Embodied carbon review
Know which product figures can honestly be compared.
This is for you if EPD or supplier figures are about to influence a specification, a bid or a client report and you need to know which of them can be compared.
- Defined scope
- Evidence recorded
- Usable output
What we do
Who this is for and when. For contractors, housebuilders, designers and procurement teams comparing embodied carbon across products, a bill of materials or a project element, before specifying, tendering or reporting.
A detailed review of the embodied carbon in a bill of materials, product catalogue or construction project, using published EPDs, supplier figures and recognised datasets.
- Agree the product list, materials or project element in scope, with quantities where they exist.
- Locate published EPDs, supplier figures and recognised dataset entries for those items.
- Check the declared unit (a stated quantity such as 1 m³ of product, or 1 m² at a stated thickness) and any functional unit, alongside product performance, required quantity, life cycle modules covered, service life and the PCR or methodology used.
- Set products that are not comparable on that basis to one side, rather than ranking them on a converted figure alone.
- Identify gaps and weak data, and draft the supplier requests needed to close them.
What you receive
- A materials carbon summary for the agreed scope, with declared unit and life cycle modules stated against each figure
- An evidence status for every figure, based on currency, scope match, completeness and comparability
- A source and assumptions log covering every figure used
- A gap list with the supplier requests needed to close it
What we need from you
The scope, any quantities or bill of materials, the EPDs and supplier data you hold, and a contact who can confirm assumptions.
Provenance: every figure is logged with its source and method, marked measured, estimated or supplier-provided, and recorded with any assumption behind it. Status: each figure is then rated on currency, completeness and any conflict, and anything missing or expired is flagged rather than relied on.
What is not included
This review interprets the evidence you hold and can source. It does not create or verify an EPD, does not provide engineering assurance, and is not a complete whole life carbon assessment unless separately scoped. Converting figures to a common unit does not make them comparable, and the review says so where that applies.
Proof
How this work is structured.
A preview of the format used on this service. The records shown are generic samples created for illustration.
EPD comparability gate
01 Function and performance
Equivalent function, technical performance and required quantity?
02 Unit and scope
Compatible declared or functional unit and assessment scope?
03 Life cycle and service
Consistent modules, reference study period and service-life assumptions?
04 Method and indicators
Compatible rules, PCR versions, indicators and calculation approach?
05 Representativeness
Appropriate geography, age, technology and use or end-of-life scenarios?
All checks satisfied
A scoped comparison is prepared, with the purpose, boundary and assumptions stated alongside the result.
A check fails or is unknown
The limitation is recorded, the data needed is requested, and the figures stay separate until the check can be satisfied.
Illustrative structure. Satisfying every check supports a scoped comparison for the stated purpose. It does not create automatic comparability and it is not a certification.
Download the EPD comparability gate example (PDF, one page) Illustrative structure using synthetic records, not a client document.
Questions about this service
Why is unit conversion not enough?
Two declarations can share a unit and still answer different questions. We check equivalent function and performance, quantity, life cycle modules, service life, method and product category rules, geography and scenarios before any comparison is made.
What happens when a check cannot be satisfied?
The limitation is recorded, we seek the data needed to close it, or the figures are kept separate rather than combined into a single ranking.
Is this a verified LCA or a certification?
No. This is a comparability review of the declarations and data you hold. Verification, assurance and certification are separate appointments.
Discuss the materials or products in scope
Tell us the product list, bill of materials or project element you need reviewed. We agree the inputs, outputs, scope and review points in writing before work starts.