EPD Ireland, decoded for manufacturers
Specs in Ireland are moving fast toward lower carbon materials. Public buyers increasingly ask for EPDs, and EU rules will make whole‑life carbon visible on every new building. Here is the practical, country‑specific view so product teams can move with confidence, not guesswork.
What an Irish EPD actually is
An Environmental Product Declaration used in Ireland must comply with EN 15804, be verified by an independent third party, and follow a Product Category Rule that fits the product family. Think of the PCR as the rulebook of Monopoly. Ignore it and the game falls apart.
Most new European declarations follow EN 15804+A2. That version expands indicators and requires end‑of‑life scenarios so your data can travel well across EU markets. If your competitors publish to A2 and you publish to an older approach, comparisons become awkward for specifiers.
Who publishes EPDs used in Ireland
Ireland has its own ECO Platform‑aligned program, EPD Ireland, operated by the Irish Green Building Council. Many teams also publish with European operators that Irish specifiers know well, such as IBU in Germany, BRE Global in the UK, and the International EPD System.
As a sense‑check on scale, EPD Ireland listed about 221 EPDs as of 1 July 2025 (ECO Platform, 2025). That number grows continually, so always validate the latest catalogue before you commit.
- EPD Ireland, run by IGBC, widely recognised across local projects.
- IBU, BRE Global, and the International EPD System are common choices for imported or multi‑market products.
Where Irish policy is heading right now
Government guidance for public bodies is explicit on cement and concrete. For designs starting 1 September 2024, public buyers are told to seek EPDs to EN 15804 when directly procuring these materials, to avoid CEM I where not technically justified, and to target at least 30% clinker replacement consistent with I.S. EN 206 (Government of Ireland, 2025) (gov.ie, 2025).
Whole‑life carbon assessments become standard on large infrastructure. Projects over €60 million should complete them now, and from 1 January 2026 that threshold tightens to €10 million for infrastructure. Additional triggers apply to new building projects from September 2025, with further tightening in 2026 (DETE, 2025) (DETE, 2025). If concrete is central to your product line, these rules are not background noise. They shape who gets shortlisted.
The EU signal that will shape Irish specs
Under the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, the life‑cycle global warming potential of buildings must be calculated and disclosed on energy performance certificates for large new buildings from January 2028 and for all new buildings from January 2030 (European Commission, 2025) (European Commission, 2025). That pushes design teams to prefer products with EN 15804‑compliant, third‑party verified data they can plug straight into building‑level calculations.
What this means for manufacturers selling in Ireland
EPDs reduce friction at bid time. Without one, design teams often apply conservative default factors that make a product look heavier than it is. With a current, verified EPD, the penalty disappears and conversations shift back to performance, availability, and service.
You do not need a locally hosted EPD to sell in Ireland. You do need an EN 15804‑compliant, independent declaration that aligns with how your competitors report. Older EPDs are fine within validity, unless they are months from expiry. Then you risk last‑minute scramble.
Picking a programme and PCR without regret
Follow the market you sell into. Start by mapping which PCRs and programme operators your direct competitors use, then pick the closest fit. If a dedicated PCR does not exist, many operators offer broader construction PCRs that work for interim coverage. A great LCA partner will weigh PCR longevity, operator reach, and your publication timeline so you are not re‑issuing six months later because a rule changed.
The hard part is not the math, it is the data
Collecting utility, purchasing, waste, and transport data across a plant network is the slowest step. Expect to define a clear reference year, align ERP exports and invoices, and fill supplier data gaps with verified upstream datasets. Speed comes from disciplined data collection and project management so your engineers can stay focused on production realities while the documentation moves forward. If a partner cannot wrangle the spreadsheets and supplier follow‑ups for you, you will feel it in the schedule you recieve.
A quick route map for teams searching “epd ireland”
Publish to EN 15804+A2 with a PCR your buyers recognise. Choose EPD Ireland if local visibility matters, or a larger EU operator if you need multi‑country reach. Keep an eye on the Irish procurement guidance for cement and concrete and the EPBD’s life‑cycle disclosure timeline. Those two currents set the near‑term demand for verified, comparable data.
Tieing it together for 2026 specs and beyond
Ireland’s public guidance is tightening, and EU rules put whole‑life carbon on every new building’s paperwork. Manufacturers that treat EPDs as a sales‑critical asset will win time on bids and keep options open across operators. Pick the right PCR, collect data once with care, and publish where your customer looks first. That is how you turn compliance into spec advantage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Irish buyers require EPDs from EPD Ireland specifically or are other programme operators accepted?
Other EN 15804 programme operators are accepted in practice. EPD Ireland is well recognised locally, but EPDs from IBU, BRE Global, and the International EPD System are commonly used in Ireland too. Focus on EN 15804 compliance, third‑party verification, and the right PCR.
Are there numeric thresholds in Ireland that affect EPD demand for cement and concrete?
Yes. Government guidance tells public bodies to seek EN 15804 EPDs for cement and concrete, avoid CEM I without technical justification, and target around 30% clinker replacement consistent with I.S. EN 206. Whole‑life carbon assessments apply to large projects, with thresholds tightening in 2026 (Government of Ireland, 2025) (gov.ie, 2025).
When will whole‑life carbon be disclosed for new buildings across the EU?
From January 2028 for large new buildings and from January 2030 for all new buildings, under the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. This drives demand for product‑specific EPDs that can feed building‑level calculations (European Commission, 2025) (European Commission, 2025).
About the Author
With a passion for sustainability and a love for complex data, Toby helps manufacturers efficiently collect data from across their organization and get their EPDs done right. He’s especially interested in how AI can support human expertise, helping R&D and factory teams work faster, smarter, and with less friction.
