ISO 21930:2017

Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works — Core rules for environmental product declarations of construction products and services

ISO 21930:2017 provides the principles, specifications and requirements to develop an environmental product declaration (EPD) for construction products and services, construction elements and integrated technical systems used in any type of construction works. ISO 21930:2017 complements ISO 14025 by providing specific requirements for the EPD of construction products and services. ISO 21930:2017 establishes a core set of requirements to be considered as core product category rules (PCR) to develop an EPD for any construction product or service. In addition, this document, as the core PCR document for construction products, construction elements and integrated technical systems: a) includes the rules for calculating the life cycle inventory analysis (LCI), the predetermined environmental indicators and the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) results that are reported in the EPD; b) describes which life cycle stages are considered in a particular type of EPD, which processes are to be included in the life cycle stages and how the stages are subdivided into information modules; c) defines rules for the development of scenarios; d) includes the rules for reporting relevant environmental and technical information that are not covered by LCA; e) defines the core elements to be included in an EPD; f) establishes the structure of a project report; g) defines the conditions under which construction products can be compared, based on the information provided by an EPD; h) provides requirements and guidelines on PCR for sub-categories of construction products; i) includes mandatory and unalterable requirements for any PCR based on this document. EPDs for construction products, as described in this document, are primarily intended for use in B2B communication, but their use in B2C communication under certain conditions is not precluded. For EPDs intended for B2C communication, refer to ISO 14025 (see 5.4). The assessment of social and economic impacts at the product level is not covered by this document. NOTE 1 In this document, unless otherwise designated, the term construction product is used for any good(s) or service(s) related to construction works. NOTE 2 Construction assemblies, construction elements and integrated technical systems, incorporated within construction works, can be considered construction products.

Développement durable dans les bâtiments et les ouvrages de génie civil — Règles principales pour les déclarations environnementales des produits de construction et des services

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Jul-2017
• ICS: 91.040.01 - Buildings in general
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 59/SC 17 - Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 59/SC 17/WG 3 - Environmental declaration of products
• Current Stage: 9093 - International Standard confirmed
• Completion Date: 01-Feb-2023

Relations

• Consolidated By: ISO 20184-1:2018 - Molecular in vitro diagnostic examinations — Specifications for pre-examination processes for frozen tissue — Part 1: Isolated RNA
• Effective Date: 06-Jun-2022
• Revises: ISO 21930:2007 - Sustainability in building construction — Environmental declaration of building products
• Effective Date: 10-Mar-2012

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 21930
Second edition
2017-07
Sustainability in buildings and civil
engineering works — Core rules for
environmental product declarations of
construction products and services
Développement durable dans les bâtiments et les ouvrages de génie
civil — Règles principales pour les déclarations environnementales
des produits de construction et des services
Reference number
ISO 21930:2017(E)
©
ISO 2017

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ISO 21930:2017(E)

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2017, Published in Switzerland
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior
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ISO 21930:2017(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 2
3 Terms and definitions . 2
4 Abbreviated terms .15
5 General aspects .16
5.1 Objectives of this core PCR .16
5.2 Life cycle stages and their information modules and module D .17
5.2.1 General.17
5.2.2 Types of EPD with respect to life cycle stages covered.19
5.2.3 Use of scenarios for assessment of information modules beyond the
production stage .20
5.3 Average EPDs for groups of similar products .21
5.4 Use of EPDs for construction products .22
5.5 Comparability of EPDs for construction products .22
5.6 Documentation .23
6 PCR development and use .24
6.1 Core PCR structure .24
6.2 Relation between core PCR and sub-category PCR .25
6.3 Development of sub-category PCR .26
7 PCR for LCA .26
7.1 Methodological framework .26
7.1.1 Overarching principles for LCA modelling and calculation .26
7.1.2 Functional unit.26
7.1.3 Declared unit .27
7.1.4 Requirements for the use of RSL .28
7.1.5 System boundary with nature .28
7.1.6 System boundary between products systems .28
7.1.7 System boundaries and technical information for scenarios .33
7.1.8 Criteria for the inclusion and exclusion of inputs and outputs.42
7.1.9 Selection of data and data quality requirements .43
7.1.10 Units .44
7.2 Inventory analysis .44
7.2.1 Data collection .44
7.2.2 Calculation procedures . . .44
7.2.3 Allocation situations .44
7.2.4 Principles for allocation for both allocation situations .44
7.2.5 Allocation for co-products .45
7.2.6 Allocation between product systems (across the system boundary) .47
7.2.7 Accounting of biogenic carbon uptake and emissions during the life cycle .47
7.2.8 Carbonation .48
7.2.9 Accounting of delayed emissions .49
7.2.10 Inventory indicators describing resource use .49
7.2.11 Greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change .50
7.2.12 Additional inventory indicators describing emissions and removals of carbon .50
7.2.13 Inventory indicator describing consumption of freshwater .51
7.2.14 Environmental information describing waste categories and output flows .51
7.3 Impact assessment indicators describing main environmental impacts derived
from LCA .53
8 Additional environmental information .54
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ISO 21930:2017(E)

