The International EPD System is developing a first international standard for Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), the so-called Product Category Rules (PCR), for the boating industry. It will cover all recreational boats, from small craft to large yachts, as well as certain types of commercial vessels.

LCA is a method used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product through its life cycle encompassing extraction and processing of the raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, use, recycling, and final disposal. It can be used to provide information to designers, manufacturers, and customers on the environmental impact, as well as analyse where impact can be reduced cost-efficiently.

The next version of the PCR will be published in the coming months, which EBI has been involved in to ensure its practicality and potential use by the industry. For the next revision and with the aim to further improve the standard, EBI plans be even more involved. In line with this, EBI has now been accepted as member of the PCR Committee developing the standard.