Five further services around your construction product

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• How does a PCF differ from an EPD?

  PCF stands for product carbon footprint. It shows how many greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to a product, usually expressed as CO₂ equivalents. The PCF therefore concentrates on one central question: how large is this product's climate footprint? An EPD is broader. Alongside the climate footprint it documents further environmental impacts such as resource consumption, acidification or energy use. An EPD is also produced according to fixed rules for construction products and is normally verified externally. In short: the PCF shows the CO₂ footprint, the EPD shows a fuller environmental profile.

• How does the PCF fit our LCA?

  A PCF can be derived directly from an existing LCA data basis. The LCA looks at the product life cycle in full, and the PCF takes the climate-relevant results from it. If an LCA or EPD already exists, the PCF is often a lean follow-on analysis. If no data basis exists yet, we build the PCF as a calculation in its own right, so it stays reusable later for an LCA, an EPD or reduction measures.

• When does a PCF make sense?

  A PCF makes sense when customers, large buyers or internal sustainability teams need concrete CO₂ data on a product. That applies particularly to requests under the CSRD, Scope 3 surveys, ESG reporting, tenders or supplier assessments. For many manufacturers the PCF is the pragmatic entry point: less extensive than a full EPD, but already dependable enough to supply climate data in a structured way and make first reduction potential visible.

• How often should a PCF be updated?

  As a rule a PCF should be reviewed annually, particularly where it is used for reporting and customer requests. Many companies ask for CO₂ data again regularly, because energy consumption, transport routes or production volumes can change. The first calculation is the big step. After that the model stays in place and can be updated far more leanly, for example with new energy data, changed material shares or updated supplier data.

• What happens if the product data changes?

  Smaller pieces of rework within the agreed PCF project are included in the price. That covers queries, methodological explanations and minor corrections to the existing calculation. If the product itself changes, through new formulations, different suppliers or additional variants, the PCF has to be updated technically. That does not require a complete recalculation, but a targeted follow-on assignment building on the existing model.

• What makes a PCF with ecoverity different from other providers?

  We combine rigorous calculation with a lean, digital project process. Rather than entering values into a template, we structure the product data so it stays traceable, updatable and usable for later follow-on projects. That relies on internal automation, clear data logic and close coordination with your team. The result is not a single CO₂ figure but a dependable data basis for customer requests, reduction measures and later EPDs.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What happens if the five-year deadline has passed?

  An expired EPD can no longer be used as valid evidence. Depending on the programme operator it is removed from the active register or marked as expired, which can cause problems in tenders, customer requests or building certification. An update is usually still possible, but takes more effort once deadlines have been missed. That is why we start earlier and come back to you in good time before the EPD expires.

• Do we need an update or a completely new EPD?

  Where the product scope, structure and field of application stay broadly the same, updating the existing EPD is usually the leaner route. Data is updated, results recalculated and the EPD verified again. If the product has changed fundamentally, a new EPD can make more sense. We establish which applies during the data re-audit.

• Which changes trigger an EPD update?

  Typical triggers are new materials or formulations, changed suppliers or a different energy mix at the plant. Minor editorial corrections or pure master data changes do not automatically lead to a full update. What matters is whether the environmental impacts or the methodological basis of the EPD change materially.

• Do we have to supply all the data again for an update?

  No. Where the original data basis was built properly, we continue working on the existing model. What you supply is mainly the changes since the last EPD: new material data or current energy consumption. That makes an update considerably leaner than the first version.

• Is rework included in the update process?

  Yes. Rework arising within the agreed update project is included in the price. That covers queries from the verifier, methodological explanations, minor corrections and adjustments to the update in hand. If it later emerges that the product itself has changed substantially, a targeted follow-on assignment becomes necessary.

• How early should an EPD update start?

  Starting around six to nine months before the existing EPD expires works well. That leaves enough time for verification and publication by the programme operator, where waiting times are currently longer than usual, which makes submitting the EPD update early necessary.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Do we need an LCA or a PCF first?

  Yes. Without dependable data, CO₂ reduction stays guesswork. For a sound analysis we need at least a PCF to ISO 14067 or an LCA to ISO 14040/14044 for the products in question. If that data basis does not exist yet, we build it first. Hotspots, material alternatives and reduction measures can then be assessed far more precisely.

• When is material substitution worth it?

  Material substitution is worth it above all when a raw material, auxiliary material or precursor causes a relevant share of the CO₂ footprint and realistic alternatives are available. Whether the switch actually pays off does not depend on the CO₂ figure alone, though. We also check technical requirements, durability, processing, cost, supply capability and regulatory risk. Sometimes material substitution is the best lever, sometimes energy, process or supply chain achieve more.

• Which reduction rates are realistic?

  That depends heavily on the product, the material composition, the energy mix at the plant and the supply chain. Serious reduction targets therefore cannot be promised in the abstract. Instead we show which measures can contribute what, arithmetically. That produces a dependable, quantified target path: short-term measures with little effort, medium-term optimisation and larger product or supply chain changes.

• How does this differ from traditional sustainability consulting?

  We do not start with generic catalogues of measures but with your actual product data. First we calculate where the largest emissions arise. Then we assess which measures genuinely work. The result is not an abstract strategy but a prioritised roadmap with a data basis that can be followed and assumptions that are documented.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Do we need our own LCA or PCF before we can report under the CSRD?

  Not strictly. For many ESRS data points, company data, energy consumption, supplier data or qualitative statements are enough to begin with. For climate data, Scope 3 emissions and product-level customer requests, LCA or PCF data is a considerable advantage. Where no dependable product data basis exists yet, the first step can work with conservative assumptions or existing average data. In parallel, product- and plant-specific data should be built up so the reporting becomes more precise and more dependable in the following years.

• What makes ecoverity different from traditional reporting providers?

  We do not start from empty reporting forms but from the data you need anyway: product data, LCA, PCF, energy, suppliers and processes. That avoids creating a separate reporting world and produces a structure that works with the data you already have.

• How much effort should we realistically plan for in the first reporting year?

  The first reporting year takes the most effort, because structure, responsibilities, data sources and method are being built for the first time. What matters is how much data already exists in good shape and how complex the company structure and product portfolio are. After the first year the process becomes considerably leaner: data point mapping, responsibilities, templates and method are already in place and mainly need updating.

• Can companies without a CSRD obligation use this reporting too?

  Yes. Mid-sized companies that are not formally subject to the CSRD are often affected indirectly, through customer requests, ESG ratings or public tenders. A lean, ESRS-oriented report helps answer those requirements in an orderly way and prepares you for a possible reporting obligation later.

• Does this require new reporting software?

  No. For many mid-sized companies it makes more sense to build data points, responsibilities and method properly first, before introducing dedicated software. We work with your existing systems, ERP data and LCA and PCF results. If software becomes worthwhile later, the data structure is already prepared.