LCA Standards & Guidelines
Reference guide to international standards, regional requirements, and industry guidelines for Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Product Declarations.
ISO Standards
ISO 14040(2006)
ISO 14040:2006 - Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework
The foundational international standard that describes the principles and framework for conducting Life Cycle Assessments. It establishes the general requirements and guidelines for LCA studies.
Key Points:
- Defines LCA phases: Goal & Scope, Inventory Analysis, Impact Assessment, Interpretation
- Establishes principles: life cycle perspective, environmental focus, relative approach, iterative approach
- Provides framework for transparent and consistent LCA reporting
- Applicable to any product, process, or service
ISO 14044(2006)
ISO 14044:2006 - Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Requirements and guidelines
Specifies requirements and provides guidelines for conducting LCA studies in accordance with ISO 14040. This standard provides the detailed methodology for each phase of an LCA.
Key Points:
- Detailed requirements for defining goal, scope, and functional unit
- Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data collection and calculation procedures
- Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methodology requirements
- Critical review requirements for comparative assertions
- Data quality requirements and sensitivity analysis guidance
ISO 14025(2006)
ISO 14025:2006 - Environmental labels and declarations - Type III environmental declarations
Establishes the principles and procedures for developing Type III environmental declaration programs and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). Essential for anyone creating or using EPDs.
Key Points:
- Defines Type III environmental declarations (EPDs)
- Requirements for program operators
- Product Category Rules (PCR) development guidance
- Verification and validation procedures
- Communication and transparency requirements
ISO 14067(2018)
ISO 14067:2018 - Carbon footprint of products - Requirements and guidelines for quantification
Specifies principles, requirements, and guidelines for the quantification and communication of the carbon footprint of products (CFP), including both partial and complete carbon footprints.
Key Points:
- Based on ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 principles
- Covers greenhouse gas emissions and removals
- Requirements for CFP quantification
- Guidance on communication of CFP results
- Addresses biogenic carbon and carbon storage
ISO 21930(2017)
ISO 21930:2017 - Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works - Core rules for EPDs
Provides core Product Category Rules (PCR) for Type III environmental product declarations for construction products and services.
Key Points:
- Core PCR for construction products
- Harmonized rules for building material EPDs
- System boundaries for construction products
- Specific allocation rules for the sector
- Aligned with EN 15804 for European market
Regional Standards
EN 15804(2019)
EN 15804:2012+A2:2019 - Sustainability of construction works - Environmental product declarations
The European standard providing core rules for EPDs of construction products. Widely used for building material declarations and required for many green building certifications in Europe.
Key Points:
- Core PCR for construction products in Europe
- Defines life cycle stages (A1-A5, B1-B7, C1-C4, D)
- Mandatory and optional environmental indicators
- Data quality requirements
- Background for European building certifications
PEF/OEF(2021)
Product Environmental Footprint / Organisation Environmental Footprint
European Commission methodology for measuring and communicating the life cycle environmental performance of products and organizations. Aims to provide harmonized environmental footprinting methods across the EU.
Key Points:
- Comprehensive set of 16 environmental impact categories
- Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCRs)
- Organisation Environmental Footprint Sector Rules (OEFSRs)
- Effect Factor approach for toxicity categories
- Strict data quality requirements
Industry Standards
GHG Protocol(2011)
Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard
Widely adopted standard for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions from products across their life cycle. Developed by WRI and WBCSD.
Key Points:
- Product life cycle GHG accounting
- Scope 3 emissions guidance
- Attributional and consequential approaches
- Uncertainty and data quality guidance
- Reporting and verification requirements
Product Category Rules
PCR - General
Product Category Rules
PCRs define the specific rules and requirements for developing EPDs within a particular product category. They ensure comparability between EPDs of similar products.
Key Points:
- Define functional unit for product category
- Specify system boundaries and cut-off criteria
- Identify mandatory and optional data requirements
- Set data quality requirements
- Published by Program Operators (e.g., EPD International, IBU, UL Environment)
Additional Resources
- UNEP Life Cycle Initiative- Global platform for life cycle knowledge sharing
- EPD International- International EPD system and PCR library
- IBU - Institut Bauen und Umwelt- German EPD program operator
- UL Environment- North American EPD program operator