CIC energiGUNE, the Basque research center of reference in electrochemical energy storage, thermal energy storage and conversion and hydrogen technologies, has collaborated with "The International EPD System" in the development of the new PCR (Product Category Rules) for electronic and electrical equipment promoted by this certifying entity, considered one of the most important in the world.
Through this PCR, the basic criteria are established to be considered by manufacturers of electronic and electrical equipment in order to carry out, with respect to them, their Life Cycle Analysis: an increasingly strategic study for market agents that allows them not only to understand the environmental behavior of their products but also represents a guarantee to ensure compliance with the new regulations that are being approved in regions such as Europe.
"The approval of this PCR will allow progress in the development of EPDs for energy storage systems, which will foreseeably be key in meeting objectives such as those set out in the European ‘battery passport’ and, therefore, will define the guidelines for the EU industry in the short term," said Andrea Casas, sustainability specialist at CIC energiGUNE and Member of the European Battery Association (BEPA). "For several years now, at CIC energiGUNE, we have promoted and defended the importance of using Life Cycle Assessment as a strategic value for the sustainability of the industry; and precisely for this reason, at the center we are proud to have been part of the consulting team for this new PCR. ".
The importance of PCRs is given by their link to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). In this sense, a PCR is a basic document that is part of the EPD "cookbook" and contains the foundations to create, from the perspective of Life Cycle Assessment, a high-quality EPD for the corresponding product category (in this case, electronic and electrical equipment such as batteries).
With this, the different manufacturers will have a clear guide that will allow them to opt for the certification promoted by ´The International EPD System´ itself, which accredits both the commitment of these companies with the measurement of the environmental impact of their products and services and with the transparency in reporting these impacts.
