GCCA Launches Industry EPD Tool as part of ongoing industry efforts to reduce environmental impact and support global sustainability goals

The new Industry EPD Tool supports assessment of the environmental impact of cement and concrete products

LONDON (7 OCTOBER 2019) – The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has launched the GCCA Industry EPD Tool (Version 2.0) to support the publication of environmental product declarations (EPDs) by cement and concrete producers.

Dr Andrew Minson, GCCA Concrete and Sustainable Construction Director said:

“We are committed to supporting the cement and concrete industry to reduce its environmental impact and support global sustainability goals. With the launch of the new EPD Tool, we are enabling the industry and its customers to better quantify and verify the life cycle environmental impact of existing products and to develop lower-impact products in the future.”

Originally commissioned by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Cement Sustainability Initiative (whose cement sustainability functions are now part of the GCCA) the new GCCA Industry EPD Tool includes the latest database of energy impacts from cement production from across the world, supporting the output of more accurate EPD data.

The GCCA is making the tool available to all producers and organisations in the cement and concrete industry to increase availability to designers and clients of EPDs to support the sector deliver a sustainable built environment.

Dr Minson added:

“We believe the EPD tool will help towards our mission of ensuring that concrete is seen as the sustainable building material of choice for today and the future needs of the world.”

In addition to helping quantify the environmental impact of existing products, the GCCA Industry EPD Tool can also be used during product development, enabling quick and easy comparisons between options of differing constituents and mixes to determine how to reduce environmental impacts, while delivering the required performance characteristics.

The GCCA Industry EPD Tool has been developed by Quantis, verified by Studio Fieschi, and is the first industry tool in the International EPD System. It is based on internationally recognised standards and product category rules.

To widen understanding in the industry of EPDs in general and the tool in particular, a Webinar will be held on 28 October at 1pm Central European Time. This webinar will explain more fully what an EPD is, why there is demand for them and the ways cement and concrete manufacturers can obtain them. It will explain what the GCCA Industry EPD tool does, how the data can be used to modify and evolve cement and concrete products, and the options for communicating EPD data to customers. For webinar registration please email info@gccassociation.org.

Further information can be found at: www.gccassociation.org/environmental-product-declarations .

About the GCCA:

Launched in January 2018, the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) is dedicated to developing and strengthening the sector’s contribution to sustainable construction. The GCCA aims to foster innovation throughout the construction value chain in collaboration with industry associations as well as architects, engineers and innovators. In this way, the association demonstrates how concrete solutions can meet global construction challenges and sustainable development goals while showcasing responsible industrial leadership in the manufacture and use of cement and concrete. The GCCA is headquartered in London, England. It complements and supports the work done by associations at national and regional level.