Master Modules A4 and A5 for Leaner EPDs
Months of plant data finally sit polished in a spreadsheet, yet your verifier still needs truck routes, pallet weights, and tape counts. These details live in Modules A4 and A5. Ignore them and you risk watching a lean factory footprint swell at the very last hurdle.
Why the Construction Stage Punches Above Its Weight
Transport and site activity rarely exceed ten percent of a product’s life cycle emissions, yet buyers remember them because they sit closest to the job site where decisions get made. Recent meta analyses peg A4 and A5 at five to twelve percent of total global warming potential for standard building products (NMD, 2025). Numbers that small still swing a spec when competition is tight and architects chase every LEED point.
Module A4: The Road Trip Carbon Counts
Think of A4 as every mile a product moves after it clears the factory gate. Mode choice, backhaul rates, and even partial loads all feed the tally. Bills of lading already live in your ERP, so pull them instead of guessing default distances. Switching a single weekly lane from diesel truck to rail trimmed one manufacturer’s transport emissions by thirty percent last year (IEA, 2024).
Module A5: What Happens After the Truck Door Slides Open
A5 captures on-site realities: forklifts idling, shrink wrap heading to the dumpster, and commissioning losses when installers cut components to fit. Packaging often reaches five kilograms per hundred delivered in light fixtures and similar goods (WRAP, 2024). Swap nested cartons for returnable totes and you cut both mass and disposal fees in one move.
From Compliance to Competitive Edge
Precise A4 and A5 reporting lets sales teams quote objective carbon savings from optimized routes or lighter packaging. Specifiers can mark your product as a quick win for embodied carbon targets, lifting bid conversion rates by up to eight percent on municipal projects that score every kilogram (City of Seattle, 2025).
About the Author
Eric works at the intersection of sustainability, regulation, and business strategy, helping manufacturers navigate the evolving landscape of EPDs and LCAs. Having spoken with hundreds of teams across North America, brings a deep understanding of what drives ROI, what regulators are asking for, and how companies can stay ahead with smart, scalable approaches to environmental reporting.