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The electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) sector, especially for buildings, is facing increasing requirements in terms of environmental impact. In France, regulations impose strict standards to assess and communicate these impacts. The PEPs filed under the PEP ecopassport® program, based on rigorous LCA, are essential tools to ensure compliance and improve the environmental performance of products.
Let's decipher these fundamental standards together, their role in the structuring of a valid PEP and how to comply with them in practice, taking into account French specificities.
Rigorous environmental data based on ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards
Above all, a PEP is based on a Product Life Cycle Analysis, i.e. a complete assessment of its environmental impacts, from the extraction of raw materials to its end of life.
Life Cycle Assessment: the essential foundation of PEPs, based on ISO standards
This analysis must imperatively meet the requirements of the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards, which define the methodologies to be respected:
- ISO 14040 : defines the general principles and phases of life cycle analysis.
- ISO 14044 : details implementation rules, including inventory, impact assessment, interpretation, and critical review.
Without adherence to these standards, the PEP cannot be verified or recognized.
The critical review: a prerequisite for a recognized PEP
For a PEP to be considered valid, the LCA on which it is based must be reviewed by an independent expert. This step, provided for in the ISO 14044 standard, guarantees the impartiality of the analysis. Without a critical review, the PEP cannot be verified by an official program or integrated into a public database, such as that of the PEP ecopassport Association.
A transparent declaration according to the ISO 14025 standard
The ISO 14025 standard specifically covers type III environmental declarations, i.e. PEPs. It imposes:
- A standardized format for presenting results.
- Validation by an independent third party organization.
- The use of product category rules (PCR) adapted to each type of equipment.
This framework ensures that PEP declarations are comparable, reliable and accepted internationally — a major asset for manufacturers exporting their products.
The standards taken into account are evolving with PEP Ecopasseport
Edition 4 of the PEP Ecopasseport® PCR, published in 2021, also includes two new standards:
- EN 50693, which details the method for carrying out a LCA in the context of environmental declarations specific to EEE;
- EN 15804, which details the method for preparing a Type III environmental declaration for construction products
This demonstrates PEP ecopasseport's desire to offer an evaluation framework that is ever more relevant in light of the evolution of European and local standards.
ISO 14001: integrating the environment into business strategy
Another essential standard to be aware of: ISO 14001. Although it does not directly govern PEPs, it structures an environmental management system within the company. Indeed, an ISO 14001 certified organization will find it easier to organize the collection of environmental data necessary for LCA, to involve its teams and to integrate the results into a continuous improvement process. The link is therefore direct with the quality of the PEP produced.
Extra-financial reporting: the role of ESRS standards in the context of CSRD
With the entry into force of the CSRD directive, organizations with more than 250 employees must publish extra-financial information, based on ESRS standards (European Sustainability Reporting Standards). These standards require detailed traceability of environmental impacts, in particular:
- GHG emissions.
- Resource consumption.
- Product sustainability.
Data from LCA and PEP ecopassport® therefore represent a strategic lever for meeting CSRD obligations and structuring coherent reporting. They detail and quantify environmental impacts throughout the product lifecycle, making it easier to comply with transparency requirements and helping businesses demonstrate their sustainability efforts. This information also helps build credibility with stakeholders, including investors, customers, and regulators.
At Qweeko, we help you every step of the way
At Qweeko, we support manufacturers, distributors and installers in the EEA sector in the creation, verification and valorization of their ecopassport® PEP. Using a proven methodology, based on the latest ISO standards and regulations, we help you produce robust, critical, and fully usable LCAs.
To discover our approach, read our article on Realization of a PEP or contact us directly for tailor-made support.
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