Verification knowledge, clearly organised

A Critical Review is an external, independent technical assessment of an LCA, LCA methodology or environmental claim. It reviews the methodology, data basis, assumptions, calculations, results and traceability.

Data quality describes whether data used for an environmental assessment is suitable and reliable. Key criteria include representativeness, timeliness, completeness, consistency, plausibility and traceable documentation.

The Declaration of Performance and Conformity (DoPC) records a construction product's declared performance for essential characteristics and confirms conformity with applicable requirements. On this basis, the manufacturer affixes the CE marking and assumes responsibility for the product's conformity with the declared performance and applicable requirements. The CE marking is not a quality seal; it is a legally regulated marking for access to the European single market.

An Environmental Product Declaration is an independently verified Type III environmental declaration. It presents quantified environmental impacts across a product's life cycle and supports sustainable construction, procurement and building LCAs.

A building LCA assesses a building's environmental impacts across defined life-cycle stages by combining EPD and database information with quantities, replacement cycles and building scenarios.

A Recycled Content Declaration (RCD) is a voluntary, independently verified manufacturer declaration of the recycled content in a construction product. It documents a product's recycled content in a standards-based and traceable manner and makes this information available to the market.

Type III declarations provide quantified, LCA-based environmental information under defined rules. ISO 14025 provides the basis for a Type III environmental declaration.

The Construction Products Regulation defines the conditions under which construction products may be placed on the EU market. It underpins common requirements, the DoPC and CE marking.

By affixing the CE marking, a manufacturer declares that a construction product meets applicable European requirements. It is a market-access marking, not a quality seal.

A European Assessment Document (EAD) defines harmonised assessment criteria for a construction product that is not or not fully covered by a harmonised European standard. It provides the technical basis for issuing a European Technical Assessment (ETA).

A European Technical Assessment (ETA) documents the assessed performance of a construction product in relation to its essential characteristics. It is issued on the basis of a European Assessment Document (EAD) and provides a voluntary route to CE marking for products outside or at the edge of harmonised standards.

A harmonised European standard (hEN) is developed by a European standardisation organisation at the request of the European Commission. For construction products, it defines methods and procedures for assessing essential characteristics, quality assurance and declaring performance, making declared product performance comparable across Europe.

ÖKOBAUDAT provides quality-assured construction LCA datasets. It primarily serves as a reference and publication platform and supports building LCAs rather than acting as a direct source for product LCAs.

Software tools simplify and standardise EPD creation. Depending on the tool, they calculate, structure or transfer data and are assessed for their intended scope.

The IBU programme instructions govern submission, verification, publication and other programme-specific processes within the IBU EPD programme.

PCR Part A contains cross-category requirements for LCA, data basis, system boundaries and documentation and supports comparable, traceable EPDs.

PCR Part B supplements the general rules with product-specific requirements such as functional units, life-cycle modules, scenarios, technical information and evidence.

Product category rules translate general requirements into specific provisions for product groups. They typically combine PCR Part A, PCR Part B and supplementary programme rules.

Accreditation formally recognises that a body operates competently, impartially and through traceable procedures.

Notification is the process by which a country informs the European Commission and the other Member States that a conformity assessment body has been designated for specific statutory tasks and meets the applicable requirements. Notified bodies and their defined scope are published in the European NANDO database.

Validation independently confirms the plausibility of a claim about a future result or intended use, such as environmental characteristics in a DoPC.

Verification independently confirms that a claim about existing data or results is truthful, traceable and compliant, such as information in an EPD.