ASTM International, ICC Evaluation Service, NSF International and Sustainable Minds launched the first Program Operator Consortium in the environmental product declarations market at the recent Greenbuild 2015.

The consortium will serve as an expert resource and advocate for creating product category rules (PCRs), reviewing life cycle assessment (LCA) reports and verifying and publishing environmental product declarations (EPDs). Consortium members will pool resources; leverage existing relationships; conduct outreach, marketing, education and communications; and promote the overall use of PCRs, LCAs and EPDs in the marketplace.

Manufacturers, design professionals and others will begin to see co-branded, verified EPDs from consortium members that are designed to provide value to decision-makers when specifying materials and products while helping manufacturers gain greater visibility for their product transparency work.

“This consortium can create uniformity that will significantly reduce market confusion,” says Terry Swack, founder and CEO of Sustainable Minds.

Because each of the four consortium organizations have a global reach, they can collectively meet needs and answer questions of all stakeholders quickly and efficiently, serving as a clearinghouse for best practices, according to ASTM executive vice president Kathie Morgan.

The four program operators conform with ISO 14025-Environmental Labels and Declarations-Type III Environmental Declarations – Principles and Procedures.