IBU (Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V.) is Germany’s leading EPD Program Operator and, by number of Mutual Recognition Agreements, the most internationally connected operator in this series. Headquartered at Panoramastraße 1 in Berlin, IBU is a membership association of more than 300 building product and building component manufacturers, tracing its roots to 1982. Its program dominates German-speaking markets — used for an estimated 82% of Germany’s EPDs and two-thirds of Austria’s. This profile covers who IBU is, what it publishes, the standards its program runs on, its Program Operator Guidelines, and its unusually wide mutual recognition network.
Who Is IBU?
IBU’s history dates to 1982, when it was founded as the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Umweltverträgliches Bauprodukt e.V. (“Association for Environmentally Compatible Building Products”), before being renamed Institut Bauen und Umwelt in 2008. It has operated from Berlin since 2013. Unlike some Program Operators structured as companies, IBU is a registered association (eingetragener Verein) — its more than 300 members elect a fifteen-member Board and President, giving manufacturers direct governance over the program rather than a separate commercial operator.
IBU describes itself as an initiative of building product and building component manufacturers committed to sustainability in the construction industry, and it operates specifically as a construction-sector EPD program — unlike broader operators such as EPD International that span multiple product categories.
What EPDs Does IBU Make Available?
IBU’s EPD library is substantial and growing quickly: it published more than 700 single-product EPDs in 2025 alone — a 33% increase over 2024 — and its all-time library spans more than 4,700 EPDs once tool-generated declarations are included. Its EPDs and Product Category Rules are hosted through IBU’s published EPD database, with both PDF and machine-readable XML formats available, plus a dedicated PCR Forum where new rules are discussed and developed with industry stakeholders.
The Standards Behind IBU’s Program
IBU’s program is built primarily on:
- EN 15804 — the European standard for construction-product EPDs, and IBU’s primary reference as a German/European operator.
- ISO 14025 — the overarching international standard for Type III environmental declarations that EN 15804 operates within.
As a European construction-focused operator, IBU’s PCRs and verification process are closely aligned with EN 15804’s requirements, including its mandatory Module D reporting and 19 environmental impact categories. See our comparison of ISO 21930 vs EN 15804 for how this compares to the international construction standard used more heavily by North American operators.
IBU’s Program Operator Guidelines
IBU publishes General Programme Instructions for its EPD program — currently Version 2.0, dated January 1, 2021 — available directly from IBU: General Programme Instructions (PDF). The document governs PCR development, EPD verification and publication, and how the program stays compliant with EN 15804 and ISO 14025.
IBU’s Mutual Recognition Network and Eco Platform Partnership
IBU maintains more Mutual Recognition Agreements than any other Program Operator covered in this series, reflecting its role as a hub within the European EPD landscape:
- EPD International — IBU’s first international agreement, signed in 2013
- EPD Global (EPD-Norge) — signed 2014
- Global EPD/AENOR (Spain) — concluded 2015
- EPD Danmark (Denmark) — signed 2015
- BRE Group (United Kingdom) — signed 2017
- EPD Italy/ICMQ (Italy) — signed 2017
- UL Solutions (North America) — in place since late 2013
- Smart EPD (North America)
IBU also had a recognition agreement with INIES (France) that is currently suspended, following an unsuccessful renegotiation under EN 15804+A2 — a reminder that these agreements can lapse as standards evolve, not just expand.
IBU is a Category A (Very Large) member of Eco Platform, with more than 2,500 EPDs tracked under that membership as of mid-2026 — a major contributor to Eco Platform’s role harmonizing EN 15804 implementation across European operators.
How CarbonBright Works With IBU
CarbonBright’s Life Cycle Assessment and EPD workflows are built to produce audit-ready data aligned with the standards IBU’s program runs on — ISO 14025, EN 15804, and the applicable PCR for each product. CarbonBright is a pre-verified tool, and can pursue certification for specific PCRs with IBU or whichever EPD Program Operator fits your target market best.
Looking to publish an EPD through IBU or another Program Operator? Contact CarbonBright to see how our platform fits into that process.
