EPD International runs the International EPD System, the world’s first and longest-running Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) program, founded in 1998. Operated by EPD International AB — a subsidiary of the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute — and based in Stockholm, Sweden, its register now lists more than 18,000 published EPDs from organizations in nearly 50 countries, making it the largest EPD Program Operator in the world. This profile covers who EPD International is, what it publishes, the standards its program runs on, how its pre-verified tools program works, and its mutual recognition agreements and Eco Platform partnership.
Who Is EPD International?
EPD International AB is the company that administers the International EPD System. It’s a subsidiary of the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, and is headquartered at Valhallavägen 81 in Stockholm, Sweden.
The International EPD System was established in 1998, making it the original EPD program — it developed both the EPD concept and the Product Category Rule (PCR) methodology that the rest of the international EPD system, including operators like EPD Global and IBU, now builds on. EPD International’s stated mission is to “empower organisations worldwide to publish third-party verified and comparable environmental data, promoting life cycle transparency.”
Today, more than 2,700 organizations maintain valid EPDs through the program, supported by a network of regional licensees that provide localized support in key markets around the world.
What EPDs Does EPD International Make Available?
EPD International maintains a public EPD Library covering products across construction, industrial, and consumer sectors, backed by a PCR library that spans dozens of product categories. Because it’s the oldest and largest EPD program, its PCR coverage is unusually broad — for North American manufacturers, the system has also adopted PCR frameworks from operators like UL Solutions, extending its reach beyond Europe.
Each EPD in the system documents a product’s environmental performance across its life cycle — global warming potential, energy use, water consumption, and other impact categories — calculated from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and independently verified against the applicable PCR before publication.
The Standards Behind EPD International’s Program
EPD International’s program runs on the same core standards used across the international EPD system:
- ISO 14025 — the overarching international standard for Type III environmental declarations, and the baseline every EPD published through the system must comply with.
- EN 15804+A2 — the European standard for construction product EPDs, required for products marketed in Europe.
Every EPD must also follow a compliant Product Category Rule (PCR) from EPD International’s PCR library — the product-specific rulebook that defines system boundaries, data requirements, and calculation methods for a given product category. See our comparison of ISO 21930 vs EN 15804 for how construction-specific standards relate to one another across operators.
EPD International’s Program Operator Guidelines
EPD International’s Program Operator Guidelines are published as the General Programme Instructions (GPI) — the rulebook that governs how PCRs are developed and revised, how EPDs are published and stay valid, how transition periods work when standards update, and how the program maintains compliance with ISO 14025.
The current version, GPI 5.0.1 (released February 27, 2025), is available directly from EPD International: General Programme Instructions (PDF).
Tool Verification: How Pre-Verified EPD Tools Work
EPD International runs one of the most well-documented pre-verified tools programs in the industry, with three tiers of increasing rigor:
- Pre-verified LCA tool — the calculation engine is checked, but each EPD generated still needs simplified individual verification.
- Pre-verified EPD tool — the tool’s full EPD output, including mandatory EPD information, is checked, enabling simplified per-EPD verification.
- Fully pre-verified EPD tool — individual verification is replaced entirely by an annual check of the tool itself.
A developer applies through EPD International’s secretariat, selects a verifier from the program’s pool of approved tool verifiers, and the tool is checked before EPDs produced with it can carry pre-verified status. Because the review effort shifts from “every EPD” to “the tool, once,” this can meaningfully reduce the time and cost of publishing each new EPD — which matters most for manufacturers producing declarations across large product portfolios.
EPD International’s Mutual Recognition and Eco Platform Partnership
EPD International holds Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) with several other Program Operators, letting an EPD or PCR verified through one program be recognized by a partner program without a full re-verification. Its MRA partners include:
- EPD Global (Nordic MRA, covering PCR and EPD recognition for all product categories)
- Institut Bauen und Umwelt (IBU) (construction products under EN 15804)
- AENOR GlobalEPD, EPD Danmark, Rakennustieto, and SCS Global Services (varying scope by product category)
- PEP Ecopassport (electronic and electrical products)
EPD International is also a Category A member of Eco Platform, the European non-profit association that harmonizes EN 15804 implementation across EPD programs — Eco Platform lists the International EPD System as its largest member by EPD volume in the construction sector, alongside EPD Global and IBU.
How CarbonBright Works With EPD International
CarbonBright’s Life Cycle Assessment and EPD workflows are built to produce audit-ready data aligned with the standards EPD International’s program runs on — ISO 14025, EN 15804+A2, and the applicable PCR for each product. CarbonBright is a pre-verified tool, and can pursue certification for specific PCRs with EPD International or whichever EPD Program Operator fits your target market best.
Looking to publish an EPD through EPD International or another Program Operator? Contact CarbonBright to see how our platform fits into that process.
