Credible data, stronger brand: why verified EPDs matter

In Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, environmental claims are under growing scrutiny. For manufacturers, a verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is the most credible way to prove a product’s sustainability performance. But here’s the problem: not all EPDs are created equal.

Speed is not credibility

A growing wave of fast, low-cost embodied carbon calculators is appealing, but speed can come at a cost. Without solid, verified data behind them, these tools can give you numbers that look good but often don’t hold up under scrutiny.

Your choice here directly affects your risk profile, brand credibility and ability to win new business. With many tools and claims emerging, how can you tell if an EPD is truly trustworthy?

A genuine EPD is the gold standard for transparent, comparable and reliable environmental data.

‘A verified EPD isn’t just about compliance – it’s about competitiveness. Verified data wins tenders, builds trust and keeps your brand out of legal trouble,’ says thinkstep-anz Impact Director Nicole Sullivan.

If a declaration isn’t independently reviewed by an external expert who is recognised by the EPD programme, it is not an EPD. It’s a self-declared claim. It carries a greater risk of greenwash and offers no real business value.

Together, these standards ensure that an EPD is transparent, comparable and scientifically robust.

What makes an EPD trustworthy?

Here’s how to spot a trustworthy declaration and avoid being misled by a mere claim.

Built on science (life cycle assessment). An EPD always starts with a life cycle assessment (LCA). This is a scientific study of a product’s environmental impacts from ‘cradle to grave’. It must be built on verifiable data, not assumptions.
Independently verified: An independent verifier must review and approve the EPD. This proves the methods and results are sound, credible and free from bias.
It’s part of a global programme: An EPD is registered and made publicly available within an internationally recognised programme (like the International EPD^® System, EPD Australasia, IBU in Germany, UL Environment in the US or EPD Global in Norway). These publicly available EPDs include information that enables scrutiny and complaints (including contact details for all parties involved.)
Complies with global standards: A credible EPD system is based on ISO 14025 (and EN 15804 for building products) which governs environmental labels and declarations.
Has a transparent scope: An EPD must clearly outline its scope. It details which life cycle stages are included, which standards and Product Category Rules (PCRs) were used and what has been excluded. This transparency allows for a fair, ‘apples-to-apples’ comparison.

Below is a checklist for verifying whether a declaration is a genuine, ISO-compliant EPD:

Check	Question to ask
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)	Was a full LCA conducted according to ISO 14040/14044, covering cradle-to-grave impacts?
Independent verification	Has the EPD been reviewed and verified by an independent, accredited verifier?
Registered programme	Is it published under a recognised EPD programme (e.g. EPD Australasia, International EPD® System)?
Product Category Rules (PCRs)	Does it follow a publicly available PCR that defines the scope and methodology for the product category?
Transparent documentation	Are the scope, data sources, assumptions and exclusions clearly stated?
Public accessibility	Can the EPD be found in a public register?
Multiple impact categories	Does it report all required environmental indicators (e.g. global warming potential (GWP), acidification, eutrophication, resource use)?
Valid period	Is the EPD still within its validity period (typically 5 years)?
Standard references	Does it explicitly cite ISO 14025 and the relevant PCR?

Where a data declaration can be useful – and where you need an EPD

A data declaration (rather than an EPD) can be a useful internal tool to estimate your product’s environmental impacts and identify hotspots for improvement. It can help you:

build early insights into product performance before a full LCA or EPD
support internal design, procurement or R&D decisions.
communicate progress internally or with trusted partners (as long as it’s not presented as a verified EPD).

However, when your goal is external communication, compliance or market advantage, you need a verified EPD. To manage your risk, you should have an EPD when:

making public claims about a product’s environmental performance
seeking credits in green building schemes (e.g. Green Star, IS, Homestar)
submitting data to government, infrastructure or sustainability reporting schemes
comparing products publicly or commercially.

The risks of using non-compliant data declarations

It might be tempting to take a short-cut and produce an ‘EPD like’ data declaration using simplified calculators or internal estimates. But these shortcuts come with serious business risks. Using internally verified data can lead to non-compliance, reputational harm and loss of trust. Only a verified EPD provides the transparency, rigour and credibility needed to stand up to legal and professional scrutiny.

Risk area	What you do	Potential consequence
False or misleading claims	Using ‘EPD-like’ tools without ISO-based verification	Greenwashing risk; potential breach of consumer law (e.g. New Zealand’s Fair Trading Act or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) guidance)
Legal exposure	Making public carbon claims not backed by verified EPDs	Regulatory action, reputational damage
Loss of market access	Green building schemes (e.g. Green Star, Homestar, Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) Rating Scheme) recognise and reward verified EPDs	Missed tender or certification opportunities
Inconsistent data	Results not aligned with PCRs or ISO LCA methods	Inaccurate benchmarking, misleading reporting, comparisons not possible
Reputational harm	Public claims challenged by regulators or clients	Loss of trust and credibility

EPDs create business value

A verified EPD doesn't just mitigate risk; it actively creates business value:

Win tenders and meet requirements. EPDs are increasingly recognised by green building schemes like Green Star, Homestar and Infrastructure Sustainability (IS). Your EPD gives customers the verified data they need to achieve materials credits.
Displace default data. If your product lacks credible carbon data like in an EPD, specifiers using carbon calculation tools must use conservative, low-scoring default data for your embodied carbon. A verified EPD ensures they use your actual (and often better) numbers, making your product more appealing.
Benchmark against competitors. An EPD provides a clear, public benchmark of your product's performance, based on rules that enable fair comparisons. This helps you identify risks and gain a competitive advantage in bids and tenders.