Sustainability is increasingly underpinned by data. Concepts such as LCA, ECI, EPDs and impact categories play a major role in design, procurement, tendering and product development.
With a good foundation, you can better contribute, assess and direct objective insights.
An LCA calculates the environmental impact of a material, product or building by analyzing each life stage separately. By taking all phases together, one overall picture of the full environmental impact emerges. This makes sustainability measurable and comparable.
An LCA analyzes each life stage and sub-stage of a product or project. Assessing and adding up all the phases separately provides a complete picture of the total environmental impact.
An LCA collects data on emissions, energy use and waste at each life stage. Not only CO₂, but also substances such as nitrogen and particulate matter are included. This provides a complete picture of all environmental impacts.
Environmental impacts are divided into 11 categories, such as climate change and toxicity. Emissions are converted to equivalent units, for example, CO₂ equivalents. One emission can contribute to multiple categories.
An EPD summarizes an LCA and shows the impact per life stage according to fixed European rules. This makes products easy to compare and quickly shows where the greatest environmental impact is.
LCAs follow established international standards such as ISO 14040/14044, the European PEF and sector-specific rules such as EN 15804 and the Dutch NED. These standards determine how impact categories are calculated and summarized.
After external verification, the result is recorded in an EPD.
The Environmental Cost Indicator converts the results of an LCA into a single value in euros. This score makes products and processes easily comparable: the lower the ECI, the less environmental impact.
The ECI translates environmental impact into a financial value that shows what it costs to resolve environmental damage. This makes sustainable choices clear, supports tenders and encourages market players to become more sustainable.
The ECI is the weighted environmental cost score according to the Dutch NED method. Different impact categories are merged with shadow prices into one clear indicator for sustainable comparison.
An EPD is a standardized environmental product declaration based on an LCA. The document shows the environmental impact of a product per life stage and allows comparison between products according to established European rules.
The NED is the Dutch database with validated environmental data of building products. Inclusion in the NED is required for application in MPG and ECI calculations within Dutch tenders.
The European core standard for environmental declarations of construction products. This standard defines how LCAs are constructed, which life stages are included and how environmental impacts are reported.
The most up-to-date version of EN 15804 with expanded environmental categories and tightened calculation rules, including additional impact indicators in addition to CO₂.
International standards that provide the basis for life cycle assessments. They describe the methodology, transparency requirements and quality principles for conducting and reporting LCAs.
A European method for determining environmental impact of products over the full life cycle. PEF is increasingly used outside the construction sector and forms the basis for sector-specific PEFCRs
The UAC describe the contractual arrangements between client and contractor in traditional construction contracts. Within UAC contracts, ECI is often used as an award criterion or contractual requirement.
Under UAV-GC, design and execution responsibility lies with the contractor. This requires a different application and assurance of ECI and LCA agreements during the project.
Sustainable design and procurement policies, environmental data review and application of ECI in decision making.
ECI in procurement, sustainable tendering, material choices, design optimization and project MKI.
LCAs, EPDs, CSRD commitments and product transparency. How sustainable choices become measurable in material production.
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