Guidance and Clarifications on EPD Process Certification
The Secretariat of the International EPD System issued updated guidance and clarifications regarding EPD Process Certification, following the recent updates to the General Programme Instructions (GPI 5.0) and Product Category Rules for construction products (PCR 2019:14 version 2.0).
In response to numerous questions arising from the updates to the General Programme Instructions (GPI 5.0) and Product Category Rules for Construction Products (PCR 2019:14), the Secretariat of the International EPD System is providing further clarification on EPD Process Certification during this transition period.
EPD Process Certification is intended to streamline the process for EPD owners to enable efficient development of the environmental product declarations (EPDs) through data collection, life cycle assessments (LCAs), and verification.
Validity Period of EPD Process Certification
The Secretariat acknowledges that the 1-year validity period outlined in GPI version 5.0.1 is operationally challenging for both certificate holders and Accredited Certification Bodies (ACBs). Following thorough evaluation, we confirm that EPD Process Certificates may now be issued with a 5-year validity period, provided that certificate holders undergo the mandatory annual audit, as specified in Section 8.5.4 of GPI version 5.0.1. This update takes immediate effect and may be applied at the next annual audit.
Referencing of GPI and PCR Versions in EPD Process Certificates
The GPI version referred in the EPD Process Certificate provided by the ACB should be limited to only the first digit of the applicable GPI version (e.g., GPI 5).
In contrast, the first two digits of the relevant PCR version number shall be included in the EPD Process Certificate provided by the ACB (e.g. 2019:14 version 2.0). This is a mandatory requirement and must be fully adhered to.
Sunset date for PCR 2019:14 Version 1.3.4
The sunset date of 20 June 2025 is final and cannot be extended due to ECO Platform rules demanded to be complied by all programme operators. We acknowledge the challenges this may pose and remain committed to supporting stakeholders throughout this transition.
Further support
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance regarding EPD Process Certification, please do not hesitate to reach out to support@environdec.com with the subject line “Support on EPD Process Certification”.