EPD in the construction sector (EN 15804) and ECO PLATFORM

The beginning of 2021 marked the exceeding of 10,000 worldwide EPDs published in the construction sector and compliant with EN 15804. To understand the extent of this number and the growth rate of the last two years, it is necessary to know that in 2018 these EPDs were less than 5,000.
The various Program Operators can affix the ECO-EPD logo to the EPD if they belong to Eco Platform: a non-profit association based in Brussels, made up of the main European Program Operators (including EPDItaly), trade associations operating in the construction sector, Green Building organization and LCA Practitioner.
The main purpose of the association is to harmonize the verification processes of EPDs and promote their recognition and circulation within the member states. Eco Platform participants share a common quality management system, including verification procedures for “mutual recognition”.
The Eco Platform working groups are responsible for the continuous improvement of the internal rules, the assessment of the quality of the checks, the effective communication of information. Membership of this Association allows the ECO-EPD logo to be affixed to the EPD which highlights the compliance of the document with the requirements of the EN 15804 standard, makes it easier for other Program Operators to recognize it and gives the right to publish the document on Eco Platform site ensuring even greater international visibility. Furthermore, the most representative Program Operators, including EPDItaly, have outlined a scenario in which the digitization of EPDs is now a fundamental practice in the publication of EPDs. For this reason, Eco Platform has equipped itself with a tool, the Eco Portal, which publishes in digital format all the Eco EPDs published by the various Program Operators who have joined the initiative. This allows those who use the service to draw on a carnet of environmental data deriving from all over Europe.