What data is available for conducting an LCA in Europe?

To calculate the environmental impact of a building and perform its life cycle assessment (LCA), it is necessary to know the impact of its components. This requires environmental data on the materials and equipment used. This data comes in the form of environmental declarations called FDES (Environmental and Health Declaration Sheets) and PEP (Product Environmental Profiles).
In Europe, there are numerous databases that compile this information. The European standard EN 15804 standardizes the data, making it easier to use.

The following chart shows, for each country, the number of available environmental declarations:

Nombe d'EPD disponible par pays

INIES is the database with the largest number of available declarations, and France is the country with the highest number of environmental profiles. However, many countries do not have a dominant database and do not appear to have the necessary data to perform a complete environmental impact assessment of a building.

How can a complete LCA be carried out in this case?

To optimize the use of available EPDs, one approach could be to use all existing data while specifically adjusting the transportation impact. Another strategy might involve using the environmental impact from another country’s EPD while applying a safety factor to the total impact, ensuring a conservative and secure use of the data.

At Nooco – a Deepki solution, while we cannot guarantee an exact solution, our approach aims to simplify the process for our users. We are able to provide LCAs across all countries and therefore recommend the following order of priority when selecting an environmental data sheet:

  1. Specific EPD available for the country in question and/or applicable to a broader scope that includes the country (e.g., Europe)
  2. Generic EPD for the country. This provides general information that can be used temporarily while waiting for a more specific sheet
  3. Similar specific EPD available from another country with adjusted transportation impact
  4. Generic EPD available from another country with adjusted transportation impact
  5. Carbon simulation available on Nooco