Notification of change to criterion 2. Manufacture of the product

Byggvarubedömningen has decided to implement changes of criteria for life cycle assessments.
Date from which changes apply: 2023-03-15.
Date of notification of criteria 2.1 and 2.3: 2022-11-29
Date of notification of criterion 2.2: 2022-12-22

Criterion 2.1 Emissions to air, water, or land

Clarification that only product specific EPDs and no other documentation provides the assessment Recommended for criterion 2.1. For an EPD to be product specific, the assessed product or product family must be named in it. EPDs produced must comply with the standard for sustainability of construction works, environmental declarations and product-specific rules (SS-EN 15804:2012+A2:2019). Previous versions of standard EN 15804 can be used if the EPD is valid, which is usually 3 to 5 years.

Criterion 2.2 Primary energy usage during the production phase

Clarification that only an EPD, product specific or generic, provides Recommended för criterion 2.2. if another type of document has been used previously accepted, as documented climate compensation, the assessment will be re-marked. This could lead to a new overall assessment in which case it goes from Recommended to Accepted.

Criterion 2.3 Electricity use during final production

Criterion 2.3 is removed and will not be replaced by another. Assessments affected by the criterion will be re-marked, which may lead to them receiving a new overall assessment, in which case they go from Recommended to Accepted.

Criterion 2.3 is applied today only in cases where an EPD is missing. The criterion has been an alternative for companies that did not have the opportunity to produce an EPD and therefore could not achieve Recommended on criteria 2.1 and 2.2. With the new requirements for climate declarations, the demand and availability of EPDs has increased. We therefore no longer see any reason to retain the criterion.