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04/15/2026
As regulatory requirements tighten and both public and private procurement integrate environmental criteria, documenting product-level environmental impacts has become a baseline requirement. PEPs and EPDs sit at the core of this shift. This article clarifies their scope, their differences, and their strategic implications for manufacturers.
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardised, third-party verified document that quantifies a product’s environmental performance over its full life cycle.
EPDs are governed by ISO 14025, within the ISO 14000 family of environmental management standards. The standard defines three core elements: methodological rules, life cycle scope, and mandatory external verification. Together, these ensure that results are robust, comparable, and reproducible across products and manufacturers.
ISO 14025 distinguishes three types of environmental declarations:
EPDs and PEPs fall under Type III, the most stringent category.
Their rapid deployment reflects both regulatory and market drivers.
At EU level, ecodesign policies and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) are progressively embedding requirements for reliable product-level environmental data.
Several national building regulations now require whole-life carbon assessments for new buildings, creating a structural dependency on verified environmental data at product level.
Procurement practices are evolving in parallel. Environmental criteria are now standard in public tenders and increasingly embedded in private procurement, driven by corporate sustainability commitments. While construction remains the primary driver, manufacturing and electronics are following the same trajectory.
A Product Environmental Profile (PEP) is a Type III EPD specific to electrical, electronic and HVAC equipment. It is based on Life Cycle Assessment and compliant with ISO 14025.
This sector-specific framework addresses limitations of generic EPD programmes. Electrical and electronic equipment is characterised by long and energy-intensive use phases, reliance on high-impact raw materials (including critical metals), and complex end-of-life pathways. These features require adapted modelling rules.
Such equipment is also structurally embedded in buildings and contributes directly to their environmental footprint, reinforcing the need for consistent and sector-specific data.
PEPs primarily cover:
Typical products include distribution boards, luminaires, cabling systems, air conditioning units, and fire detection systems.
The PEP Ecopassport database includes over 5,000 published PEPs, with 1,800 added in 2024 alone.
The programme is widely used across Europe and expanding internationally. It is open to any manufacturer, regardless of location.
PEPs are used by:
A PEP reports LCA-based indicators, including:
The scope covers all life cycle stages: raw material extraction, manufacturing, transport, use, and end-of-life.
PEPs are developed through a standardised process:
Once published, a PEP supports:
Many EPD programmes include dedicated frameworks for construction products (e.g. concrete, timber, insulation), distinct from those covering electrical and electronic equipment. Both are Type III EPDs based on LCA, but differ in their product category rules, indicators, and programme governance. PEPs are specific to electrical and electronic equipment.
Both are Type III EPDs based on LCA, but differ in their product category rules, indicators, and programme governance. PEPs are specific to electrical and electronic equipment.
PEPs are aligned with:
A PEP is not an alternative to an EPD; it is an EPD programme.
An EPD, as defined by ISO 14025, only exists operationally within a programme that specifies calculation rules, verification procedures, and publication requirements. PEP Ecopassport is one such programme, dedicated to electrical and electronic equipment.
Multiple EPD programmes coexist globally, including:
Differences between programmes can create friction for manufacturers operating across markets. These differences relate in particular to:
Established in 2010, the PEP Ecopassport Association defines and governs the programme in line with principles of transparency and methodological consistency. It provides a shared framework for manufacturers to structure and disclose environmental data.
Its objective is twofold: ensure robust product-level assessments, and enable reliable aggregation at building level. In this respect, PEP data directly support whole-building environmental modelling from the design phase.
PEPs are now routinely used in BREEAM and LEED certification pathways, as well as in national building regulation compliance schemes across multiple markets.
PEP Ecopassport is widely recognised as one of the most demanding EPD frameworks. Its methodological requirements exceed those of many international programmes.
This creates a structural advantage.
The programme offers an additional advantage for manufacturers with broad product ranges. A single PEP can cover multiple product references through standardised extrapolation rules. Starting from one modelled product, impacts are calculated for each variant using mathematical rules defined by the programme. These rules are among the most standardised in the sector. The result: one declaration, adapted to each product reference, with no averaged range-level impacts and no separate declaration per product.
A manufacturer with an existing PEP has already completed the core LCA work required for other EPD programmes: data collection, modelling, indicator calculation, and third-party verification. Transitioning to another programme typically requires only limited adjustments.
In practice, this significantly reduces both cost and lead time compared to developing a declaration from first principles. It also enables consistent environmental data across multiple markets.
From a single Life Cycle Assessment, both PEP and EPD outputs can be generated, optimising resources while maintaining methodological integrity.
At EVEA, we produce both PEPs and EPDs. Starting from a single life cycle assessment, we can deliver both declarations and significantly reduce costs for your company. It's an optimised, efficient solution, perfectly suited to today's challenges — whether you're targeting the French, European or international market. To find out more about our offer, contact our team.
Alyzée Corre et Frédéric Assouad
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