I’m currently working on an LCA using LCA Envelope Design → LCA for LEED, Int’l (CML) and I’ve noticed something I’d like to clarify.
I can successfully find a specific material (with a verified EPD) in the Material Compass, however I’m not able to locate or select the same material when I go to Input data → Building materials within the LCA for LEED (CML) workflow.
Could you please clarify:
Why a material may be visible in Material Compass but not available for selection in the LEED (CML) LCA module? The EPD is the EPD-2022-0009 (Manufacturer Alumil - Smartia M9660).
Whether this is related to database compatibility, methodology (CML), regional settings, or EPD validation status?
What would be the recommended approach in this case (e.g. creating a custom material from the EPD, requesting dataset inclusion, or using an alternative dataset)?
I just want to make sure I’m following the correct and most compliant workflow for LEED submissions.
That is a great question and a very common one, given the ongoing shift in data standards across Europe. Here is the explanation regarding your specific EPD and the LEED workflow:
Until July 2022, CML was the mandatory standard. Since then, manufacturers have been required to report according to EN15804+A2. While some manufacturers continued to publish CML results alongside the new standard, many did not. Unfortunately, certification schemes like LEED and BREEAM were slower to adapt to the new +A2 data. LEED only published a +A2 compliance path for Europe in late November 2025.
Why the EPD is visible in Materials Compass but not the LEED tool
Material Compass: This displays all available data regardless of the standard (CML, EN15804+A2, TRACI, generics, etc.) so you can verify if a product exists in our database.
LEED (CML) Tool: Calculation tools are stricter; they filter out data that does not match the required methodology. The ‘current’ LEED International tool requires CML results.
The specific EPD you selected (Alumil - Smartia M9660) contains only EN15804+A2 results. Therefore, it is mathematically incompatible with the current CML-based LEED tool.
Recommended Approach
Since there is no scientific way to convert EN15804+A2 data to CML (or vice versa), you have two options:
Use an alternative dataset: Select a generic dataset or a similar product that contains CML data.
Contact the Manufacturer: If you are required to use this specific EPD, you could ask the manufacturer if they have a CML dataset version available. If they do, we would be happy to include it for you.
We are launching a new tool compliant with LEED v5 in Europe this quarter, which will support EN15804+A2 data.