Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): the new instructions from GPI version 5.0.0

19 Dec 2024

RINA verifies the correct implementation of the requirements introduced by the new version

The new version 5.0.0 of the General Programme Instructions (GPI) according to the EPD International System introduces significant changes.

The EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) is the declaration that allows for a detailed analysis of the environmental impact of products and services, based on specific rules for life cycle assessment - called PCR (Product Category Rules). Through the environmental product declaration, companies can identify areas of improvement, demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, and enhance transparency with customers.

The previous version of the GPI, 4.0, dated back to 2021. Since then, significant improvements have been made, leading to the publication of the new version GPI 5.0.0 on June 19, 2024. After a 90-day transition period, this officially came into effect on September 17, 2024.

Main highlights of the new version

- Validity of the EPD Process Certification: the validity of the certification is increased from five to one year, thus simplifying the renewal process.

- Elimination of pre-certifications: it will no longer be possible to carry out pre-certifications of EPDs for PCR in development.

- Elimination of some verification requirements: verification requirements for compliance with environmental legislation have been eliminated;

- Publication obligation in English: it is now mandatory to publish the EPD in English (it is possible to publish EPDs in other languages, but as "self-declaration").

- New EPD types: new and/or modified existing EPD types have been defined, including:

- EPD of a single product from a manufacturer/service provider;
- EPD of multiple products of a company;
- Sector EPD (average product of several companies belonging to a well-defined sector and/or a specific geographical area);
- EPD published by the trader;
- Single footprint EPD (focus on a single environmental impact category, es. climate declarations);
- Machine-readable EPD Some information is reported in EPD in a machine format);
- EPD of a product recently on the market;
- EPD for a product not yet on the market (provided that the EPD owner has a published and valid EPD for a similar product).

These and other updates introduced will be incorporated into the PCRs which will now all be updated.

Start the verification process with RINA

Our EPD verification process includes document review, on-site verification, reporting, independent technical review, and approval of the verified EPD on the EPD International website.