What ISO 14025:2026 is, how Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are built and published, and why GCC manufacturers are being asked for them.
Part of the reading list: EU export rules: CBAM, methane and hydrogen
Introduction
“How green is this product?” is easy to ask and hard to answer credibly. A marketing claim costs nothing; verified data takes work. ISO 14025 is the standard that makes the credible answer possible, through the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). This article explains what ISO 14025 is, what changed in its 2026 edition, and how EPDs are built. It follows our note on life cycle assessment.
What ISO 14025 is
ISO 14025 sets the principles and procedures for Environmental Product Declarations and the programmes that publish them. Its second edition, ISO 14025:2026, was published on 24 June 2026 and replaced the 2006 edition the same day.
An EPD is a standardised, independently verified, LCA-based statement of a product’s environmental performance. The key word is verified: unlike a self-declared green claim, an EPD is checked by an independent verifier against common rules before it is published.
What changed in 2026
The 2006 edition described EPDs as “Type III environmental declarations”, alongside Type I eco-labels (ISO 14024) and Type II self-declared claims (ISO 14021). ISO 14025:2026 drops that Type I, II and III scheme. ISO 14024 and ISO 14021 still exist, but an EPD is no longer framed as a kind of label at all. It is a declaration of data.
According to EPD International’s summary of the new edition, it also recognises EPD tools and declarations for products not yet on the market, and tightens the rules on verifier independence. As at October 2026 no programme operator had published a deadline for moving to the new edition, and EPDs already published remain valid.
How an EPD is built
Four ingredients make an EPD credible:
- A life cycle assessment, to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, that models the product from raw materials to end of life.
- A Product Category Rule (PCR), the common recipe for a product category, so two products are measured the same way.
- Independent verification, by a verifier approved by the programme operator, of both the LCA and the declaration.
- A programme operator, such as the International EPD System, EPD Hub, IBU, UL Environment or BRE, which registers and publishes the EPD. An EPD is normally valid for five years.
For construction products, EN 15804+A2 (or ISO 21930) adds rules on which life cycle modules must be reported. Under EN 15804+A2 nearly all manufactured products must declare production (A1 to A3), end of life (C1 to C4) and benefits beyond the system boundary (D). Cradle to gate alone is allowed only in narrow cases.
A green claim tells you what the seller wants you to believe. An EPD tells you what the product does. ISO 14025 is the difference between marketing and measurement.
Why EPDs matter in the GCC
The Gulf is building at scale, and embodied carbon, the emissions locked into construction materials, is now on the agenda. No UAE or Saudi law requires an EPD, and Dubai’s Al Sa’fat system has no EPD clause. The demand comes from two places.
- LEED. Under LEED v4.1 a building earns a point for using at least 20 products from five manufacturers with EPDs. LEED v5 goes further: every project must quantify the cradle-to-gate embodied carbon of its structure, enclosure and hardscape, and points for reducing it are earned with product-specific, externally verified EPDs. LEED v4 and v4.1 registration closes on 30 June 2027.
- Buyers. Customers reporting their Scope 3 purchased goods want supplier-specific product carbon footprint data, and a verified EPD is the most credible form it takes. It also substantiates environmental claims and reduces greenwashing risk.
One thing an EPD does not do: it does not satisfy CBAM, which has its own installation-level method and EU-accredited verifiers. A steel, aluminium or cement exporter can reuse much of the same plant data for both, but needs both.
How ESGweise helps
ESGweise prepares EPDs and life cycle assessments for GCC manufacturers and construction product suppliers: choosing the PCR and programme operator, building the LCA, writing the EPD and taking it through independent verification and publication. See also our map of which ISO standards matter for ESG.
Conclusion
ISO 14025 turns “how green is this product?” from a marketing question into a measured one. Its 2026 edition sets EPDs apart from labels and claims as declarations of verified data. For GCC manufacturers selling into LEED projects or to buyers with Scope 3 targets, a product-specific EPD is now a commercial asset, and LEED v5 makes it a more valuable one.
Related ISO standards
Our other guides in this series cover ISO 14040 and 14044 life cycle assessment, ISO 14067 product carbon footprints and ISO 14064-3 compared with ISAE 3000 and ISSA 5000.
Frequently asked questions
What is ISO 14025?
ISO 14025 is the international standard for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and the programmes that publish them. The current edition, ISO 14025:2026, was published on 24 June 2026 and replaced the 2006 edition. It sets the principles and procedures for declarations that report a product's environmental performance based on life cycle assessment, calculated to Product Category Rules and checked by an independent verifier so that products in the same category can be compared fairly.
What is an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)?
An EPD is a standardised, independently verified document that reports the quantified environmental performance of a product across its life cycle, such as global warming potential, resource use and water use. It is calculated from a life cycle assessment to a Product Category Rule, verified, and registered and published by a programme operator. It is normally valid for five years.
What changed in ISO 14025:2026?
The 2026 edition is retitled around EPDs and environmental statements and programmes for products, and drops the old Type I, II and III taxonomy, so an EPD is no longer described as a Type III label. It also recognises EPD tools and declarations for products not yet on the market, and tightens the rules on verifier independence. Programme operators had not published transition dates as at October 2026.
Are EPDs required in the UAE or Saudi Arabia?
No UAE or Saudi law we know of requires one, and Dubai's Al Sa'fat green building system (2nd edition, January 2023) has no EPD requirement. The demand comes from LEED, which awards points for EPDs under v4.1 and from v5 makes embodied carbon data a prerequisite, and from buyers who want supplier-specific carbon data for their Scope 3 reporting.