EPD International CEO Visits TÜV Rheinland to Promote EPD System Construction in China

Recently, Sebastiaan Stiller, CEO of EPD International, and Xu Min, Director of the EPD China Center, visited TÜV Rheinland Beijing. Mai Miao, Managing Director of TÜV Rheinland Beijing, Fang Weimin, Vice President of TÜV Rheinland Greater China Systems, and Zhu Jiang, General Manager of the Low-carbon and Energy Business, received the visitors. The two parties had in-depth discussions on cooperation in sustainable development services such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs).

With the deepening impact of global climate change, more and more countries around the world are paying attention to low-carbon and sustainable issues, accelerating the development of low-carbon transformation and environment-friendly products.

An EPD is an environmental information communication document that discloses the environmental impact of a product’s entire life cycle according to international standard ISO 14025. It can help purchasers and consumers better understand the sustainability and environmental impact of a product. More and more international buyers are considering EPD registration as a condition for supplier bidding or as an additional point for bidding. Many countries also require export enterprises to register their products on the EPD platform to disclose their environmental impact. Currently, TÜV Rheinland has independent auditors authorized by EPD International.

In the meeting, Sebastiaan Stiller said: “The International EPD System is the first EPD system in the world and is the pioneer and leader for EPD and Product Category Rules. At present, more than 1,500 companies from over 50 countries have registered and published more than 6,200 publicly available EPDs in the International EPD System. The demands of Chinese companies for EPDs continue to grow, directly or indirectly influenced by the policies of the EU's Construction Products Regulation, Carbon Border Regulation Mechanism, and clean energy power equipment procurement rules of relevant member states. We look forward to further exchanges and cooperation with TÜV Rheinland and other Chinese stakeholders.”

Fang Weimin said: “EPD services provide important support in facing international green trade barriers, enhancing our voice in the international low-carbon and green products field, and providing systematic and scientific life cycle data for various industries. As one of the first foreign third-party organizations to launch EPD work in Greater China, TÜV Rheinland has supported many domestic customers in registering on the International EPD System and EPD Italy, covering product categories such as PV modules, electronic appliances, and industrial energy storage systems. Last year, we also joined EPD China, and will leverage our rich experience and technical advantages in the low-carbon and energy field to assist in the construction of the EPD China system and promote the development of local EPD business.”

As a global leading technical service provider, TÜV Rheinland is authorized and recognized by the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS), the European Emissions Trading System (ETS), the German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt), and the Taiwan Accreditation Foundation (TAF) as a greenhouse gas audit and verification organization. TÜV Rheinland has over 15 years of project experience in the low-carbon and energy field and is committed to providing comprehensive technical support for enterprises. Its services encompass ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems, Energy Audits, Carbon Verifications, Carbon Footprints, LCAs, and EPDs, supporting the green and low-carbon transformation of enterprises and helping them achieve sustainable development.