LCAs and EPDs: A Beginner’s Guide for Manufacturers

What is an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment)?

A Life Cycle Assessment is a scientific method used to calculate the total environmental impact of a product throughout its life: raw material extraction, manufacturing, transport and installation, use phase, and end-of-life  (reuse, recycling, disposal). This is often referred to as a “cradle-to-grave” approach.

An LCA measures a wide range of environmental indicators, including:

• Utsläpp av växthusgaser (CO₂e)
• Resursanvändning (vatten, energi, råvaror)
• Avfallsproduktion
• Luft- och vattenföroreningar

The result? A complete picture of a product’s climate impact across every phase of its life cycle - not just manufacturing.

What is an EPD (Environmental Product Declaration)?

An Environmental Product Declaration is a standardized, third-party-verified document that summarizes the results of an LCA in a transparent, comparable, and easy-to-share format.
Think of an EPD as the nutrition label of your product’s environmental performance.

What makes an EPD useful?

An EPD typically:

• Follows international standards (for example, EN 15804 and ISO 14025).
• Verified by an independent expert.
• Published on a public platform.
• Includes data on carbon footprint, resource use, and more.

An important point: EPDs are not marketing claims.
They are transparent, credible documents used by architects, developers, consultants, and public authorities.

LCA vs EPD: what is the difference?

• LCA = the analysis
• EPD = the verified declaration you share

How they work together:

1. You create an LCA to understand your product’s impact.
2. You use that LCA to produce an EPD that can be shared externally.

Why LCAs and EPDs matter in construction

The construction industry is under immense pressure to reduce emissions and build more sustainably. As a result, data transparency is no longer optional - it’s expected.

LCAs and EPDs help manufacturers with:

• Compliance and reporting expectations
  Examples include: EU regulations such as CSRD and Digital Product Passport; and national climate declarations (for example, in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway)
• Tender and customer requirements
  Many developers, architects, and public authorities request environmental data.
• Better product decisions
  Objective data helps teams choose materials and designs based on impact.
• Support climate goals
  LCAs can reveal carbon hotspots, enabling you to reduce emissions across your portfolio.

➡ Interested? Learn more about our solution for EPD creation for Manufacturers

What's inside an EPD

An EPD typically includes:

• General product description
• Life cycle stages (production, transport, installation, use, end-of-life)
• Environmental indicators (for example, global warming potential, ozone depletion, eutrophication)
• Functional unit (for example, per kg or per m²)
• Declared unit and reference service life
• Verification details and reference PCR (Product Category Rules)

EPDs are designed to be transparent.
They do not need to include proprietary or confidential information.

Why "generic data" can become a problem

Generic environmental data can look like a shortcut. But it can create risks over time.
Product-specific data gives you:

• A true reflection of your manufacturing practices.
• A way to differentiate from competitors.
• A clear baseline to track and reduce impact.

If you want to improve, communicate, and comply, you need real, verified data, which means starting with an LCA and publishing an EPD.

How Prodikt supports manufacturers with EPDs

Whether you're just beginning your sustainability journey or preparing for regulatory compliance, creating an LCA and EPD is a strategic move.

Whether you're just beginning your sustainability journey or preparing for regulatory compliance, creating an LCA and EPD is a strategic move.

Through Prodikt, our sustainability platform, you can go further by activating your data and making it accessible to key decision-makers in the construction value chain.