Insulation EPDs in Europe, the ultimate data guide

The 2026 snapshot in one view

Europe’s insulation category is busy and concentrated. In the last five years, 644 current EPDs were issued by 83 manufacturers across 10 program operators, using 33 distinct PCRs. The most recent publication in the public registry landed on 2025‑05‑15 for Kingspan’s Kooltherm® K21, verified at IBU under Part B: foam plastics, with an expiry on 2030‑05‑15. That cadence signals a live, competitive field rather than a sleepy register.

Program operators that matter in insulation

Two operators carry most of the load. INIES accounts for 279 insulation EPDs, and EPD International AB for 246. EPD Hub contributes 40, EPD Norway 33, and IBU 36. The remaining operators show small but notable activity. Put as shares of the five‑year total, that is roughly INIES 43 percent, EPD International 38 percent, EPD Hub 6 percent, EPD Norway 5 percent, and IBU 6 percent. This is consistent with the EU’s center of gravity around EN 15804+A2 as the core rule set for construction products (CEN EN 15804+A2, 2019). France’s national additions explain the INIES weight in the mix, since many FDES for insulation are registered there (INIES, 2025).

Who is actually publishing the most

Manufacturers with the largest current insulation EPD portfolios include KNAUF INSULATION SAS at 156, Knauf Insulation at 125, JACKON Insulation GmbH at 55, Leca Saint‑Gobain at 32, then SAINT‑GOBAIN ISOVER and URSA Insulation S.A. at 22 each. Kingspan shows 10, and ROCKWOOL FRANCE contributes 15 in the French market alongside other ROCKWOOL entities. This distribution mirrors brand reach and multi‑plant coverage. If your line includes multiple thicknesses or facings, that is often reflected as product families that scale quickly to dozens of EPDs.

PCRs that actually get used

Think of a PCR like the rulebook of Monopoly. Ignore it and the game falls apart. In Europe’s insulation set, three families dominate the rulebook shelf.

• National additions to NF EN 15804: A2 and A1 collectively anchor 278 current EPDs, with the A2 addition carrying the larger share and expiries stretching as far as 2030‑12‑31. That long tail indicates stability for French market specifications.
• The EPD International family around PCR 2019:14 is heavily used for insulation via the c‑PCR‑005 Thermal Insulation products. We see 92 EPDs under the “being updated” track and 69 under the standard c‑PCR‑005, plus 40 under PCR 2019:14 1.3.3.
• Category‑specific rules beyond Environdec include NPCR 012 Part B from EPD Norway with 29 EPDs, and IBU Part B templates such as foam plastics and mineral insulating materials. These provide clear paths for mineral wool, PIR or foam plastic lines that do not publish via INIES.

For teams planning a 2026 release, it is worth checking how far the chosen PCR’s expiry runs, and where your target market expects to find you. Matching the common PCR in your competitive set keeps comparability clean and reduces reviewer friction.

Issuance trend since 2021

Activity peaked in 2023 and cooled in 2024 and 2025, which we often see when standards updates, national additions, or portfolio cleanups absorb attention. Use the curve below to benchmark your roadmap.

Year	EPDs issued
2021	102
2022	172
2023	314
2024	41
2025	15

If you are entering the category now, a lean portfolio build in 2026 can still land you in a quieter competitive window.

The renewal wave and where expiries cluster

Plan renewals like preventive maintenance. Over the next five calendar years, 103 EPDs expire in 2026, 170 in 2027, a large 318 in 2028, then 39 in 2029 and 14 in 2030. The 2028 peak reflects large cohorts under Environdec and EPD Hub families, the NPCR 012 track, and several French national additions. Teams should align plant data readiness and background datasets now so the 2028 renewal wave does not collide with holiday shutdowns or audits.

Consultants and service providers are behind most insulation EPDs

434 of the 644 current insulation EPDs list an EPD consultant or service provider. That is about 67 percent of the market. The takeaway is simple. Most manufacturers do not burden internal teams with LCA modeling and program operator workflows. A focused partner, for example an EPD service provider like Parq, can keep data collection disciplined and publication timing predictable so product managers and plant leads stay on core objectives. The speed and ease dividend shows up as fewer slipped spec deadlines.

Program operator choice and market access

Operator choice is seldom about prestige. It is about being visible where your buyers and specifiers look. INIES aligns to France and its national additions. EPD International AB provides wide European recognition and c‑PCR‑005 for thermal insulation. IBU is a frequent home for foam plastics and mineral insulating materials, and is familiar to German‑speaking markets. EPD Norway’s NPCR 012 is a clear route for mineral wool, especially in Nordics. Match operator, PCR, and sales geography in one decision to avoid re‑work later.

Latest activity worth noting

The latest insulation EPD in the dataset is Kingspan’s Kooltherm® K21, issued 2025‑05‑15 under IBU’s Part B for foam plastics, with an expiry on 2030‑05‑15. If you compete in rigid foam boards or phenolic foam, this is a helpful reference point for A2‑aligned declarations in Central Europe.

Who is missing

Most large insulation players active in Europe appear in the current five‑year set, including groups under Knauf, ROCKWOOL, Saint‑Gobain, URSA, Kingspan, and JACKON. Adjacent thermal solutions such as autoclaved aerated concrete show up under masonry rather than insulation, so they may not appear in your category search even if they compete on U‑values at the wall level. If a peer looks absent, it is often a classification choice rather than a true gap.

What to do next in 2026

• If your portfolio has French sales, check the NF EN 15804 A2 national addition. It remains the mainstream path for FDES and ensures clean comparability in that market (INIES, 2025).
• If you sell across multiple EU markets, confirm whether c‑PCR‑005 or NPCR 012 better matches your product family and data availability. Both are proven paths. EN 15804 A2 is the baseline reference for Europe, so align your LCA scope and datasets accordingly (CEN EN 15804+A2, 2019).
• Look at your expiries. If your cluster lands in 2027 or 2028, stage data pulls and internal reviews this spring. A rushed renewal can create avoidable variance in key indicators like GWP.

A final word for insulation leaders

This guide is based on the global public registry that specifiers rely on. Due to loading delays, the last half of 2025 may be partially represented, so we flag that transparently. If you want the full, up‑to‑date background dataset or wish to sanity‑check your plan, connect with Toby Urff on LinkedIn and send a message. We are happy to share details, pressure‑test choices on PCRs and operators, and help sequence a portfolio build that is fast, dependable, and definately low‑drama.

(CEN EN 15804+A2, 2019) (INIES, 2025)