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5.6.2. Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) & Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)

There are several tools to assess and communicate the environmental impact of products. For the building sector, two of the most relevant are the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) [111] and the Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) [112]. Nonetheless, there are some differences among them.

Firstly, on the scope and focus. An EPD is a standardised and verified document that provides transparent and comparable information about the environmental performance of a product. It typically focuses on a specific product, material, or system and provides data related to its life cycle, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal. The PEF methodology is a comprehensive and harmonised approach developed by the European Commission. It goes beyond individual products and aims to evaluate the environmental impact of products within a specific product group or category. The PEF covers a broader scope, including multiple products with similar functionalities.

Secondly, on the methodology used: EPDs are based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies, which evaluate the environmental impacts of a product throughout its life cycle. LCAs consider various aspects, such as resource consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and other environmental indicators. PEF also utilises LCA methodology, but it has a more standardised and harmonised approach to assess environmental impacts, making it easier to compare products within the same category.

Thirdly, on the geographical scope. EPDs can be developed following regional or international standards, and their scope can vary depending on the region and market for which they are intended. The PEF methodology was primarily developed by the European Commission and is commonly used within the European Union. However, its principles and guidelines may influence other regions' efforts to standardize environmental assessments.

Lastly, on the purpose. EPDs are often used for marketing and sustainability communication purposes. They allow companies to communicate the environmental performance of their products to consumers, architects, and other stakeholders. PEF is more commonly used for policy development and regulatory purposes. It aims to provide a standardised method for assessing and comparing environmental footprints within a product category to support sustainable procurement and policy-making decisions.

In summary, EPDs focus on individual products, offering specific environmental information based on LCA methodologies. On the other hand, PEF takes a broader perspective, aiming to harmonise environmental assessments within product groups for policy and regulatory purposes, primarily within the European context.

While both methodologies offer valuable insights into the environmental impact of products, they do have some weaknesses and limitations:

Limitations of EPDs:

  1. Data availability and accuracy**:** Developing an EPD requires access to comprehensive and accurate data from various stages of a product's life cycle. Sometimes, this data may not be readily available or difficult to obtain, leading to potential data gaps or reliance on estimates, and therefore potentially incomplete LCAs.
  2. Limited scope**:** EPDs focus on individual products, and as a result, they might not capture the broader impacts of product systems or multi-component building assemblies. This can lead to a fragmented view of a building's overall environmental performance.
  3. Lack of comparability**:** EPDs may have different methodologies and boundaries, leading to challenges when comparing products from different sources. Variability in data collection methods or regional considerations can affect the comparability of EPDs.
  4. Subjectivity in LCA interpretation**:** While LCA methodologies are scientific, there can be some degree of subjectivity in interpreting the results and setting the system boundaries, leading to potential bias or misinterpretation.

Limitations of PEF:

  1. Complexity and resource intensiveness**:** PEF is a comprehensive methodology that covers multiple environmental impact categories and requires extensive data collection, making it resource-intensive and time-consuming to implement.
  2. Limited applicability**:** PEF was primarily developed within the European context, and its applicability might be challenging in regions with different industrial structures, product standards, and regulatory frameworks.
  3. Difficulty in handling oroduct diversity**:** Within a product category, there can be a wide variety of products with diverse characteristics. Creating a single representative assessment for such diverse products can be challenging and may not accurately capture the entire category's environmental performance.
  4. Focus on average performance**:** PEF aims to find the average environmental performance of a product category, which might not provide enough information to identify best-in-class or worst-in-class products.
  5. Insufficient industry adoption**:** PEF is a relatively new and evolving methodology, and not all industries or sectors may have embraced it fully. Limited adoption could hinder the availability and comparability of PEF data across different product categories.