Which document follows the ISO 14025 product category rules to provide environmental impact data?

The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is specifically designed to follow the ISO 14025 standards, which set forth requirements for Type III environmental declarations. These declarations provide quantified environmental data that is based on life cycle assessment (LCA), and they must adhere to specific product category rules (PCR) that clarify how to assess and report on relevant environmental impact indicators for a particular category of products.

An EPD allows companies to transparently communicate the environmental performance and impacts of their products, facilitating informed decision-making among consumers, designers, and regulators. This standardization and transparency help promote sustainable practices by providing reliable data that can be compared across similar products.

In contrast, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) generally evaluates the potential environmental impacts of a proposed project rather than a specific product. A Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report encompasses broader social and ethical practices of a company, often including sustainability efforts, but it is not focused specifically on environmental impact data. Similarly, a Sustainability Report may cover various dimensions of sustainability practice but does not necessarily follow the structured approach dictated by ISO 14025. This makes the EPD the most relevant document for communicating detailed environmental impact data according to the standards established by ISO.