LCA, EPD, or PCF? What's the difference, and which one do you really need?
If you're exploring ways to understand and improve your products' environmental impact, you've probably encountered terms like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), and Product Carbon Footprint (PCF). At first glance, they may sound similar—and they are connected—but they serve different purposes.
This article will explain what each means, how they differ, and when to use which. By the end, you'll have a clearer idea of the right approach for your product and goals.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Imagine you want to understand every environmental consequence of your product, from the extraction of raw materials to manufacturing, shipping, use, and finally disposal or recycling. That's what an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) is for. When applied from the raw material extraction to the product’s end-of-life, you can think of it like a full environmental biography of your product.
LCAs can vary in depth, focus, life cycle stages covered, and they can be tailored to specific goals. It can cover the whole life cycle and several environmental impacts or focus on specific stages and impacts.
Environmental impacts covered by an LCA can include:
Greenhouse gases (your carbon footprint)
Water consumption.
Energy use
Air and water pollution
Land use and resource depletion
Conducting a LCA gives you the complete picture. It helps you identify hidden hotspots that may not be obvious at first glance. For example, your production process is fairly clean, but the materials you source have a significant environmental burden. Or maybe the use phase of your product is more damaging than its manufacture. Businesses often use LCA to support eco-design, improve resource efficiency, and guide strategic decisions about materials, suppliers, or packaging.
The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) develops the main standards that guide LCAs. The most widely used and recognised are part of the ISO 14000 family.
While an LCA isn't a public-facing document by default, it's often the foundation for other tools—like EPDs.
EPDs and PCFs are specific types of LCAs. Let’s look at them in more detail.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Let's say you've done an LCA and now want to share those findings with the outside world in a credible, comparable, and easy-to-understand way. That's where an EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) comes in.
An EPD is a standardised, verified document communicating a product's environmental profile based on LCA data. It's sort of like a "nutrition label" for environmental performance. And just like nutrition labels are based on measurable facts (not marketing), EPDs must follow strict international rules—typically ISO 14025 or EN 15804. EPDs are reviewed by an independent third party.
EPDs are particularly common in construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing sectors where buyers need a way to compare products fairly. They're often required in public procurement, green building schemes (like BREEAM or LEED), or when entering certain international markets.
An EPD doesn't interpret results or tell you whether a product is good or bad—it simply lays out the data in a consistent format. That transparency builds trust and allows customers or regulators to make informed choices.
Product Carbon Footprint (PCF)
Now imagine you don't need the full life cycle story, or you're mainly interested in one thing: carbon emissions. That's where a Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) comes into play.
A PCF looks specifically at the greenhouse gas emissions associated with your product, usually measured in kilograms or tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. Depending on your needs, the scope might cover everything from raw materials to end-of-life (cradle-to-grave), or just up to the point where your product leaves the factory (cradle-to-gate).
A PCF is less complex and quicker to produce than a full LCA. That makes it a popular first step for companies just beginning their decarbonisation journey or responding to customer demands for carbon transparency.
If you've set net-zero targets or want to track product-level emissions, a PCF helps you see where reductions are possible—whether in design, sourcing, or logistics. It's also a useful communication tool when used to support carbon labelling or customer inquiries.
PCF often follows standards such as:
ISO 14067 (for carbon footprint of products)
GHG Protocol Product Standard
PAS 2050 (a British specification for product carbon footprints)
PCF is a subset or a simplified LCA, using the same methodology but narrowed to GHG emissions."
Which One Do You Need?
That depends on your goals. Each of these tools can be valuable on its own, but they also work well together.
Let's look at a few common scenarios:
If you're redesigning a product and want to understand environmental trade-offs across materials, energy, water, and waste—start with an LCA.
If you've done the LCA and now want to publish those results to meet procurement or certification requirements, go for an EPD.
If your main concern is carbon emissions, and you're just starting out or need a faster result, a PCF may be all you need for now.
Some companies use all three at different stages of their sustainability strategy. For instance, a building materials manufacturer may conduct an LCA for internal improvements, create an EPD for public tenders, and calculate a PCF to track emissions reductions over time.
Not Sure Where to Start? Let's Talk
Navigating sustainability tools can be overwhelming, especially when regulators, customers, and internal teams are pressuring you. However, you don't have to figure it out alone.
Our team works with companies across industries to help them:
Choose the right approach based on their product, audience, and objectives
Conduct robust LCAs or PCFs tailored to their operations
Develop third-party verified EPDs that meet international standards
Whether you're responding to a client request, preparing for a certification scheme, or looking to future-proof your product line, we'll guide you every step of the way. Get in touch to discuss what makes the most sense for your product—and how we can help you turn data into meaningful action.