Overview

Enterprises are increasingly asked to provide established quantitative information on the environmental impacts created by their products. The main focus is on data suitable for detailed information of business partners and for communication with investors and consumers. The Type III environmental declaration is the basis to provide these groups with quantified environmental data for a product. Type III environmental declarations are also called ecoprofiles and environmental product declarations (EPD). They provide product information which is based on life cycle assessments and thus enable ecological comparisons between products fulfilling the same function. Such declarations are based on independently verified life cycle assessment data in accordance with the DIN EN ISO 14040 series of standards which may be supplemented by additional environmental information. The standard DIN EN ISO 14025 establishes the principles and specifies the procedures for developing Type III environmental declarations and Type III declaration programmes. It contains in particular the requirements regarding the use of the DIN EN ISO 14040 standard series for the development of Type III environmental declarations and Type III environmental declaration programmes and operating rules with regard to testing and verification, of both the data from the life cycle assessment and from the Type III environmental declaration itself, by third parties. Furthermore, the standard contains additional requirements for developing such Type III environmental declarations which are directed at the consumer, a Type III environmental declaration programme development and operation scheme and - using a refillable, recyclable glass bottle for beverages - an example illustrating the development of a Type III environmental declaration. The International Standard has been prepared by ISO/TC 207/SC 3 "Environmental labelling". An error occurred in 7.2.2 of DIN EN ISO 14025 in the bilingual version during subsequent European adoption per Unique Acceptance Procedure. This will now be corrected in the corrigendum of DIN EN ISO 14025:2010-08 which is currently published. On the national level, the work was accompanied by Working Committee NA 172-00-03 AA of NAGUS.

Document: references other documents

Document: referenced in other documents

Responsible national committee

NA 172-00-03 AA - Life cycle assessment and environmental labelling