This ISO 21930 Guidance document was developed by the PCR Committee of the ACLCA during the timeline 2018-2019. In recent years, the requirements for the contents of Type III environmental product declarations (EPD), have evolved to include an increasing number of life cycle inventory metrics in addition to impact assessment categories. These new metrics, such as those laid out in ISO 21930:2017, have created concerns among LCA (life cycle assessment) practitioners and others involved in developing EPDs. A lack of guidance on how to calculate these metrics—along with a lack of necessary or consistent data from life cycle inventory databases—leads to inventory metrics in published EPDs that are less comparable than the more standardized LCIA metrics.

The ACLCA ISO 21930 Guidance document was developed to address concerns and questions regarding the calculation of the numerous inventory indicators and to promote consistency, transparency, and comparability by providing guidance on calculating the non-LCIA inventory metrics required to be declared in EPDs in accordance with ISO 21930:2017. For each metric, the document identifies current issues with ISO language, presents suggestions for PCR developers, and provides guidance on calculations along with calculation examples for LCA practitioners.