In this version of the default list of indicators, the below six indicators for primary energy resources are mandatory, and the other four resource use indicators are optional. In a specific PCR, more of the indicators may be mandatory. For example, all the resource use indicators are mandatory according to PCR 2019:14 Construction products.
Below are guidance and clarifications for some of the environmental performance indicators. A PCR may provide further guidance for its specific product category. If below guidance deviates from rules in a PCR or an applicable normative standard (e.g., EN 15804), the rules in the PCR or the standard prevails.
This section has been adapted from Annex 3 of PCR 2019:14 (version 1.3.4) but applies in general. An example illustrating the options (A-C) can be found in Annex 3 of PCR 2019:14 (versions 1.3.0 and later).
Among the indicators describing resource use, there are six indicators on the use of primary energy resources (in MJ, net calorific value). Three of the indicators are on the use of renewable energy resource, separated into energy used as raw materials (PERM), energy used as energy carriers (PERE), and the total renewable energy used as raw materials and energy carriers (PERT). The other three indicators are on the use of non-renewable energy use, separated into energy used as raw materials (PENRM), energy used as energy carriers (PENRE), and the total non-renewable energy used as raw materials and energy carriers (PENRT).
The energy used as raw materials is limited to the inherent energy of the product and the packaging. All other input of primary energy resources shall be considered as energy used as energy carrier.
If a material is first used as raw material in, for example, the packaging, and its energy content is later used as an energy carrier in the product system, it shall be classified as energy used as energy carrier, to avoid double counting of this energy.
The primary energy resources used as raw materials shall be calculated by multiplying the mass (kg) of each material of the product and packaging content, respectively, with the lower calorific value (MJ/kg) of this material. The input of primary energy used as energy carriers may then be calculated as the difference between the total input of primary energy and the input of primary energy used as raw materials.
As for the biogenic content (see below guidance or Annex 2 of PCR 2019:14), inherent energy in the product or packaging (net calorific value) often needs to be checked and added manually when using LCA software, to ensure that the primary energy use is correctly separated into energy used as raw material and energy used as energy carrier and that no energy is unaccounted for. This also means that the inherent energy of input flows of reused or recycled material, or recovered energy, shall be considered. In other words, even if waste allocation (i.e., cut-off) has been used to allocate such input flows (i.e., they come without environmental burden), the energy that is in the flow shall be considered as an input of primary energy into the studied product system, following the rule in EN 15804 that inherent properties shall not be allocated away. Similarly, if materials leave the product system to reuse or recycling, or if energy leaves the product system (e.g., the useful energy from incineration or landfill with energy recovery), these flows shall be subtracted from the indicators of energy used as raw materials and energy carriers, respectively.
Based on different interpretations of EN 15804, there are three options for how to separate the use of primary energy into energy used as raw material and energy used as energy carrier: options A, B and C, as described below. Either option may be used. The option chosen should (or shall, if required by applicable PCR) be described in direct connection to the declaration of the results of the primary energy use indicators in the EPD. Note that the results of the total primary energy use indicators are not affected by the choice between options A-C, but only the division of this into energy used as raw materials and energy used as energy carriers.
In option A, the energy used as raw material shall be declared as an input to the life-cycle stage/module where it enters the product system (in module A1-A3 for construction products) and as an equally large output from the product system where it exits the product system (i.e., module A5 for packaging content and module C3 and/or C4 for product content, for construction products) for use in another product system or as waste. Outputs in the form of waste shall, in the module where the loss occurs, be reported as an input in the indicator for energy used as energy carriers (even if the energy is not used in the product system). The rationale behind this option is that the indicator for energy used as raw materials shall reflect the input of energy that becomes part of the product and packaging, and the output of this energy from the product system regardless of when and how it exits the product system. That is, this indicator shows how much energy that is stored in the product or packaging at any given time. At the end of end-of-life stage/module C, energy is no longer stored in the product, and the energy used as raw materials will therefore be zero over the product life cycle.
In option B, the energy used as raw material shall be declared as an input to the life-cycle stage/module where it enters the product system (for construction products: often in modules A1 and A3) and as an output from the product system if it exits the product system as useful energy (for construction products: often from modules A5 or C3). Energy content that is wasted (e.g., in landfill or in incineration), remains as part of the indicator for energy used for raw materials, and shall not (in contrast to option A) be reported as an input of energy used for energy carriers. The rationale behind this option is that the indicator for energy used as raw materials shall reflect the energy used for the purpose of being raw material in the product or packaging, that is not subsequently transferred in useable form to another product system. In this option, energy used as raw material will often not be zero over the product life cycle.
In option C, the energy used as raw material shall be declared as an input to the module where it enters the product system (for construction products: often modules A1 and A3s) and as an output from the product system if it exits the product system as useful energy (for construction products: often from modules A5 or C3). Energy content that is wasted in a landfill (but only in landfill, in contrast to option B) remains as part of the indicator for energy used for raw materials and shall not (in contrast to option A) be reported as an input of energy used for energy carriers. The rationale behind this option is that the indicator for energy used as raw materials shall reflect the input of energy that becomes part of the product and packaging, that is not subsequently transferred in useable form to another product system, which here includes energy that is landfilled, as this is potentially available for future extraction and use in a product system. The rationale is close to the rationale of option A, but as in option B, energy used as raw material will often not be zero over the product life cycle.
The net use of fresh water does not constitute a “water footprint”, as the potential environmental impact of the water use is not considered. Such impact is instead covered by the indicator for water deprivation potential (see above).
For the indicator of net use of fresh water: