1. Confirm what the project needs the EPD to demonstrate
An environmental product declaration, or EPD, reports life cycle environmental information using defined product category rules (PCR). It is a disclosure document, not a general award for being a greener product. Global warming potential is one environmental indicator; an EPD can report other impacts and resource information as well.
Identify the intended use: checking a tender document requirement, supplying data to a project assessment, or comparing technically acceptable alternatives. Record which programme, reporting rules and assessment basis the project accepts. An EPD does not replace evidence for electrical performance, transmission performance or reaction to fire. Keep those technical approvals in their own review.
Ask whether a current declaration covering the exact offered product is available, and request its registration reference if it is. Record an unavailable or unresolved document as a gap against the project requirement. A general sustainability statement or a company certificate is not a product EPD.
2. Match the declaration to the quoted product
Read the product identification and coverage before the results table. Check the declaration owner, product names and codes, conductor or fiber configuration, construction variants, manufacturing sites and any stated geographic scope. Match the information to the quotation revision and bill of materials. A similar family name does not automatically cover a different cross-section, core count or jacket construction.
Some declarations cover several products or sites. Determine whether the figures describe an individual product, an average, a representative product or another stated reporting approach. If the document provides conversion or scaling factors for variants, check that the quoted variant is included and retain the applicable instructions. Do not invent a factor from the product’s weight or selling price.
3. Identify the PCR and its applicable scope
Record the programme operator, main PCR title and version, and any complementary PCR (c-PCR) named in the EPD. Rules help define how the assessment is prepared. Two documents carrying the same broad product label may still use different rules or versions. Identify the applicable rules from the declaration and programme records, rather than selecting a rule solely because a cable will be located inside a building.
| Example in the International EPD System | Rule reference | Scope check |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical cables and wires for the construction sector | 2019:14-c-PCR-019 under PCR 2019:14 | Construction-sector scope; the programme listing identifies EN 15804 alignment. |
| Wires, cables and accessories except construction products | 2024:06-c-PCR-004 under PCR 2024:06 | The stated scope excludes construction products; the listing is not EN 15804 compliant. |
These are examples from one programme, not a universal classification for every EPD scheme. A different rule does not by itself make a declaration invalid, but it requires a comparability review. Check the version used, the programme’s current status information and any applicable transition provisions. A PCR’s validity date and the EPD’s validity date are different fields.
Construction-sector cable c-PCR · Non-construction cable c-PCR
4. Read the unit and the indicator together
Copy the full declared or functional unit, not just the symbol next to a result. A declared unit expresses the quantity used as the reporting basis. A functional unit also describes the service being assessed; its performance, duration and use assumptions can matter. Read the definition in the actual declaration instead of assuming that every cable EPD is based on one metre or the same service life.
Keep the indicator name, method or version, unit and stage beside each extracted value. For example, kg CO2 eq describes the unit for a climate-impact result; it does not tell you how much cable the result represents. Do not mix a total global warming indicator with a fossil-only indicator or treat a climate result as the whole environmental assessment.
Arithmetic illustration only: if a declaration expressly gives a linear result of 120 kg CO2 eq per 100 m for one specified product and the same included stages, division by 100 gives 1.2 kg CO2 eq per metre. These invented numbers illustrate units, not a product footprint. Converting the denominator does not resolve different cable functions, rules, scenarios or boundaries.
5. Check life cycle coverage and comparison limits
Read the boundary diagram and result-table legend. Determine whether the declaration covers production alone or also transport, installation, use and end of life. In construction-product declarations, A1–A3 commonly identifies the product stage. A result for those modules is not a whole-life result. Keep any separately reported beyond-boundary information distinct when transcribing the table.
Record assumptions that can change the assessment: transport distance, installation losses, reference service life, use conditions, electricity assumptions where relevant, and end-of-life treatment. A module marked not declared is not a measured zero. Use the document’s own definitions for abbreviations, exclusions and zero values.
Matching units and stage labels is an initial screening step, not permission to rank products. Check equivalent function and performance, relevant LCA methods and data quality. For construction products, comparison also needs the applicable building-context and life-cycle requirements. Refer a proposed comparison to the project’s LCA or sustainability reviewer when these conditions cannot be established.
| What appears comparable | What still needs checking |
|---|---|
| Both values are per metre | Product function, performance and full unit definition |
| Both report a climate indicator | Indicator definition, assessment method and included stages |
| Both use the same PCR title | Version, complementary rules, scenarios and data basis |
| Both documents are verified | Product coverage, current status and project comparison requirements |
6. Keep a procurement review record and close the gaps
Use one review record for each offered product and declaration. Save the public registration link, declaration number, issue or revision date, stated validity and verification information. Cross-check the supplied PDF against the programme record. If the public fields and document disagree, record the discrepancy and seek clarification from the declaration owner or programme operator before relying on it.
| Review field | Evidence to retain | Open question or action |
|---|---|---|
| Project purpose | Tender clause / required assessment basis | What decision will use this document? |
| Registration and status | Programme / EPD number / PDF revision / validity / check date | Does the public record match? |
| Verification | Verification statement and named verifier or body | Is the required verification information present? |
| Product coverage | Quoted item / variant / site / reporting approach | Is this exact offer covered? |
| PCR and unit | Main and complementary rules / versions / full unit definition | Are basis and applicability clear? |
| Results and boundary | Indicator / method / value / unit / stages / assumptions | Is a comparison justified for the project? |
| Disposition | Document acceptance / comparison decision / reviewer / date | Missing evidence, responsible person and next action |
Keep two conclusions: whether the document meets the requested submission requirement, and whether the extracted data are suitable for the proposed comparison. A declaration may be usable as a disclosure while a ranking remains unsupported. State any restriction beside the procurement decision so a later reader does not mistake a qualified review for an unconditional approval.
Frequently asked questions
Does an EPD prove that a cable is environmentally superior?
No. It discloses environmental results on a defined basis. A superiority claim requires an appropriate comparison, including equivalent function and compatible methods, scope and project conditions.
Can two results be compared after converting both to kg CO2 eq per metre?
No. Unit conversion alone does not align product function, PCR versions, life cycle coverage, indicator definitions or use assumptions. Those conditions must also be reviewed.
Does a new PCR version automatically invalidate an existing EPD?
Do not infer the declaration’s status from the PCR date alone. Check the EPD’s own status and validity together with the programme’s update and transition provisions. Resolve conflicting records with the declaration owner or programme operator.
What should a buyer request before accepting a supplier’s EPD?
Request the declaration and registration reference, confirmation of product and manufacturing coverage, applicable rules and units, and clarification of any missing verification, boundary or scenario information. Confirm availability for the exact offered product rather than assuming it.
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