Lighting Europe’s LCA/EPD Webinar - Review by Issie Gilbert

Introduction:

My role as Sustainability Lead takes me to events, conferences and courses to increase my knowledge and help my company on our journey to Net Zero. One of these courses was the Lighting Europe EPD/LCA talk.

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCAs) are slowly gaining traction when specifying lighting equipment. However, the requirements to gain EPDs and what is the best fit has become a challenge.

The Lighting Europe EPD/LCA webinar is a great first step to gain some surface level knowledge for a complex topic. It covers introductions to LCA's and EPD's, terminology, Methodology, standards and interpreting the results.

General Overview:

This topic was covered over 2 webinars. One back in December and the second in March. Collectively, both parts offered an in-depth analysis of EPDs/LCAs, the process, tips and tricks, and lots of advice.

Part 1:

1. Introduction to LCA
2. Key LCA Terminology
3. Introduction to Life Cycle Inventory
4. Interpreting and Analysing Results
5. End of Life Allocation and Standards/reporting

Part 2:

1. Introduction to LCAs and EPDs
2. Deep dive into LCA and EPD standards
3. Very deep dive into PSR0014
4. Lighting EPDs

EPDs/LCAs are not a regulated certification with rules to abide by. This has resulted in an interpretation of the best way to go about these. Although you can do it independently, there are multiple companies offering a service and assistance. 

My Personal Takeaways:

As someone who has been researching and in conversations about EPDs and LCAs for months, I am forever learning something new.

Some of my key takeaways are:

How to interpret the results -

• Internally - Being able to assess the breakdown of the results to see where change is needed to continue towards Net Zero.
• Externally - Providing full transparency to clients and the industry for them to assess the impact of the products before specifying.

LCA/EPD terminology:

When completing the EPD/LCA process, there can be a lot of new technical terms and information. Having a basic understanding can make the whole process a lot easier. Some key terms I've learnt are:

• LCI - Life cycle Impact

LCI covers the environmental effect a product can have from collection of raw materials to disposal/recycle process. Each stage of an EPD will report various impact categories.

• Life Cycle Inventory

Life cycle inventory involved collecting and quantifying all the inputs and outputs connected to a products life cycle. This is essential for creating an accurate EPD.

• PCR - Product Category Rules

These are a set of specific rules and guidelines based off internation standards. These ensure EPDs are consistent and comparable.

• PSR0014

PSR0014 is a product specific rule developed to guide EPDs for lighting equipment. It involves detailed instructions to perform a LCA specifically for lighting products and builds on the PCRs.

• ISO 14040:2006 Environmental Management - Life cycle Assessment - Principles and framework.
• ISO 14044:2006 Environmental Management - Life cycle assessment - Requirements and Guidelines.

Conclusion:

The Lighting Europe EPD/LCA webinar was a useful way to build a stronger foundation on what can be a complex topic. It helped break down the process, terminology, and standards in a way that felt manageable, especially for those just starting out. Even after months of researching and discussing EPDs and LCAs, I still came away with new insights and a better understanding of how to approach the results both internally and externally. It’s a reminder that there’s always something new to learn, and that starting somewhere - like this webina r- is a great first step.