Environmental Product Labeling & Declaration
Most organizations have developed an understanding of the importance of reducing their environmental impact. Carbon management programs are becoming commonplace, and progressive organizations are pursuing net carbon neutrality in their day-to-day operations.
But what about the environmental impact of the products they sell? In order to make more informed buying decisions, customers are driving organizations to become more transparent as to the environmental legacy their product offerings leave throughout their lifecycle.
One method that is gaining acceptance in North America and around the world is the use of “Environmental Product Declarations” (or EPDs). A key component of a fully-transparent EPD is the creation of an appropriate set of “Product Category Rules” (or PCRs).
As a recognized leader in global environmental standards development, with a proven reputation in product certification and testing services, CSA Group brings considerable credibility to its newly-announced role as a Program Operator for the development of PCRs. Harnessing our renowned consensus-based standards development process, CSA Group can bring disparate industry groups together for the purpose of creating a common set of procedures for evaluating the environmental impact of products. The end goal of the PCR development process is a set of criteria, endorsed by stakeholders, that enables fair comparisons of the environmental impact of similar products, helping facilitate informed product decisions.
Product Category Rules (PCRs)
Product Category Rules (PCRs) establish the requirements for performing a life cycle assessment (LCA), which compiles and evaluates the environmental impacts of a product through its entire lifecycle. PCRs are based on the international environmental management guidelines of ISO 14025 – Environmental Labels and Declarations – Type III Environmental Declarations – Principles and Procedures. They are developed by program operators through an open and transparent process, whereby a single company or a group of companies from a common product area interact with other parties, such as trade, LCA experts and special interest groups.
By assuming the role of Program Operator, CSA Group is ready to work with corporations and organizations to facilitate the development and publication of PCRs. As the International Secretariat for TC 207, the committee responsible for the development of environmental management standards, including the ISO 14020 and ISO 14040 series, CSA Group is the logical choice as a Program Operator for corporations seeking a trusted third-party to facilitate the development of PCRs.
A copy of the CSA Group Program Operator Administrative Rules is available upon request.
Download the PCR Fact Sheet (PDF)
How to Prepare a Product Category Rule
Once chosen as the Program Operator for a Product Category, CSA manages a five step process:
- Initiation: Available PCRs are considered and a product category consultation group is formed
- Preparation: Scope and functional unit of the PCR is identified
- Consultation: An open consultation procedure is conducted and a draft of the PCR is modified based on feedback
- Approval and Publication: PCR is peer reviewed then published
- Maintenance: As the PCR is valid for a pre-determined period of time, it is revisited periodically to confirm on-going validity.
For more information on how to engage CSA Group as a Program Operator for your industry, contact:
Valerie Madarasz, Business Development Manager, at envirosolutions@csagroup.org or 877-235-9791 Ext. 88396; or go to www.csagroup.org
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
Corporations use PCRs to create Type III Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), a disclosure of the environmental performance of products over their life cycle – including measurement of carbon footprint and energy consumption.
EPDs encourage corporations to manufacture environmentally-friendly products that display verifiable and accurate information based on scientifically-accepted and valid methods. They are:
- Applicable for all types of products and services within clearly defined product categories
- Designed to meet information needs within the supply-chain and for end-products in public and private sectors
- Based on internationally accepted / harmonized calculation rules, which gives credibility to collected data
- Continuously updated and follow rigid documentation / follow-up procedures
- Used to assist in making informed comparisons around environmental performance between products.
Watch for more information on CSA Group’s work in Environmental Product Declarations coming soon.