# Data Sources

## Data sources

### Product Database

The table below indicates all the sources of data which the 2050 Materials team collects in order to offer the most complete sustainability database

<table><thead><tr><th width="399">Data sources for Product database</th><th width="116">Frequency of Update</th><th>Number of products / assemblies</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.buildingtransparency.org/">EC3 Database</a></td><td>Bi-weekly</td><td>>160'000</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.eco-platform.org/home.html">Eco Platform</a></td><td>Bi-weekly</td><td>>25'400</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.environdec.com/home">EPD International</a></td><td>Bi-weekly</td><td>≈ 5'000</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://bregroup.com/services/standards/environmental/en-15804-environmental-product-declaration-epd">BRE EPDs</a></td><td>On demand</td><td>≈ 360</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.epdhub.com/">EPD Hub</a></td><td>Weekly</td><td>≈ 4'500</td></tr><tr><td>EPDs from Manufacturer Websites</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>≈ 800</td></tr><tr><td>Self-declared LCAs by Manufacturers</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>PEPs (Product Environmental Profile) *</td><td>Weekly</td><td>≈ </td></tr><tr><td>TM65 (Embodied carbon assessments for MEP products)</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>AFRDI</td><td>Monthly</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>Application Guides (as provided by manufacturers)</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>≈ 200</td></tr><tr><td>BIFMA</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>≈ 100</td></tr><tr><td>Product Brochures (as provided by manufacturers)</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>≈ 200</td></tr><tr><td>C2C Certified</td><td>Monthly</td><td>88</td></tr><tr><td>Case Studies</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>Cradle to Cradle Certified Material Health</td><td>Monthly</td><td>74</td></tr><tr><td>Product Data-sheets</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td> &#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>Declare Label</td><td>Monthly</td><td>≈ 3'000</td></tr><tr><td>EU Ecolabel</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td> &#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>FSC</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td> &#x3C; 1'000</td></tr><tr><td>Green Guard</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td> &#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>HPD</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>≈ 100</td></tr><tr><td>Indoor Advantage</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>Indoor Air Comfort</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>Indoor Air Comfort GOLD</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>ISO 14001</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>LEVEL</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>NaturePlus</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>PEFC</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>REACH Declaration</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>Specification Documents (as provided by manufacturers)</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr><tr><td>WELL V2 Declaration</td><td>Ad-hoc</td><td>&#x3C; 50</td></tr></tbody></table>

<details>

<summary>* A note on PEPs</summary>

**What is a PEP**\
A PEP (Product Environmental Profile) is a type of Type III Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) specifically tailored for electrical, electronic, and HVAC-R products. As an ISO 14025 compliant document, it provides verified, transparent data on a product's environmental impact—such as carbon footprint—across its entire life cycle.

**Differences between EPDs and PEPs**\
The 2050 Materials data ingestion engine processes both standard Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Product Environmental Profiles (PEPs). Users should be aware of a fundamental difference in how environmental impacts are reported between these formats:

* Construction EPDs: Typically utilise standardised physical units (e.g., kg, m2, m3), allowing for high-confidence normalisation and bulk material comparisons.
* Electrical/Mechanical PEPs: Often utilise performance-based functional units (e.g. "kW per EN14825 over 10 years").

**Technical Impact on Data Processing**\
Due to the highly specific nature of electrical equipment, PEP functional units are frequently custom and non-standardised relative to general construction data. While this specificity ensures engineering accuracy, it limits *comparability*.

To ensure data continuity (in the odd cases where performance-based units cannot be converted to standard physical quantities) our system employs a "per piece" (unit) fallback.&#x20;

For example, when a PEP uses a highly specific custom unit, the functional unit is indicated as the individual product component (per piece of the MEP system). When "piece" is indicated for a product with environmental impact data derived from a PEP, users should verify the specific output to ensure the total impact is scaled with the correct functional unit.

