ISO 14025:2026 PDF

Overview

ISO 14025:2026 - Environmental statements and programmes for products - Environmental product declarations (EPDs) - is an essential international standard published by ISO. This document establishes the principles, requirements, and guidance for creating, managing, and communicating Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and the EPD programmes that support them. It builds upon the methodologies described in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 for life cycle assessment (LCA), ensuring robust and harmonized reporting of the potential environmental impacts of products. ISO 14025:2026 enhances transparency, comparability, and reliability in environmental communication for products and supports sustainable development across global industries.

Key Topics

• Foundation on LCA: The standard specifies the use of ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 methodologies for conducting life cycle assessments when developing EPDs, ensuring scientifically sound and consistent environmental evaluation.
• EPD Programme Requirements: ISO 14025:2026 details the structure and responsibilities of EPD programme operators, including the need for independent verification and protocols for consistent EPD generation.
• EPD Content and Communication: Guidance is provided on the accurate, objective, and effective communication of the environmental impacts and aspects of products to intended audiences such as purchasers, regulators, and the public.
• Harmonization and Comparability: The document encourages harmonization of Product Category Rules (PCRs) and EPD programmes, promoting comparability between EPDs developed in different regions or sectors.
• Additional Sustainability Information: While the primary focus is on environmental impacts, the standard allows, where relevant, inclusion of social and economic aspects as additional sustainability-related information.
• Verification Processes: Requirements for conformity assessment and third-party verification, especially for EPDs intended for consumers, reinforce credibility and market trust.

Applications

ISO 14025:2026 is widely applicable across industry sectors and product types. Its key practical applications include:

• Manufacturers and Suppliers: Enables companies to develop credible, independently verified EPDs that support product transparency and substantiate environmental claims.
• Purchasers and Specifiers: Provides reliable environmental information for making informed procurement decisions, especially in green public procurement and sustainable supply chain management.
• Programme Operators: Supports the establishment and administration of EPD programmes, ensuring processes align with international best practices.
• Regulatory Compliance: Assists organizations in complying with environmental labeling regulations and demonstrates adherence to recognized international standards on environmental communication.
• Sustainable Development: Contributes to broader sustainability goals by encouraging continual improvement of environmental performance and reducing market confusion around green claims and ecolabels.

Related Standards

ISO 14025:2026 is part of a suite of environmental management and labeling standards developed by ISO/TC 207/SC 3. Key related standards include:

• ISO 14020: Principles and general requirements for all environmental statements and labeling.
• ISO 14021: Guidance for self-declared environmental claims.
• ISO 14024: Guidance for environmental labels (ecolabels).
• ISO 14026: Requirements for footprint communications.
• ISO 14040 / ISO 14044: Principles and guidelines for conducting life cycle assessments.
• ISO/TS 14027: Development of product category rules (PCRs).
• ISO/TS 14029: Mutual recognition arrangements for environmental statements and footprint communications.
• ISO 14050: Standard environmental management vocabulary.

By following ISO 14025:2026, organizations ensure that environmental product declarations deliver consistent, comparable, and credible information, ultimately fostering trust and driving sustainability throughout the product life cycle.