C-MORE Labeling Materials & Products

• About C-MORE
• Grant Program
• Technical Assistance
• Improving Data Quality
• Setting Thresholds
• Labeling Materials & Products

EPA is implementing a new label program to support construction product manufacturers in lowering operating costs, achieving efficiencies and accessing new markets while helping federal purchasers and other buyers find cleaner, more climate-friendly construction materials and driving increased demand for these products.

Label Program Approach

On Aug. 7, 2024, EPA issued its Implementation Approach for the U.S. EPA Label Program for Identifying Low Embodied Carbon Construction Materials (pdf). The label program will define what constitutes “clean” construction materials to support the federal Buy Clean Initiative, which leverages the U.S. government’s power as the world’s largest purchaser to catalyze demand for clean construction materials used in federal buildings, highways, and infrastructure projects. Materials and products that earn the label will be listed in a central, publicly accessible registry, making it easier to identify - and therefore purchase - these materials.

The label program will prioritize steel, glass, asphalt, and concrete, as there are significant opportunities to reduce carbon emissions from these materials and they represent the vast majority of construction materials and products purchased with federal funds.

EPA will implement the program using a phased approach that all material categories will be able to follow at a cadence that aligns with the material’s market maturity and data availability. These phases are:

Phase I: Improving Data Quality. Standardizing and improving the quality of data underlying and provided by EPDs.

Phase II: Threshold Setting. Establishing standardized methodologies and definitions for low embodied carbon, based on robust EPDs and other credible, relevant data.

Phase III: Labeling Materials and Products. Labeling materials and products that meet EPA’s criteria.

The label program will offer a tiered rating system for construction materials and products. Thresholds will be informed by a public input process before being finalized and will be periodically reviewed and updated to encourage continuous improvement and help users meet sustainability objectives. The top threshold tier will be designed to help recognize and reward innovative efforts to achieve deep reductions in embodied carbon associated with construction materials and products.

To earn the label, manufacturers will submit an EPD for their materials to demonstrate that they meet the eligibility criteria. The label program will determine which recognition level a construction material is eligible for based on information provided in EPDs. EPA’s label program will use a conformity assessment and verification approach for EPDs aligned with the existing EPD verification system, and consistent with standards and best practices within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 17000 series, and those required by EPA’s Framework for Assessing Environmental Performance for Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing.

EPA published the Draft Label Program Approach in the Federal Register and accepted stakeholder input on this proposed approach through a 30-day public comment period. This draft program approach was also informed by public input received in response to a 2023 Request for Information, and input from other federal agencies, including the Federal Highway Administration in the Department of Transportation and General Services Administration.

Draft Product Eligibility Criteria Template

The Draft Product Eligibility Criteria Template for the U.S. EPA Label Program for Low Embodied Carbon Construction Materials (pdf) (338 KB) describes label program requirements for all products, regardless of material category.

Potential Inclusion of Additional Materials

EPA will consider the inclusion of other materials in the label program as time and resources allow and if materials sectors take the actions necessary to move through the phases of the label program, including:

• developing and/or updating the relevant product category rule to meet EPA Product Category Rule Criteria and
• generating a sufficient number of EPDs to ensure there is representative data upon which to create thresholds.

Learn more about how additional materials may be included in the program in the Label Approach for Identifying Low Embodied Carbon Construction Materials (pdf).

Tips for Companies Seeking to Participate in EPA's Label Program

1. Develop EPDs for the materials and products that your company manufactures. Environmental product declarations will be used to evaluate materials and products for inclusion in the label program. EPA and its grantees are providing no-cost technical assistance to help manufacturers develop EPDs. Learn more about technical assistance tools and resources for developing EPDs.
2. Reduce the embodied carbon in the materials and products your company manufactures. Through producing an EPD, manufacturers will be able to identify opportunities to reduce embodied carbon. Manufacturers who don’t yet have an EPD developed can identify embodied carbon reduction options by reviewing the life cycle assessment used in the product category rule for their material or product.

Some common ways to reduce the embodied carbon of construction materials and products, while maintaining performance standards, include:

• Manage energy and invest in energy-efficient upgrades: EPA’s ENERGY STAR Industrial Program offers manufacturers technical support to help them reduce the embodied carbon of their materials and products.
  • Join ENERGY STAR’s Industrial Assistance Network to receive training, tools, and individual coaching. Email [email protected] to learn more.
  • Reduce your energy intensity and participate in the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry to receive EPA recognition.
  • Use the ENERGY STAR Energy Performance Indicators (for available sectors) to understand the energy efficiency of your plants. Plants that earn 75 out of 100 or higher are eligible for ENERGY STAR plant certification.
  • Use ENERGY STAR resources to find ways to reduce energy and carbon by conducting an Energy Treasure Hunt.
• Power your facilities, when possible, with electricity from renewable sources. Consult EPA’s Green Power Partnership to learn how to reduce emissions associated with conventional electricity use while supporting the domestic development of clean energy resources.
• Improve the efficiency of your freight transportation: Participate in EPA’s SmartWay program to better benchmark, report and reduce Scope 1 and Scope 3 freight emissions.
• Shift to lower-impact input materials or material mixes, including shifting towards circular manufacturing processes such as incorporating what would have been waste materials into new products.
• Invest in lower carbon fuels.

Visit EPA’s tools, resources and funding webpage for more help on certification under EPA's label program. 

Contact us for more information or to be added to the email list.