The document establishes a harmonised framework for developing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and lifecycle assessments (LCAs) specific to commercial refrigeration technologies. It is intended to support manufacturers, consultants, and environmental specialists in applying consistent and transparent environmental reporting practices ahead of future formal standards.

Commercial refrigeration equipment, including refrigerated display cabinets, beverage coolers, ice cream freezers and related systems, underpins food retail, food service, and cold-chain operations across Europe and global markets. With sustainability and product transparency gaining regulatory momentum, Eurovent’s Recommendation offers a practical set of methodological rules and assumptions to guide comparable assessments of environmental performance.

Eurovent Deputy Secretary General Stijn Renneboog noted the importance of alignment across the sector, stating: “Manufacturers and users of commercial refrigeration equipment need a harmonised approach to lifecycle assessment and environmental declarations. This guidance defines consistent methodological rules for calculating and reporting lifecycle impacts for commercial refrigeration products, as part of Eurovent’s wider programme to harmonise environmental declarations across HVAC product categories.”

By reducing ambiguity in LCA practices and promoting comparability of environmental data, the Recommendation aims to strengthen industry preparedness for potential future regulatory or standardisation requirements.