The Global Lighting Association (GLA) has published a white paper, Implementing Internationally Harmonised Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) & Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) For Lighting Products. The international drive for product sustainability has created LCAs and EPDs as tools for quantifying and communicating the environmental impacts of many types of products. LCAs and EPDs are now being conducted for lighting products to increase transparency, credibility, and innovation in sustainable product development.

This white paper seeks to draw attention to the risks of different regions around the world developing different approaches to LCAs and EPDs for lighting, limiting their value. The white paper urges the lighting industry to standardize LCAs & EPDs under Product Category Rules (PCRs) for lighting products.

The white paper also stresses that standardization should be at the global level to the extant practical and possible. The PEP Association in France has developed LCA/EPD PCRs for luminaires. The paper suggests that PEP PSR 0014 and other existing PCRs could be a starting point for global standardization across the lighting industry. The paper supports standardization initiatives in IEC Technical Committee (TC) 34.

The full white paper can be downloaded here.

Image: Global Lighting Association

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and President of Lighting Solution Development, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has co-chaired ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

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