The following ISC2024 conference is preliminary and subject to changes:
| Tentative schedule | ||
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 09:45 | Session 1 | Digitalisation of EPDs: Opportunities and Challenges |
| 09:45 - 10:00 | Presentation | Role of EPD International in Digitalisation |
| 10:00 - 10:45 | Session 2 | Possibilities of EPD data in planning and decision making |
| 10:45 - 11:00 | Coffee Break | |
| 11:00 - 11:45 | Session 3 | Credibility of EPDs across regulation systems |
| 11:45 - 12:00 | Presentation | General Programme Instructions 5.0 |
| 12:00 - 12:30 | Creative Panel 1 | EPD of tomorrow: the envisioned future |
| 12:30 - 13:30 | Lunch | |
| 13:30 - 14:00 | Creative Panel 2 | Challenges and opportunities of EPD from system leaders |
| 14:00 - 15:30 | Coffee Table | |
| Meeting Room 1 | How digialisation & AI could support LCA experts and verifers | |
| Meeting Room 2 | How to increase and expand EPD application for systemic change | |
| Meeting Room 3 | How to harmonise EPDs across various regulation systems | |
| Main Hall | Meet with fellow EPD experts | |
| 16:00 - 16:30 | Award Ceremony | |
| 19:00 - | Conference Dinner |
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Notes:
Sessions will take place in a presentation format with end-of-session Q&A
Creative Panels will be in the form of moderated discussions with end-of-panel Q&A
Coffee Tables will be faciliated audience-focused interactive conversations
This session delves into the transformative impact of AI and digitalization on EPD data generation and verification. On the trend of the rapid growth of AI, machine learning could be leveraged to significantly enhance the accuracy and efficiency of environmental data collection for life cycle assessment. Yet how do we ensure the safety around data storage?
The application and integration of digital platforms, blockchain, and IoT devices, could further ensure transparency and real-time monitoring of environmental impacts. Nonetheless, how do we safeguard the right use of data to prevent greenwashing?
While AI could be applied to verification to foster data integrity by detecting anomalies and ensuring regulatory compliance, how could it be adopted to support but not replace verifiers?
The session will also tackle both opportunities and challenges associated with technological advancements for EPD evolvement, and address how these cutting-edge technologies can enhance the robustness of EPD management to further contribute to sustainable production and consumption and facilitating sustainability goals.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) provide liable and science-based data on the environmental impact of products, which aims to further facilitate planning and decision-making processes. Yet the environmental data encapsulated in an EPD could appear less approachable for important decision-makers outside of the EPD expert community. For example, how could we improve accessibility of EPD data to support architects in opting for more environmentally friendly building materials.
Moreover, product-specific environmental data in the EPDs have its limitations when it comes to a systematic evaluation. For example, EPDs are often conducted on a specific construction material, and it would be beneficial to expand the scale of the assessment to building level for a systematic approach.
In addition,construction industry has traditionally had the highest adoption of EPDs. For a holistic sustainability approach, how could we expand the utilisation of EPDs beyond its prevalent application in the construction industry?
With the aim to enhance overall sustainability, this session will touch upon 1) how to adopt a simplified process to make EPDs more accessible, 2) how to utilise EPD data at a greater scale to support a holistic assessment of environmental impact, and 3) how to encourage adoption from companies outside of the construction industry.
The growth of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) can be attributed to the combination of voluntary reporting by manufacturers and the active involvement of policymakers. EPDs, originated from manufacturers' initiatives to assess the environmental performance of their products, eventually garnered the attention of policymakers. Designed to credibly substantiate and communicate a product’s environmental impact, EPDs have since been incorporated into various regulatory frameworks to enhance market competition and mitigate greenwashing.
As in previous years, ISC2024 will continue to address the challenges and opportunities associated with EPDs. We will delve into maintaining the role of EPDs as a trusted and scalable solution through the perspectives of innovation, policy, and harmonisation. Additionally, it is crucial to explore how EPDs can be further developed to achieve greater global acceptance within both legally binding and non-legally binding frameworks.
An opportunity in this context is the EU Declaration of Performance and Conformity (DoPC), a legally binding counterpart to the EPD, with technical specifications that must comply with future EU Construction Products Regulation (CPR) standards. To ensure the future alignment and acceptance of EPDs, the DoPC, and similar frameworks, it is essential for all stakeholders to collaborate towards harmonised global solutions and political consensus. This collective effort is crucial to delivering and fostering a trust-based market contributing to a sustainable future.