An Environmental Declaration allows organisations to communicate about their environmental impact without sharing company- or product-specific information. There are different types of Environmental Declaration, each with its own features and requirements. The type of Environmental Declaration you choose depends on the end goal you or a supply chain partner who requests this Environmental Declaration have in mind. This article discusses the types I, II, and III Environmental Declaration.
Below, we briefly list the different types, along with their key features:
Type I Environmental Declaration (ISO 14024) – Ecolabels (for example, the EU Ecolabel or Energy
Star):
- Third-party certified: These labels are awarded by an independent organisation after verifying the environmental claims
- Multiple criteria: Products must meet specific environmental criteria across different categories (like energy efficiency, emissions, etc.)
- Voluntary certification: Companies opt to have their products certified. These labels are commonly seen on consumer products
Type II Environmental Declaration (ISO 14021) – Self-declared environmental claims:
- No third-party verification: Companies themselves declare (for example, based on an LCA)that their products meet certain environmental performances
- Single environmental criterion: Often, this type of environmental claim focuses on one environmental factor, such as recyclability or being made from recycled material
- Risk of greenwashing: Since it’s self-declared, there is a greater chance that companies may exaggerate or make misleading claims
Type III Environmental Declaration - (ISO 14025) – Declarations based on full life cycle assessment
(LCA):
- Third-party verified: Like Type I, this also involves independent verification
- Based on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): This type of Environmental Declaration uses data from an LCA to provide detailed, quantified information about the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire lifecycle
- Conducted according to established Product Category Rules (PCRs): These rules specify how the LCA should be conducted for each product category and what information should be included in the LCA report
- Environmental Product Declaration: Type III Environmental Declarations are referred to as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
Further explanation of the different types
Senior LCA expert Rik Wessels will explain more about the different types of Environmental Declarations below.
Rik: “A Type I Environmental Declaration is a label or certification such as the European Eco-Label.This type of Environmental Declaration is based on general environmental standards, such as energy consumption, and it is not mandatory to conduct an LCA for it.
Type II Environmental Declarations are often based on an LCA, and the Environmental Declaration is a summary of these results, without sharing your company- or product-sensitive information. The Environmental Declaration can be valuable for your communications. However, this type is a self-declared Environmental Declaration (sometimes also referred to as self-declared EPD), so it does not undergo verification or inclusion in an official EPD database.
That is different for Type III, where the Environmental Declaration is also based on an LCA. This LCA must be verified by a third party. This means an extra time investment compared to a Type II Environmental Declaration, but it does enhance the quality and robustness of your Environmental Declaration. This type of declaration is also known as the EPD.
Type III Environmental Declaration can be added to an EPD database. Each program operator, the manager of this database, has a standardized format in which you can submit your EPD. These steps involve costs, but they ensure that your EPD, and your product, are findable in this database.”
How to choose the right Environmental Declaration type?
"Each type of Environmental Declaration has its own conditions and characteristics, which determine the purposes for which it can be used. The type you choose depends on what your company aims to achieve with the Environmental Declaration. That's why we always engage in discussions with organisations to determine which type of Environmental Declaration best fits their needs.
In some sectors, such as construction, a Type III Environmental Declaration (the EPD) is common or even the standard because companies rely on it during tenders and procurements, or when establishing an Environmental Cost Indicator (MKI).
A Type II Environmental Declaration is less comprehensive than a Type III Environmental Declaration. Not all impact categories need to be included, which can be seen as either an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on what you want to know about your product. Sometimes a few categories are sufficient; other times, you may want to understand the environmental impact across all categories.
And Type II Environmental Declaration is not verified; you make a declaration about your own product. Naturally, this is less objective than having a third party review it. Thus, you might face questions about its reliability. With a Type III Environmental Declaration, however, you have that certainty.
However, sometimes, especially for very specific products, there may not be a suitable program operator (database manager) in the market, or appropriate calculation rules or product category rules may not yet be established. In such cases, companies often have no choice but to opt for a self-declared, Type II Environmental Declaration."
For more information about EPDs, read our article https://www.hhc.earth/knowledge-base/what-is-an-epd
Or learn about the experience of our client HAHN: https://www.hhc.earth/knowledge-base/client-interview-hahn-plastics-their-experience-of-the-lca-epd-process
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