Evaluating the comparability of environmental product declarations for use as a decision-making tool for building designers

With its inclusion to LEED®, use of EPDs in the construction industry will accelerate over time. This research examines current practices surrounding the use of EPDs in construction and addresses a key need arising from a case study completed on the first Canadian project to use EPDs. Findings suggest that lack of comparability between claims hinders the ability for them to be used as true, decisive comparative tools on projects. This informed the development of a semi-automated comparison tool for EPDs and PCRs. Three separate construction product categories were chosen for comparison to develop this tool: insulation, flooring, and cladding systems. Comparability was more evident in categories that have had early involvement in publishing environmental claims (such as flooring, because of its human health implications). However, there was concerning evidence regarding the comparability of EPDs that were comparable according to international standards were incomparable according to the comparison framework developed.