Earthsure

Earthsure, operated by the Institute for Environmental Research and Education (IERE), is an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) program available to manufacturers and producers across a wide range of industries in the United States and Canada. EPDs are Type III ecolabels — meaning they disclose a product's environmental impacts rather than certify it as "green." Think of them like a nutrition label for the environment: they give buyers transparent, standardized data on impacts such as climate change, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, and fossil resource use, based on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the product.

The program covers any sector of the economy and can accommodate full or partial lifecycle assessments. Each EPD must be developed in accordance with Product Category Rules (PCRs) — standardized methodological guidelines that ensure consistency and comparability across similar products. If a PCR already exists for your product type, the process involves conducting an LCA, drafting the EPD, having it externally reviewed, and publishing it. If no PCR exists, Earthsure guides applicants through the additional steps of forming a PCR committee, conducting expert review, and publishing the rules before proceeding to the EPD itself.

Earthsure is well suited for businesses in construction, manufacturing, consumer goods, technology, agriculture, or hospitality that want to provide credible environmental transparency to their customers. It is particularly relevant for companies supplying products for buildings, where EPDs are increasingly required or preferred by green building rating systems and procurement policies.