8.1 General .54
8.2 Additional LCA-related environmental information not included in the pre-set
LCIA indicators .54
8.3 Additional environmental information not derived from or related to LCA .55
8.4 Mandatory additional environmental information .55
8.4.1 Content of regulated hazardous substances .55
8.4.2 Release of dangerous substances from construction products .56
9 Content of an EPD .56
9.1 General .56
9.2 Declaration of general information .56
9.3 Declaration of the methodological framework .58
9.4 Declaration of technical information and scenarios .59
9.4.1 General.59
9.4.2 All stages — Transport .59
9.4.3 Construction stage — A5, installation .59
9.4.4 Use stage — B1 to B5 .59
9.4.5 Use stage — B6 to B7 .60
9.4.6 End-of-life stage — C1 to C4 .60
9.4.7 Module D .60
9.5 Declaration of environmental indicators derived from LCA . .61
9.5.1 LCA results from LCIA .61
9.5.2 LCA results from LCI .61
9.6 Declaration of additional environmental information .62
9.6.1 References .62
10 Project report .62
10.1 General .62
10.2 LCA-related elements of the project report .63
10.3 Rules for data confidentiality .64
10.4 Documentation on additional environmental information .64
10.5 Data availability for verification .65
11 Verification and validity of an EPD .65
Annex A (normative) Requirements and guidance on the RSL and ESL .66
Annex B (informative) Examples of average EPDs.69
Annex C (informative) Release of dangerous substances .70
Annex D (informative) Regulated substances of very high concern .72
Annex E (informative) Environmental indicators derived from LCA .73
Bibliography .78
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ISO 21930:2017(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see the following
URL: w w w . i s o .org/ iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 59, Buildings and civil engineering works,
Subcommittee SC 17, Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 21930:2007), which has been technically
revised with the following changes:
— updated to apply as the core set of product category rules (PCR) for environmental product
declarations (EPDs) of any construction product or service used in any type of construction works;
— updated to apply to all construction products and services used in any type of construction works;
— guidance on PCR for sub-categories of construction products has been added;
— specific requirements on how to define system boundaries, allocation principles and activities to be
included in information modules has been revised;
— framework for documentation of technical data and guidance for defining scenarios has been added;
— an option to provide supplementary environmental information (module D), which contains
supplementary LCA-based information that describes potential environmental aspects (benefits
and loads) if the primary product is reused, recycled or recovered for energy at the end-of-life has
been added;
— process on how to develop an average EPD for product groups has been added;
— data requirements and data quality have been specified;
— accounting and reporting of biogenic carbon during the life cycle has been added;
— accounting and reporting of delayed emissions of biogenic carbon – biogenic carbon sinks has
been added;
— accounting and reporting of carbonation has been added;
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ISO 21930:2017(E)

— mandatory reporting of radioactive waste has been added;
— optional impact category abiotic depletion potentials (ADP ) and the mandatory inventory
elements
indicator abiotic depletion potential (ADP ) have been added;
fossil
— an informative annex discussing possible approaches for reporting product volatile organic
compound (VOC) emissions to indoor air and gamma radiation emitted during the use stage of the
life cycle has been added;
— information on methods for reporting product emissions to air, soil and water during the use stage
of the life cycle has been added.
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ISO 21930:2017(E)

Introduction
Designers, manufacturers, users, owners and other stakeholders in the building and construction sector
are increasingly demanding information that enables them to make decisions to address environmental
impacts of construction works. These demands are currently addressed only through various national
initiatives applying a variety of approaches.
It is essential that there is uniformity in the means and methods of expressing environmental product
declarations (EPDs) using a modular approach, which enables consistent assessment at the construction
works level. This includes a consistent outline and process for developing the parts of the EPD that
are based on basic life cycle inventory data, as well as additional information not based on life cycle
assessment (LCA). The different interested parties expect non-biased information that is consistent
with the current best practice and understanding.
Type III environmental declarations (see ISO 14025) are EPDs providing quantified environmental
data using predetermined parameters that are based on ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 and, where relevant,
additional environmental information.
This document is one in a suite of documents dealing with sustainability in construction works that
includes the following:
a) ISO 15392;
b) ISO 16745-1;
c) ISO 16745-2;
d) ISO 21929-1;
e) ISO 21931-1;
f) ISO/TS 12720;
g) ISO/TS 21929-2;
h) ISO/TR 21932;
1)
i) ISO/CD 20887;
1)
j) ISO/DIS 21931-2.
This document deals only with environmental impacts and aspects and excludes consideration of the
social and economic aspects of sustainability. The relationship among the documents is elaborated in
Figure 1.
1) Under preparation.
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ISO 21930:2017(E)