</details>

### Generic Material Data

<table><thead><tr><th width="339">Source Name</th><th width="157" data-type="number">Number of Items</th><th width="164">Region / Country</th><th>Year</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2050 Materials Database (Statistical calculations updated yearly, see <a href="../methodology-documentation">methodology docs</a>)</td><td>1000</td><td>European &#x26; Global</td><td>2023</td></tr><tr><td>2050 Materials Quantity Surveyor Dataset - 2024</td><td>470</td><td>UK Focused</td><td>2024</td></tr><tr><td>2050 Materials Structural Systems (Embodied Carbon per m2 GIA)</td><td>104</td><td>European &#x26; Global</td><td>2024</td></tr><tr><td>2050 Materials Landscape Architecture Averages</td><td>9</td><td>UK</td><td>2024</td></tr><tr><td>2050 Materials Services Equipment (Global Averages)</td><td>172</td><td>Global</td><td>2025</td></tr><tr><td>2050 Materials Services Equipment (Machinery use)</td><td>67</td><td>Europe</td><td>2026</td></tr><tr><td>2050 Materials Research (Structural Materials)</td><td>49</td><td>Europe</td><td>2024</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://circularecology.com/news/ice-database-v3-launched">ICE Database V3.0 - Bath University UK</a></td><td>508</td><td>UK</td><td>2019</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://circularecology.com/embodied-carbon-footprint-database.html">ICE Database V4.0 - Circular Ecology</a></td><td>544</td><td>UK</td><td>2024</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://circularecology.com/embodied-carbon-footprint-database.html">ICE Database V4.1 - Circular Ecology</a></td><td>543</td><td>UK</td><td>2025</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://nationalhighways.co.uk/suppliers/design-standards-and-specifications/carbon-emissions-calculation-tool/">UK National Highways 2025</a></td><td>364</td><td>UK</td><td>2025</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.boverket.se/en/start/laws-and-regulations/climate-declaration/climate-database/">Boverkets V02.07.000</a></td><td>230</td><td>Sweden</td><td>2026</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.healthyworkstations.com/resources/Environment/FIRA.CarbonFootprint.pdf">FIRA Furniture Emissions Database</a></td><td>34</td><td>UK</td><td>2021</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.istructe.org/">IStructE Embodied Carbon Database</a></td><td>41</td><td>UK</td><td>2023</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.igbc.ie/generic-data/">IGBC Embodied Carbon Database</a></td><td>285</td><td>Ireland</td><td>2022</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.oekobaudat.de/en.html">OKOBAUDAT - Germany</a> (Provided by BMWSB/BBSR.)</td><td>1900</td><td>Germany</td><td>2024</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.kbob.admin.ch/kbob/de/home.html">KBOB Materials &#x26; Technology - Switzerland National Database (German/English/French)</a> - V6.2</td><td>361</td><td>Switzerland</td><td>2023</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.branz.co.nz/environment-zero-carbon-research/framework/branz-co2nstruct/">CO₂NSTRUCT - Branz NZ</a></td><td>2907</td><td>New Zealand</td><td>2023</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://carbonleadershipforum.org/clf-material-baselines-2023/">2023 &#x26; 2025 CLF North American Material Baselines</a> (Licensed under CC BY 4.0.)</td><td>430</td><td>USA &#x26; Canada</td><td>2025</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://timberdevelopment.uk/resources/2026-embodied-carbon-data-for-timber-products/">Timber Development UK</a></td><td>11</td><td>UK</td><td>2026</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.essexdesignguide.co.uk/climate-change/essex-embodied-carbon-policy-study/">Essex Embodied Carbon Policy Study</a></td><td>26</td><td>UK</td><td>2024</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://futurehomes.org.uk/wlc-tool">Future Homes Hub UK</a> - Assemblies &#x26; Materials</td><td>55</td><td>UK</td><td>2024</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/planning/implementing-london-plan/london-plan-guidance/whole-life-cycle-carbon-assessments-guidance">GLA LPG - Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Assessments 2022</a> (MEP Values)</td><td>3</td><td>UK</td><td>2022</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://environment.govt.nz/publications/measuring-emissions-a-guide-for-organisations-2022-summary-of-emission-factors/">New Zealand Environment Ministry - GHG Factors (2022)</a> (Licensed under CC BY 4.0.)</td><td>831</td><td>New Zealand</td><td>2022</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://environment.govt.nz/publications/measuring-emissions-a-guide-for-organisations-2024-detailed-guide/">New Zealand Environment Ministry -  GHG Factors (2024)</a> (Licensed under CC BY 4.0.)</td><td>874</td><td>New Zealand</td><td>2024</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://environment.govt.nz/publications/measuring-emissions-guide-2025/">New Zealand Environment Ministry - GHG Factors (2025)</a> (Licensed under CC BY 4.0.)</td><td>876</td><td>New Zealand</td><td>2025</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greenhouse-gas-reporting-conversion-factors-2025">UK Government GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting</a> (2022 /2024 / 2025)</td><td>5498</td><td>UK</td><td>2024 &#x26; 2025</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.cibse.org/tm65">CIBSE TM65 Materials / Refrigerants - Embodied Carbon (2023)</a></td><td>39</td><td>UK</td><td>2023</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/national-greenhouse-accounts-factors-2023">Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors (July 2023)</a> (DCCEEW 2024,<br>Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the<br>Environment and Water, Canberra, August. , Licensed under CC BY 4.0.)</td><td>183</td><td>Australia</td><td>2023</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://carbonleadershipforum.org/office-buildings-lca/">CLF - LCA of MEP and TI in Buildings</a> (Licensed under CC BY 4.0.)</td><td>24</td><td>USA</td><td>2019</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/ghg-emission-factors-hub">EPA GHG Emission Factors Hub</a> </td><td>390</td><td>USA</td><td>2025</td></tr></tbody></table>