ISO 14025

ISO 14025 establishes the principles and procedures for developing Type III environmental declarations, commonly known as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

These declarations are based on verified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data and provide quantitative, objective, and comparable information about the environmental impacts of products or services.

Position within the ISO 14000 Family

• Type I (ISO 14024): Eco-labels based on multiple criteria and third-party certification.
• Type II (ISO 14021): Self-declared environmental claims made by manufacturers.
• Type III (ISO 14025): Quantified environmental data verified by independent third parties.

Core Elements

• EPD Program Operators: Organizations that manage the development, verification, and registration of EPDs (e.g., The International EPD® System, ECO Platform).
• Product Category Rules (PCR): Define how LCAs should be conducted and which impact indicators must be reported for a specific product group.
• Independent Verification: Ensures accuracy and comparability through internal review or third-party auditing.

Typical Environmental Indicators

• Global Warming Potential (GWP).
• Eutrophication, acidification, and photochemical smog potential.
• Ozone layer depletion.
• Resource consumption: primary energy, water, and raw materials.

Benefits of ISO 14025

• Comparability: Uniform rules allow for meaningful comparison between products in the same category.
• Credibility: External verification minimizes the risk of greenwashing.
• Market access: Increasingly required in green public procurement and sustainable building certifications (e.g., LEED, BREEAM).
• Innovation driver: Identifying environmental hotspots helps improve product design and process efficiency.

Summary of the Process

1. Define the scope and select the applicable PCR.
2. Conduct the LCA following ISO 14040–14044 standards.
3. Prepare the EPD with quantified, verifiable results.
4. Undergo verification and register the declaration under an approved program.

ISO 14025 serves as the cornerstone of science-based environmental declarations, fostering transparency and trust in global markets. By standardizing how environmental data are reported and verified, it accelerates the shift toward sustainable production and consumption worldwide.