THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL DECLARATIONS NETWORK GEDnet

Transcription

1 THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL DECLARATIONS NETWORK GEDnet An international platform for collection and harmonization of environmental declarations and carbon footprints Sven-Olof Ryding, SEMCo/GEDnet Presentation at the Public Workshop Towards low carbon societies Need for efficient tools, Oslo, June 27, 2011

2 About GEDnet Founded in 1999, based on a Japanese initiative An international non-profit association of type III environmental declaration organizations and practitioners based relevant ISO standards Extending its mandate in 2010 to also handle issues related to single-issue EPD s and carbon footprints (CF)

3 Memberships Permanent members Danish Standards Denmark Representative: Kim Christiansen Environment and Development Foundation (EDF) Chinese Taipei Representative: Ning Yu Environmental Certification Center of China State Environmental Protection China Representatives: Xiaodan Zhang and Lily Yin Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.v. (IBU) Germany Representative: Eva Schmincke Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry (JEMAI) Japan Representative: Hanako Negishi Korean EDP and Carbon labelling program (KEITI) Korea Representative: Jun-hyuk Hur Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) USA Representative: Stanley Rhodes The Swedish Environmental Management Council, SEMCo Environdec Representative: Joakim Thornéus

4 Memberships Associate members: IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute Ltd Sweden Representative: Elin Eriksson PRé Consultants The Netherlands Representative: Mark Goedkoop

5 Liaisons GEDnet has established liaisons with the following standardization committees: ISO/TC 207/SC 3 Environmental labelling ISO/TC 207/SC 7 Greenhouse gas management and related activities

6 What is an environmental declaration? Providing quantified environmental data using predetermined paramaters and, were relevant, additional environmental information Correct term: Environmental Declaration, Type III - EPD often used term: Environmental Product Declaration Other terms CF: Carbon Footprints; PCR: Product Category Rules; CF/PCR; PCR for CF

7 Objectives Foster co-operation and encourage information exchange among its members, and to discuss key issues in developing PCR s, CF/PCR s, EPD s and carbon footprints Act as a global platform for developing the concept of product-related environmental information Inform about market benefits of making use of EPD s and CF s both for B2B and B2C communication Broadening the use of EPD s based on harmonization of PCR s, CF/PCR s, EPD s and CF s Cooperate with and share useful information with external interested parties

8 Connection to carbon footprints Single issue EPD s are allowed preferably developed with the same calculation rules as for EPD s The special focus on climate issues resulted in climate declarations to become the first example of single-issue EPD s As a digest out of an EPD, it carries information about the total environmental and climate performance of a product from a life cycle perspective

9 Advantages with EPD s and CF s Applicable for all types of products and services Enables fair comparisons of products and services environmental and climate performance Independent third party verification give credibility EPD`s can reflect the continuous environmental and climate performance improvements of products and services A complement as a strategic tool to different types of management systems - ISO 9001/14001 etc.

10 Reliable in-house follow-up system

11 Based on ISO standards PCR General Programme Instructions ISO 14025/ISO 21930/ISO ISO 14040/ISO ISO 9001/ISO 14001

12 Why Product Category Rules, PCR? Product categories usually differ with regard to their environmental performance. This must be reflected in the selection of calculation rules; system boundary, cut-off rules, other specific rules and appropriate indicators. For this goal, PCR s need to be developed To make the results of different LCA studies comparable, they must have the same calculation rules

13 PCR development a key vehicle for trustworthiness An open participatory and transparent stakeholder procedure

14 Too many CF systems is not the optimal solution Need for global harmonisation Product Category Rules and third party EPD programmes is one solution

15 The need for PCR harmonization The GEDnet PCR library contains PCR s from different countries -

16 GEDnet PCR library The GEDnet PCR library contains PCR s for different product categories, such as: Agriculture Forestry and fishery products food products, textiles Utility Electricity, gas and water Transportable goods Except metal products, machinery and equipment Metal products Electronics Machinery and equipment Services

17 Future GEDnet work on a global PCR database Basic knowledge on the rationale for PCR s and their contents Better traceability among existing PCR s and CF/PCR s through the development of a searchable database Information about different PCR development processes, Special attention to product categories where there exist several PCR s and CF/PCR s from different programs Geographic applicability Guidance on prerequisites for product comparisons

18 Challenges for PCR comparisons Program operators rules sometimes unavailable Program operator websites difficult to navigate Different document structures and various levels of details in content Uncertainties of reliance of background materials and third-party verifications Translations issues

19 Key to PCR and EPD harmonisation An international product identification system is necessary to be able to succeed in facilitating traceability (and thereby harmonzsation) of PCR s and EPD s Why an international classification system? Avoid duplication of PCR development Facilitates a global PCR system Easy to track available PCRs on the market Note! Most products can be identified with any existent classification systems

20 Future cooperations? The PCF WORLD FORUM is a joint platform to foster and facilitate dialogue between international initiatives on how to assess, reduce and communicate the impact of goods and services on the climate. PCF WORLD FORUM arranges conferences with world experts on various climate issues PCR Round Table PCR Task Force

21 Current PCF World Forum activities Evaluations of: Different PCR development procedures Different EPD/CF programme structures Formats for communication Template for PCR comparison

22 Current PCF World Form activities

23 Future GEDnet prospects GEDnet s ambition is to be an active partner and network in future development work on PCR s, CF/PCR s, EPD s and carbon footprint initiatives based on ISO standards Develop a searchable global PCR and CF/PCR database Welcome all carbon footprint program operators to become members in GEDnet and support global harmonization and use of EPD s and CF s

24 Thank you The Global Environmental Declarations Network, GEDnet The GEDnet PCR library Contact person