The Ultimate Guide to ISO 14025

What is ISO 14025?

ISO 14025:2006 is a standard that provides guidelines for developing Type III environmental declarations, also known as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). This standard specifies the principles and procedures for creating these declarations, which aim to provide transparent and comparable information about the environmental impact of products and services.

ISO 14025 is part of the ISO 14000 family of environmental management standards. It aligns with an organization’s efforts to enhance sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Benefits

As organizations move toward more sustainable and transparent operations, ISO 14025 helps bridge the gap between environmental accountability and informed decision-making.

Here are some of the benefits that organizations can achieve by implementing the ISO 14025 standard:

• Present Clear and Consistent Environmental Data: ISO 14025 ensures that all product declarations follow a uniform format for easy comparison. This consistency enhances transparency and improves data reliability.

• Perform a Full Lifecycle Assessment: Assess a product’s environmental impact from extraction to disposal. Lifecycle assessment helps companies pinpoint areas for sustainable improvement.

• Boost Consumer Confidence Through Transparency: Displaying accurate environmental data strengthens brand trust and integrity. It assures customers that your products meet verified sustainability criteria.

• Inspire Greener Business Practices: Use insights from ISO 14025 EPDs to reevaluate and refine your processes. It can reduce waste, lower emissions, and improve resource efficiency.

• Empower Sustainable Buying Decisions: Offer meaningful information that enables consumers and businesses to choose environmentally friendly options. Verified declarations make sustainability easier to understand and act on.

• Align With Environmental Regulations and Standards: Show compliance with local and international environmental requirements through verified reporting. ISO 14025 makes regulatory alignment more straightforward and credible.

Differences Between Type I, Type II, and Type III Environmental Declarations

Environmental Declarations help organizations share credible information about their products’ environmental impact. There are three main types of environmental declarations: Type I, Type II, and Type III.

Each type has its unique characteristics and purposes.

Type I Environmental Declaration (ISO 14024)

Type I Environmental Declarations are third-party certified ecolabels awarded by independent organizations after evaluating products against multiple environmental criteria. These labels, such as the EU Ecolabel or Energy Star, are voluntary and often found on consumer goods. Their certification signals a product’s compliance with rigorous sustainability benchmarks across various categories.

Type II Environmental Declaration (ISO 14021)

Type II Environmental Declarations are self-declared claims made by manufacturers without verification from any third-parties. These declarations usually highlight a single environmental attribute, such as recyclability or the use of recycled content. While informative, they carry a higher risk of greenwashing due to the absence of independent validation.

Type III Environmental Declaration (ISO 14025)

Type III Environmental Declarations, governed by the ISO 14025 standard, are third-party verified and based on a full Lifecycle Assessment (LCA). These declarations, also known as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), provide detailed and quantifiable data on a product’s environmental impact. Organizations conduct them using specific Product Category Rules (PCRs) to ensure consistency and credibility across product types.

How ISO 14025 is Related to Other ISO Accreditations

ISO 14025 builds upon earlier standards—particularly ISO 14040 and ISO 14020—and guides how organizations communicate life cycle-based environmental information, while other standards address system management or general principles.

It complements other certifications rather than replaces them, and works best when integrated with related standards.

Here’s how ISO 14025:2006 connects to or differs from other key ISO standards:

• ISO 14020:2000 (General Principles): Establishes the foundational principles for all environmental declarations. ISO 14025 extends this by offering a structured, third-party verified format for product-level environmental claims.

• ISO 14021:1999 (Type II Environmental Labelling): Focuses on Type II declarations or self-declared environmental claims. ISO 14025 differs by requiring independent verification and basing declarations on LCA results, reducing the risk of greenwashing.

• ISO 14024:1999 (Type I Environmental Labelling): Covers Type I environmental labels like eco-seals based on multiple environmental criteria and third-party approval. ISO 14025, by contrast, offers quantitative and comparable environmental data based on specific product categories.

• ISO 14040:20061 (Life Cycle Assessment — Principles and Framework): Introduces the framework for conducting LCAs. ISO 14025 uses this framework to develop EPDs, making the two closely linked.

• ISO 14044:20061 (Life Cycle Assessment — Requirements and Guidelines): ISO 14044 details the methodology and requirements for LCAs. ISO 14025 relies on this standard to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the environmental data presented in declarations.

• ISO 14050 (Vocabulary): Provides definitions and terminology for environmental management. ISO 14025 refers to this to ensure standardized language across all documentation and reporting.

How To Get ISO 14025 Certified

Getting certified under the ISO 14025 standard involves a structured process to ensure your EPD is accurate, transparent, and third-party verified.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Assess Current Processes and Products: Evaluate your products and operations to identify environmental impacts throughout their lifecycle. Use LCA methodology to gather consistent and meaningful data.

2. Conduct an Internal Audit for Readiness: Conduct an internal audit to review your data, documentation, and compliance with ISO 14025 standards. It will identify gaps, ensure consistency, and prepare your team for external verification.

3. Perform a Comprehensive LCA: Follow ISO 14040 to perform an LCA to assess environmental aspects like raw material use, emissions, energy, and waste. It forms the basis of your EPD and must cover the product’s full life cycle.

4. Develop the EPD: Use the LCA findings to create an EPD according to ISO 14025 requirements. This document must include quantified environmental data, presented clearly and standardized.

5. Get the EPD Third-Party Verified and Registered: Submit your EPD to an independent verifier to ensure accuracy and reliability. Once verified, register it in a recognized database to boost accessibility and credibility.