The sustainability of construction works

Sustainability of construction works - Environmental product declarations - Core rules for the product category of construction products EN 15804+A1 2012 and BS EN 15978-1.

1 Environmental Product Declaration EPD
2 Product Environmental Footprint PEF
3 EN 15804+A1 2012
4 EN 15804+A2
5 Mandatory environmental impact categories
6 Optional environmental impact categories
7 BS EN 15978-1
8 Acronyms explained
9 External references
10 British Standards
11 European Standards
12 International Standards
13 Related articles on Designing Buildings

[edit] Environmental Product Declaration EPD

The Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) is a product assessment method aligned to EN 15804+A1 2012 and requires 16 different impact categories to be calculated and reported. The intention of this approach is to harmonise the many different existing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) standards into a PEF framework that standardises and facilitates better comparison between products. Despite sometimes being used to compare products Environmental Product Declarations (EPD's) were not initially designed for this, as they often use different units of measurement. EPD's are essentially individual statements on the environmental impact of a product rather than comparing like for like.

[edit] Product Environmental Footprint PEF

The Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodological framework was developed by the European Commission’s science and knowledge service, which relies on the principles of product categories, where product are grouped by similar nature or function. These in turn, generate Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) which support the overall methodology described and provide more product-specific guidance, potentially seen as more rigid based, to facilitate comparisons in the performance of different products. EPD's also make reference to Product Category Rules (PCR's) but are less prescriptive than those within PEF frameworks which are intended to be continually developed as new products are assessed. Both the EPD and PEF methodologies are dependent on a critical mass of uptake which up until now has been voluntary and driven mainly by market forces, however the introduction of more legislative drivers are continually under discussion.

[edit] EN 15804+A1 2012

In 2019 the EN 15804+A1 2012 was updated to EN 15804+A2 Sustainability of construction works - Environmental product declarations - Core rules for the product category of construction products. The application of the previous standard expired in October 2022, so all EPD's created according to this standard must have been published by then and submitted for verification by the end of July 2022. The previous core environmental impacts that were assessed were as follows (EN 15804+A1)

[edit] EN 15804+A2

The updated EN 15804+A2 refers to the full life cycle assessment including all stages:

[edit] Mandatory environmental impact categories

The updated EN 15804+A2 adjusts the list of mandatory environmental impact categories to include a greater level of definition:

Climate Change - Total (CCT)
Climate Change - Fossil (CCF)
Climate Change - Biogenic (CCB)
Climate Change - Land-use and Land Use Change (LULUC)
Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) - Ozone Depletion
Photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP) - Photochemical ozone formation
Acidification - (AP)
Eutrophication aquatic freshwater - (EPAF)
Eutrophication aquatic marine - (EPAM)
Eutrophication terrestrial - (EPT)
Abiotic depletion potential for minerals and metals (ADPMM)
Abiotic depletion potential for fossil resources (ADPFR)
Water use (WU)

[edit] Optional environmental impact categories

The updated EN 15804+A2 also has addition and optional environmental impact categories for EN 15804+A2, PEF; for stages A1-A3 and A4-A5, plus B1-7, C1-3 and D.

EN 15804+A2 disclaimer for Ionizing radiation, human health. This impact category deals mainly with the eventual impact of low dose ionizing radiation on human health of the nuclear fuel cycle. It does not consider effects due to possible nuclear accidents, occupational exposure or waste disposal. Potential ionizing radiation from the soil, from radon and from some construction materials is also not measured by this indicator.

Particulate matter (Incidence)
Ionizing radiation, human health (kBq U235e)
Eco-toxicity (freshwater) CTUe
Human toxicity, cancer effects (CTUh)
Human toxicity, non-cancer effects (CTUh)
Land use related impacts/soil quality

TRACI 2.1

Global warming potential kg CO2e
Ozone depletion kg CFC11e
Photochemical smog formation kg O3e
Acidification kg SO2e
Eutrophication kg Ne
Depletion of non-renewable energy MJ

Use of Natural Resources

Renewable PER used as energy MJ
Renewable PER used as materials MJ
Total use of renewable PER MJ
Non-renew. PER used as energy MJ
Non-renew. PER used as materials MJ
Total use of non-renewable PER MJ
Use of secondary materials kg
Use of renewable secondary fuels MJ
Use of non-renew. secondary fuels MJ
Use of net fresh water m3

End-of-Life Waste

PER abbreviation stands for primary energy resources

End-of-Life Output flows

[edit] BS EN 15978-1

BS EN 15978-1 Sustainability of construction works - Methodology for the assessment of performance of buildings. - Part 1: Environmental Performance. Specifies the calculation method, based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and other quantified environmental information, to assess the environmental performance of a building and its site, and gives the means for reporting and communicating the outcome of the assessment. The standard is applicable to new and existing buildings and refurbishment projects. EPD according to product category rules of construction products (i.e. PCR or c-PCR) that follow EN15804+A2:2019) are generally deemed to satisfy the requirements of this standard, subject to their also meeting the requirements of PrEN 15941.

The document gives:

The description of the object of assessment.
The system boundary that applies at the building level.
The procedure to be used for the inventory analysis.
The list of indicators and procedures for the calculations of these indicators.
Optional indicators that may be used to provide additional information concerning environmental impacts and aspects at the local level, technical characteristics and management processes that support environmental performance.
The requirements for the data necessary for the calculation.
The requirements for presentation of the results in reporting and communication.

The approach to the assessment covers all stages of the building life cycle and is based on data obtained from Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), their "information modules" (EN 15804+A2,2019) and other data and information necessary and relevant for carrying out the assessment. The assessment includes all building related construction products, processes and services, used over the life cycle of the building.

The interpretation and value judgements of the results of the assessment are not within the scope of this European Standard.

NOTE 1 EPD according to product category rules of construction products (i.e. PCR or c-PCR) that follow EN15804+A2:2019) are generally deemed to satisfy the requirements of this standard, subject to their also meeting the requirements of PrEN 15941.

NOTE 2 EN 15978 -1 provides indicators, calculation rules and system boundaries for the assessment of greenhouse gas emissions, resource consumption and operational water use amongst other issues of the life cycle related environmental performance of buildings. It also provides the methodological basis and assessment rules to support the achievement of environment related macro objectives in Europe and instruments such as the European reporting framework LEVEL(s).

NOTE 3 LEVEL(s), is a common European approach to assess and report on the sustainability of buildings. Using existing standards, the voluntary Level(s) framework provides a common language for building sustainability, which other initiatives can also use.

--editor