mandating epds is critical to the uk's sustainable construction goals, says industry leader

Holcim UK is calling on the government and industry bodies to make Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to be made mandatory on all UK construction projects to accelerate progress towards national net zero targets.

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The call comes from Alastair Meyers, Managing Director of Holcim UK’s Readymix concrete division. He argues that EPDs, which are independently verified declarations that detail a product’s environmental impact, should be written into regulations and legislation. Doing so would eliminate greenwashing and support smarter, data-driven decision-making across the built environment.

As a pioneer in digital EPDs and real-time carbon data, Holcim has demonstrated how transparency can be scaled across live projects - empowering contractors and specifiers to make informed, low-carbon choices.

Alastair said: “EPDs have become the benchmark for sustainability across Europe, but the UK still lags behind. It’s vital that every material choice is backed by live, verifiable data.

An EPD can include up to 37 indicators - from carbon footprint to energy and waste - and Holcim, a global leader in sustainable building solutions, has issued more than 3,000 EPDs across 24 countries.

From Holcim UK’s Readymix portfolio, this includes the ECOPact product range, the world’s lowest range of low-carbon concrete, DYNAMax High Performance Concrete (HPC), as well as other generic concrete mixes. These products are all backed by verified EPD data, giving specifiers the opportunity to set realistic achievable targets on their projects.

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Holcim is also leading with digitalising EPDs, so they are available ‘on-demand’. Traditional EPDs for building products can take typically six months to complete. Holcim has developed Europe’s first ‘on demand’ EPD generator tool to verify embodied carbon for concrete and cement, turning a six-month process into a matter of minutes.

Alastair said: “A net zero future must not be built on assumptions and guesswork. There is a vast amount of construction happening, but it’s imperative we get the foundations for sustainability right, otherwise it will be another wave of buildings and infrastructure that will fail the next generation, from a sustainability standpoint.

“Having EPDs written into regulation and legislation will create a level playing field and a common standard that all construction professionals will know and understand. For contractors, they can make like-for-like comparisons. Architects and specifiers can use the data to make informed specification choices, developers can have confidence their buildings meet their sustainability agenda, and there is a clear framework to regulate and assess against. Holcim is ready to lead that change, with EPDs that can be generated digitally and on-demand already in use across our UK operations.”

Currently, on demand EPDs are available at 18 Holcim UK Readymix plants, with a nationwide rollout underway. Learn more about how Holcim UK is bringing transparency to life through live EPDs and low-carbon concrete solutions here.