What is EN 15804+A2? A practical guide for product manufacturers

EN 15804 is the European standard for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) of construction products. The A2 amendment, published in 2019, has been mandatory for all new EPDs since 2024. It introduced new indicators, tighter modulary rules and more transparent data-quality requirements.

Core and additional indicators

A2 reports environmental impact across 19 indicators: 13 core + 6 additional. The most important change is the split of the Global Warming Potential indicator: GWP-total, GWP-fossil, GWP-biogenic and GWP-luluc are now reported separately. This makes fossil-derived and biogenic carbon impacts independently traceable.

• GWP-total — total global warming potential (fossil + biogenic + LULUC combined)
• GWP-fossil — fossil-only CO₂ equivalent
• GWP-biogenic — biogenic carbon (biomass, wood)
• GWP-luluc — GWP from land-use and land-use-change
• ODP — Ozone depletion potential
• AP — Acidification potential (terrestrial, mol H+ eq)
• EP-freshwater, EP-marine, EP-terrestrial — Eutrophication (three separate)
• POCP — Photochemical oxidation
• ADP-minerals&metals, ADP-fossil — Abiotic resource depletion
• WDP — Water deprivation potential

A complete list of definitions and units for all 19 indicators is on our impact categories reference. Each impact category is computed via per-product characterisation factors; the LCIA method you choose in the background (CML v4.8 2016, EF v3.1, IPCC 2013, etc.) directly shapes the interpretation.

Life-cycle modulary table

EN 15804+A2 splits the product life cycle into four main stages: product (A1-A3), construction (A4-A5), use (B1-B7), end of life (C1-C4) and benefits beyond the system boundary (D). Each module is flagged "Included", "MNR (Module Not Reported)" or "MND (Module Not Declared)".

Cradle-to-gate vs cradle-to-grave

The most common scope is cradle-to-gate (A1-A3) — A4-D modules depend heavily on use-phase and end-of-life assumptions. Cradle-to-grave (A1-C4) is preferred for green-building certifications (LEED, BREEAM, DGNB). Module D is optional but shows the recycled-content credit.

Typical scope by product category

• Insulation — A1-A3 (cradle-to-gate) is standard; B6 (use-phase energy savings) optional positive benefit
• Cement — A1-A3 mandatory, A4 optional; C1-C4 usually MND
• Concrete — A1-A3 + A4 (local ready-mix typically within a 50 km radius)
• Steel — A1-A3 + D (recycle credit is the dominant differentiator)
• Plastics — A1-A3 + C3-C4 (energy-recovery at end-of-life matters)

Data quality and verification

A2 requires transparent disclosure of the ratio between "specific" and "generic" data. In a typical manufacturer EPD, annual production data must be specific (foreground); background data is sourced from recognized LCI databases such as ecoinvent or GaBi. An independent verifier (accredited bodies like ITB, IBU, EPD International, ECOnsult) audits the entire calculation.

DQR (Data Quality Rating) scores

The Pedigree Matrix-based DQR system scores each inventory item on 5 dimensions: representativeness (time, geography, technology), completeness and precision. Scores run 1 (best) to 5 (worst). Items with DQR > 3.5 trigger ±10% sensitivity scenarios.

Producing an EN 15804+A2 EPD with clca

clca automatically produces the A2 modulary table, the 19 indicators, the MNR/MND flagging and the traceability bundle for the verifier. Background mapping with ecoinvent v3.12 is a one-click action; geography or technology mismatches are flagged by a built-in QA layer. The AI report assistant drafts the interpretation section — turning hours of manual writing into minutes. A typical EPD process takes 1-4 weeks.