Overview
EN ISO 14025:2010 (ISO 14025:2006) defines principles and procedures for developing Type III environmental declarations - often called environmental product declarations (EPDs) or eco-profiles. The standard requires a life cycle basis using the ISO 14040 series and sets rules for programme administration, declaration content, verification and comparability. Type III declarations are primarily intended for business-to-business (B2B) communication, though use in business-to-consumer (B2C) contexts is possible under defined conditions.
Key topics and requirements
- Life cycle assessment (LCA) basis: Declarations must be grounded in LCA/LCI data following the ISO 14040 series to quantify environmental impacts across a product’s life cycle.
- Programme operator: A programme (e.g., company, sector body or independent organization) administers rules, ensures consistent methodologies and oversees declarations.
- Product Category Rules (PCR): PCRs define scope, functional unit, system boundaries and parameters used to ensure comparability between products within a category.
- Transparency and modularity: Data, assumptions and calculation modules must be transparent and structured to allow aggregation or comparison of parts and whole products.
- Verification: Declarations require independent review or verification; third‑party verification is required for B2C declarations. Verifiers must be competent and impartial.
- Involvement of interested parties: Development of programmes and PCRs should include stakeholder input to enhance credibility and acceptance.
- Comparability and harmonization: Encourages harmonized PCRs and mutual recognition between programmes to support reliable product comparisons.
- Voluntary and complementary: The standard is voluntary and does not supersede legal environmental labelling or mandatory disclosures.
Applications and who uses it
EN ISO 14025 is used by:
- Manufacturers and suppliers seeking to publish EPDs for procurement or supply-chain communication.
- Programme operators (industry associations, certification bodies, independent scientific bodies) that develop and manage EPD schemes.
- Procurement agencies and large buyers using EPDs to evaluate environmental performance in tenders (public and private).
- Design and sustainability teams using LCA-based data to improve product environmental profiles.
- Consultants and verifiers providing LCA studies, PCR development and independent verification services.
Practical benefits include standardized environmental information for green procurement, marketing to business customers, supply-chain transparency, and supporting eco-design decisions.
Related standards
Keywords: EN ISO 14025:2010, ISO 14025, Type III environmental declaration, environmental product declaration (EPD), life cycle assessment (LCA), product category rules (PCR), verification, ISO 14040.
