What does the LCIA section of an EPD tell me?

It converts inventory flows into impact indicators (e.g., climate change, acidification) so you can benchmark your product against project limits or competitors. Under EN 15804 +A2 you’ll see 19 core indicators, with climate change split into fossil, biogenic, and land-use sub-totals.

How can I quickly spot if an EPD uses outdated impact methods?

Check the scope statement for EN 15804 +A2 or ISO 21930 references and scan the climate change row: if you see only one GWP column, it likely follows an old A1 method.

Why does the functional unit matter so much?

All impact numbers scale from the functional unit. Comparing a ‘per m³’ timber board to a competitor’s ‘per kg’ board will mislead; always convert to an equal basis before benchmarking.

Is data quality in an EPD audited?

Yes. Third-party verifiers review dataset age, representativeness, and completeness, but they do not guarantee absolute accuracy. Always read the data quality statements for caveats.

Can I update just the LCIA tables without re-issuing the whole EPD?

No. Any change to underlying inventory or methods triggers a revision cycle under ISO 14025, though rapid digital EPD platforms can cut the turnaround to weeks.

Anatomy of an EPD: Decode Each Section

The Cover Page: Your One-Minute Snapshot

Certificates are like movie posters: the first page sells the whole story. Check the program operator logo, PCR reference, issuance and expiration dates, and whether the declaration follows EN 15804 +A2 or an older rule set. A2 matters because it uses the updated climate-change split (fossil, biogenic, land-use) now required across Europe (Circular Ecology, 2024).

Goal, Scope, and Boundary: Where the Story Starts

This section explains what the study tried to answer, which modules (A1–C4) are covered, and any exclusions. If your product’s pain point lives in use-phase energy, a cradle-to-gate EPD may leave buyers unsatisfied. Keep a highlighter handy for the functional unit—the “one metric tonne” or “one window unit”—because every downstream number hangs on that hook.

LCI Tables: Raw Data Unmasked

Life-cycle inventory shows the inputs and outputs the modeller fed into the LCA engine. Think of it as the ingredient list on a cereal box. You will often see:

material and energy inputs (kWh, kg)
emissions to air and water
waste streams by treatment route Cross-check unusual spikes. A mis-typed diesel use figure here can inflate climate impact later.

LCIA Results: The Scorecard Buyers Care About

Here the inventory flows convert into midpoint impact categories like Climate Change, Acidification, and Eutrophication. Under EN 15804 +A2 you will see 19 core indicators plus optional human-toxicity and particulate-matter columns. The climate totals should equal the sum of the three sub-categories; if not, ask why. Remember that a single module can swing procurement decisions—30 percent of public tenders in the EU now set maximum GWP for A1–A3 only (IBU, 2024).

Data Quality Statements: Trust but Verify

ISO 14040 requires authors to flag temporal, geographical, and technological representativeness. A five-year-old dataset may still pass verification but feel stale to a specifier racing toward 2030 carbon goals (ISO 14040, 2022). Good EPDs disclose secondary data shares and uncertainty ranges; great ones give a roadmap for updates.

Interpretation and Improvement Potential

Some program operators let manufacturers add narrative on hot-spot reduction. If the EPD lists switch-overs to recycled content or renewable power PPAs, weave those points into marketing materials. The numbers is staggering: International EPD System hosts over 10,000 valid declarations as of September 2024, up almost 50 percent since 2022 (IES, 2024).

Use the Anatomy to Win Specs

Knowing which paragraph proves compliance and which table nails the GWP lets sales teams answer questions on the fly. Pair that agility with fast data-collection workflows and the EPD shifts from paperwork to profit driver.