Data Format (ILCD)
The ECO Portal uses the ILCD (International Life Cycle Data system) data format, specifically the ILCD+EPD extension, to represent Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) in a machine-readable way.
ILCD Standard
The ILCD standard was developed by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). It provides a common data format for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data, ensuring interoperability between different software tools and databases.
ILCD+EPD Extension
ILCD+EPD is an extension of the base ILCD format tailored specifically for EPDs. It adds fields required by the EN 15804 standard, such as impact indicators (e.g., Global Warming Potential), life cycle stages (A1-A3, C1-C4, D), and specific EPD metadata.
Official Documentation
For deep technical details on the ILCD and ILCD+EPD standards, refer to the following resources:
- InData Working Group Resources: The primary source for ILCD+EPD specifications, schemas, and examples.
- ECO Platform Digital Data Requirements (DDR): Specific requirements and implementation details for the ECO Platform.
- JRC ILCD Documentation: General information about the base ILCD format.
Implementation in ECO Portal
While the ECO Portal aims for broad compatibility with ILCD+EPD, certain fields are particularly important for search, filtering, and validation within our platform.
Key Metadata Fields
The following fields are extracted from the ILCD datasets to power the portal’s search engine:
- UUID: A globally unique identifier for the dataset.
- Version: The version of the dataset (e.g.,
01.00.000). - Name: The product name, usually provided in multiple languages.
- Classification: The product category (e.g., “Construction products”).
- Reference Year: The year the data represents.
- Valid Until: The expiration date of the EPD.
- Location: The geographical scope (e.g., “DE”, “EU”).