An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a document providing key environmental information about a product or service, quantified with a life cycle analysis (LCA) conducted on a scientific basis. A EPD must follow the rules of the ISO 14025:2006 standard product, as well as the product category rules (PCR) established for the concerned products or services.
As its name suggests, the life cycle analysis describes the environmental impacts throughout the life of a product or service from its initial production to its use. In some cases, such as certain wood products, the analysis is done for all stages from harvesting through to when the finished product is ready to leave the manufacturing facility.