EPD-Global has published updated guidance on economic allocation for co-products used in cement and concrete. The document sets out new calculation rules, a transparency requirement, and implementation deadlines for the Scandinavian – and broader – construction industry.
From 1 January 2026, all EPDs must apply economic allocation for co-products without a cut-off threshold. Previously, co-products contributing less than 1% of a supplier’s total revenue could be excluded from allocation. That exemption no longer applies. The change means that low-value by-products such as fly ash, blast furnace slag and silica fume must now be assigned a share of the environmental impact from the production process they originate from – regardless of their economic value.
The requirement affects not only published EPDs, but also upstream data in EPD tools, background databases, and supplier EPDs.
From 30 September 2026, a new transparency requirement also kicks in: the emission intensity of relevant co-products (kg CO₂-eq. per kg co-product) must be reported in the EPD as additional information, for both GWP-total and GWP-IOBC.
Key deadlines for the Scandinavian market are 31 August 2026 for cement and lime EPDs and 30 September 2026 for concrete and concrete element EPDs. EPDs published in 2026 that do not comply by those dates must be withdrawn.
EPD-Global is currently in a dialogue phase with industry stakeholders and is available for individual
clarification meetings through August.
Join our webinar – 19 August 2026
Want to understand what these changes mean for your EPDs in practice? We are hosting a webinar on 19 August 2026, 09:00–09:45 where our specialists will walk through the new requirements and answer your questions.
Presenters:
- Camilla E. Ruud — LCA Specialist, cement & concrete
- Ole Iversen — Chief Environmental Data Officer
Have questions in the meantime? Contact us
Read the full guidance document here
Source: “Economic allocation for co-products used in cement and concrete”, v4.0, 16 June 2026. Author: Christofer Skaar, EPD-Global.