Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are becoming an essential tool for project teams across the APAC region who want to measure and reduce embodied carbon in the built environment. As markets across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia accelerate their decarbonisation targets, EPDs provide a transparent, standardised way to compare products and make informed procurement decisions.
But using EPD data effectively requires understanding regional differences, local standards, and how to interpret product information correctly. This guide explains how EPDs work and how designers, sustainability leads, and procurement teams in the APAC region can apply EPD data for accurate, project-ready carbon reporting.
What are Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)?
An EPD is a third-party verified report that summarises the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle based on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
EPDs in APAC typically follow:
• ISO 14025 (Type III Environmental Product Declarations)
• ISO 21930 (Building products sustainability principles)
• EN 15804 (European standard widely referenced across the world, including Australia)
These aligned standards allow building professionals to compare environmental impacts between different materials and components on a consistent basis.
In Australia and New Zealand, EPDs are now frequently referenced within:
• Green Star (GBCA)
• NABERS Embodied Carbon Pilot
• IS Rating Scheme (ISCA)
• Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) Materials calculators
Across Southeast Asia and the wider region, EPDs increasingly support requirements under:
• Singapore BCA Green Mark 2021
• Malaysia Green Building Index (GBI)
• Hong Kong BEAM Plus
• China 3-Star Green Building Rating
Why EPDs matter in APAC
The APAC construction sector is undergoing rapid growth, accompanied by increasing policy, investor, and client pressure to reduce embodied carbon. As electricity grids decarbonise, materials can account for 40–70% of total building lifecycle emissions.
EPDs support this shift by enabling:
1. Robust embodied carbon calculations
EPDs provide project-ready environmental impact data (e.g., Global Warming Potential, GWP) for lifecycle stages A1–A3 and beyond.
2. Transparent and comparable product information
Because EPDs follow recognised standards, they enable fair comparisons between similar products.
3. Compliance with local sustainability certifications
Many regional green building schemes now reward or require the use of verified EPD data.
4. Better procurement decisions
Specifiers can select products that verify lower embodied carbon, reducing emissions at scale.
Understanding EPD data: what to look for
Even though EPDs follow structured rules, several factors are crucial for accurate interpretation:
1. Declared unit
Products in APAC vary widely in how impacts are expressed:
• per m² (common for raised floors, ceilings, wall systems)
• per unit / per component
• per kg or per tonne
For meaningful comparison across suppliers, convert all products to the same declared unit (typically per m²).
2. Lifecycle stages
For early design and procurement, A1–A3 (Product Stage) is most relevant:
• A1: Raw material extraction
• A2: Transport
• A3: Manufacturing
Some EPDs also include A4 (transport to site), A5 (installation), and end-of-life stages — but inclusion varies by programme.
3. Verification and validity
Check that the EPD:
• Has third-party verification
• Is published within the last 5 years
• Follows an approved PCR (Product Category Rules)
4. Geographic relevance
This is particularly important for APAC projects.
EPDs may be produced using European or North American datasets — but manufacturing energy mix, transport distances, and supply chains in APAC differ significantly.
Where possible, use APAC-specific EPDs or adjust for:
• Australian electricity grid factors
• Regional transport distances
• Local manufacturing processes
• Port-to-site logistics for imported products
How to apply EPD data for accurate carbon reporting in APAC
Here is a practical workflow aligned to local project requirements:
1. Standardise declared units
Convert all EPD impacts to the same unit (e.g., kg CO₂e per m²).
This ensures products can be compared fairly.
2. Focus on A1–A3 values for design-stage decisions
These stages represent the vast majority of embodied carbon and are the most consistent across EPDs.
3. Adjust for APAC regional conditions
For imported products, consider:
• Sea freight emissions to Australia/NZ/SEA
• Australian grid emission factors (e.g., NEM regions)
• Local installation practices
• State-based embodied carbon requirements (e.g., NSW, VIC)
4. Integrate EPD values into whole-life carbon models
EPDs feed directly into:
• Green Star’s Upfront Carbon Emissions pathway
• NABERS Embodied Carbon calculations
• PAS 2080-aligned frameworks
• Client-specific carbon accounting dashboards
5. Communicate results clearly to stakeholders
Provide transparency on:
• EPD source and verification year
• Declared unit conversion
• Assumptions for transport and installation
• Any regional adjustments applied
Conclusion
As APAC markets focus more heavily on whole-life and embodied carbon, the role of EPDs becomes critical for reliable specification and procurement. Using EPD data effectively empowers project teams to make informed decisions, select lower-carbon materials, and contribute to national and global sustainability targets.
By applying EPDs correctly — standardising units, verifying relevance, and adjusting for regional conditions — designers and specifiers across Asia-Pacific can ensure accurate, transparent, and actionable carbon reporting for every project.