Figure 1 — Suite of related documents for sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 21930:2017(E)
Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works —
Core rules for environmental product declarations of
construction products and services
1 Scope
This document provides the principles, specifications and requirements to develop an environmental
product declaration (EPD) for construction products and services, construction elements and integrated
technical systems used in any type of construction works.
This document complements ISO 14025 by providing specific requirements for the EPD of construction
products and services.
This document establishes a core set of requirements to be considered as core product category rules
(PCR) to develop an EPD for any construction product or service.
In addition, this document, as the core PCR document for construction products, construction elements
and integrated technical systems:
a) includes the rules for calculating the life cycle inventory analysis (LCI), the predetermined
environmental indicators and the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) results that are reported in
the EPD;
b) describes which life cycle stages are considered in a particular type of EPD, which processes are to
be included in the life cycle stages and how the stages are subdivided into information modules;
c) defines rules for the development of scenarios;
d) includes the rules for reporting relevant environmental and technical information that are not
covered by LCA;
e) defines the core elements to be included in an EPD;
f) establishes the structure of a project report;
g) defines the conditions under which construction products can be compared, based on the
information provided by an EPD;
h) provides requirements and guidelines on PCR for sub-categories of construction products;
i) includes mandatory and unalterable requirements for any PCR based on this document.
EPDs for construction products, as described in this document, are primarily intended for use in B2B
communication, but their use in B2C communication under certain conditions is not precluded. For
EPDs intended for B2C communication, refer to ISO 14025 (see 5.4).
The assessment of social and economic impacts at the product level is not covered by this document.
NOTE 1 In this document, unless otherwise designated, the term construction product is used for any good(s)
or service(s) related to construction works.
NOTE 2 Construction assemblies, construction elements and integrated technical systems, incorporated
within construction works, can be considered construction products.
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ISO 21930:2017(E)

2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 6707-1, Buildings and civil engineering works — Vocabulary — Part 1: General terms
ISO 14020:2000, Environmental labels and declarations — General principles
ISO 14025:2006, Environmental labels and declarations — Type III environmental declarations —
Principles and procedures
ISO 14044:2006, Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Requirements and guidelines
ISO 14046:2014, Environmental management — Water footprint — Principles, requirements and guidelines
ISO 14050:2009, Environmental management — Vocabulary
ISO 15392:2008, Sustainability in building construction — General principles
ISO 15686-1:2011, Buildings and constructed assets — Service life planning — Part 1: General principles
and framework
ISO 15686-2, Buildings and constructed assets — Service life planning — Part 2: Service life prediction
procedures
ISO 15686-7, Buildings and constructed assets — Service life planning — Part 7: Performance evaluation
for feedback of service life data from practice
ISO 15686-8, Buildings and constructed assets — Service-life planning — Part 8: Reference service life and
service-life estimation
ISO 21931-1:2010, Sustainability in building construction — Framework for methods of assessment of the
environmental performance of construction works — Part 1: Buildings
ISO/TR 21932, Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works — A review of terminology
EN 15804, Sustainability of construction works — Environmental product declarations — Core rules for
the product category of construction products
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 6707-1, ISO 14050,
ISO/TR 21932 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http:// www .iso .org/ obp
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ISO 21930:2017(E)

3.1 Terms relating to environmental labelling and declarations
3.1.1
environmental product declaration
EPD
Type III environmental declaration
environmental declaration (ISO 14025:2006, 3.1) providing quantified environmental data using
predetermined parameters and, where relevant, additional environmental information
Note 1 to entry: The predetermined parameters are based on ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.
Note 2 to entry: The additional environmental information can be quantitative or qualitative.
Note 3 to entry: The shorter initialism, EPD, is used as the primary preferred term in this document.
[SOURCE: ISO 14025:2006, 3.2, modified — Two new preferred terms and Note 3 to entry have been
added.]
3.1.2
programme operator
body or bodies that conduct an EPD programme (ISO 14025:2006, 3.3)
Note 1 to entry: A programme operator can be a company or a group of companies, industrial sector or trade
association, public authority or agency, or an independent scientific body or other organization.
Note 2 to entry: The responsibilities of a programme operator are summarized in ISO 14025:2006, 6.3.
[SOURCE: ISO 14025:2006, 3.4, modified — Note 2 to entry has been added.]
3.1.3
product category
group of construction products (3.2.2), construction elements (3.2.3) or integrated technical systems
(3.2.4) that can fulfil equivalent functions
Note 1 to entry: Where the function of the construction product is not otherwise described, the product category
can be established on the basis of using the same rules when assessing the environmental performance (3.2.9)
within an EPD (3.1.1). An example of this would be a product category for solid wood (ISO 6707-1:2004, 6.3.1),
where EPDs based on the same PCR (3.1.3) are published for a number of different timber (ISO 6707-1:2004,
6.3.2) construction products, e.g. softwood plywood (ISO 6707-1:2004, 6.3.29), sawn timber (sawn wood)
(ISO 6707-1:2004, 6.3.18), oriented strandboard (ISO 16894:2009, 3.1.1), etc.
Note 2 to entry: This definition reflects and allows for current practice, in that it provides the ability for a product
category to be established and not include the necessity of common functionality within such a product category.
[SOURCE: ISO 14025:2006, 3.12, modified — Notes 1 and 2 to entry have been added to allow for the
establishment of the product category and basis for assessment to be either equivalent function or
equivalent PCR.]
3.1.4
product category rules
PCR
set of specifi
...