EPDs in the future," noted Cinthia Castillo, Senior Sustainability Coordinator at Foster + Partners.

One Click LCA understands that the EPD journey doesn’t end with the creation and publication of EPDs. Being able to see how your EPD is performing and the interest it generates can help you make data-driven decisions to enhance your product strategy and market positioning.

How EPD Usage Analytics benefits manufacturers

To maximize these benefits, manufacturers can leverage advanced One Click LCA tools like EPD Usage Analytics, which provides detailed product insights, global performance tracking, and an interactive dashboard. This tool allows manufacturers to analyze usage statistics, identify top-performing products, and anticipate EPD expirations, enabling informed strategic decisions that align with market demands for sustainable construction materials and contribute to broader sustainability goals in the industry.