Europe has already begun laying the groundwork to accelerate the transition towards a more circular construction sector. EU policies are moving towards a progressive reduction in waste generation, increased landfill rates, and more efficient use of resources. A clear example is the Construction Products Regulation (CPR), which entered into force on 7 January 2026.

The Regulation will be implemented progressively depending on the type of product. One of the most significant changes is that environmental information will become a regulated element of the European single market, rather than a voluntary and differentiating feature, as it has been until now. While this information has traditionally been provided through certifications such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), under the new Regulation it must be integrated into the documentation of future Declarations of Performance and CE Conformity.

Regarding digitalisation, the exact functioning and implementation of Digital Product Passports—currently under regulatory development—remain to be defined.

In any case, the Regulation will not be fully applicable until the harmonised standard—or, where applicable, the European Technical Assessment—covering each product or construction system is aligned with the new CPR. For this reason, transition periods are foreseen, likely lasting one year.

What will the Declaration of Performance and CE Conformity include?

It will include, at a minimum, a product’s performance in terms of sustainability throughout its life cycle. These requirements will be introduced progressively in accordance with the timeline set out in Annex II of the Regulation:

• – From 9 January 2032: points n–s will be incorporated, completing the framework established by the Regulation.
• – From 8 January 2026: essential characteristics corresponding to points a–d of Annex II will be required.
• – From 9 January 2030: those listed in points e–m will be added.

At the same time, harmonised technical specifications and European assessment documents will define the environmental indicators to be reported. These will be linked to life-cycle impacts:

1. Climate change (total)
2. Climate change – fossil fuels
3. Climate change – biogenic
4. Climate change – land use and land-use change
5. Ozone depletion
6. Acidification potential
7. Freshwater eutrophication
8. Marine eutrophication
9. Terrestrial eutrophication
10. Photochemical ozone formation
11. Abiotic resource depletion (minerals and metals)
12. Abiotic resource depletion (fossil fuels)
13. Water use
14. Particulate matter
15. Ionising radiation (human health effects)
16. Ecotoxicity (freshwater)
17. Human toxicity (carcinogenic effects)
18. Human toxicity (non-carcinogenic effects)
19. Land use impacts

Harmonised technical specifications must also include, where possible, environmental characteristics related to the capacity of materials to temporarily store carbon or to other carbon capture and removal mechanisms.

How to address sustainability challenges

Digital tools for environmental quantification, such as èdit, help meet these regulatory requirements. èdit enables the digitalisation of inventories and provides environmental information on buildings, supports life-cycle indicator calculations, and facilitates the development of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). It allows companies to comply more efficiently with environmental information requirements and better prepare for future ones.

New opportunities for the construction sector

The new regulatory context opens up opportunities in circularity that are already becoming a reality. Examples include:

• Industrialised and modular construction, based on off-site manufacturing of ready-to-install modules
• The use of more sustainable materials, such as industrial by-products or recycled waste as secondary raw materials
• Digitalisation, enabling real-time planning and monitoring of construction and demolition waste and by-products, improving coordination across the value chain, and turning buildings into material banks
• The development of new business models, such as take-back systems where waste managers and manufacturers collaborate to recover and valorise components and materials

At inèdit, we support companies and organisations in the construction sector throughout this transformation process, offering services in circular economy and sustainability strategy, diagnostics and action plans, ecodesign, regulatory analysis, business model development, and implementation of circular solutions.

Interested in learning more? Take a look at our success stories.