The International EPD System, which is the first and still largest EPD programme operator, just held their annual International Stakeholder Conference in Italy.
We were there alongside EPD enthusiasts from around the world so I wanted to share some quite unpolished thoughts on the evolving landscape.
EPDs as the future of sustainability
It really can’t be understated that this is a hugely crucial, transformative, even existential moment for Environmental Product Declarations.
We need wide industry adoption in the years ahead. For that, we need to both protect the quality and integrity of EPDs but also ensure that quality EPDs are easier to obtain at scale. Otherwise industry could settle for an inferior solution - a possibility that William Paddock says keeps him awake at night.
I know how he feels!
Fortunately, there is huge momentum behind EPDs as they become ever more useful. More companies are realising that transparency over environmental impacts beats vague eco marketing claims. And there is a fast emerging community and ecosystem that is passionate about ensuring EPDs are the best option.
The challenge is to keep ensuring that the whole EPD process is as intuitive as possible for the manufacturer - from ease of data collection to the readability and usefulness of end results.
We’ve made a lot of progress but we’ve got further to go - and new challenges ahead. For example, the growing value of EPD data in tender competitions will inevitably lead to legal challenges between manufacturers.
New software solutions
To navigate all this, there’s now a rapid proliferation (and shake up) of technology to assist with LCA and EPD creation - although also plenty of scepticism among specialists. There’s still a lot to figure out.
Every sector is grappling with AI-driven disruption right now, but the demand for EPDs has arisen so relatively recently that there would be huge disruption in the LCA and EPD space even without AI.
So while a lot of attention is focused on generative & agentic AI, EPD specialists are lacking some quite simple macro tools for rules-based automation and process streamlining. A point well explained by Andrew D Moore at our verifiers’ workshop. The best software solutions will get basics right, not just sprinkle AI magic.
The work of specialists will inevitably evolve, but human accountability will remain vital for EPD integrity. An AI on its own could develop & ‘verify’ data for an entirely made up product. Humans using AI effectively and responsibly as a tool will really drive the benefits of EPDs at scale.
As Roger Singleton, PhD CEng pointed out, the recent merger between One Click LCA and & SimaPro has a goal of serving one million users by 2035. Those are, presumably, human users and not just a million AI agents!
And it’s not just big players in this game. EPD specialists are increasingly able to use vibe coding to develop their own software solutions that work for them.
Let's keep the conversation going
And so thank you to the entire secretariat of EPD International, as well as the EPD community, for such a great conference and exchange of ideas and expertise.
This is an incredibly exiting time as we cement verified environmental impact data as the key to competitiveness in a more sustainable world.
Thanks for reading. I originally published this on my LinkedIn here where you can connect with me.
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