Sustainable roofing, beyond the label

The roof is one of the largest surfaces of a building and one of the elements that most shape its energy use, its comfort and its environmental impact. Yet despite its size and influence, the roof is still one of the most overlooked parts of a building. At the same time, clients, certification schemes and regulators increasingly ask for evidence behind the word sustainable, not just adjectives. New rules are tightening on vague green claims, and a badge on a brochure no longer settles the question. This article gives a simple way to tell a proven sustainable roof from a marketed one, and shows the three proofs that really back it up.

Many roofing products are described as sustainable, recyclable or eco-friendly. But a claim on its own says very little. It doesn't explain how a product performs or how much it actually contributes to a more sustainable building.

Take the claim recyclable as an example. A product may be recyclable, but that raises important questions:

• Can it be recycled everywhere?
• When does that happen?
• And after how many years of use?

Without that context, it is difficult to compare one product with another. The same applies to claims such as green or environmentally friendly. Unless they are backed by measurable, independently verified data, they remain claims rather than proof.

That matters for two reasons. First, it makes it difficult to compare products and make informed decisions. Second, building certification systems such as LEED and BREEAM are based on verified evidence. Claims alone don't earn credits; independently verified data does. So the real question isn't whether a roofing product is sustainable. It's how you prove it.

There are several ways to demonstrate the sustainability of a roofing product. Three types of evidence are particularly important.

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is an independently verified report that measures a product's environmental impact throughout its life cycle, from raw materials and manufacturing to end of life. Because every EPD follows the same European standard, products can be compared on an equal basis, whether you're evaluating an EPDM or TPO roofing system.

Not all EPDs are the same. A product-specific EPD, developed for a single product, provides the strongest evidence. It replaces broad sustainability claims with measurable, independently verified data.

Building certification systems such as LEED and BREEAM use verified evidence to assess a building's sustainability performance. Every credit must be supported by documentation, whether that's an EPD, energy calculations or other technical data. Because the roof influences multiple sustainability categories, it can make a meaningful contribution to the overall certification score.

Service life is another important indicator of sustainability. A long service life reduces the need for roof replacements, limiting waste over the building's lifetime. EPDM has an expected service life of 70 years*. Because it can often be repaired instead of replaced, it supports a more circular approach to building maintenance while reducing environmental impact over time.

Many roofing products are described as sustainable. But how do you know whether that claim is backed by real evidence? Before comparing products, ask yourself these three simple questions:

• Is there a product-specific EPD? An EPD gives independent, verified data on a product's environmental impact. A product-specific one, made for that exact product, is stronger than an average for a whole group, and it is something you can hand straight to a client or a certifier.
• How does it contribute to the building's sustainability goals or certification? A sustainable product should clearly support the project's environmental objectives, whether that's energy performance, rainwater management or certification targets such as LEED and BREEAM.
• Is its long-term performance backed by independent evidence? Durability and service life should be supported by recognised testing or verified data, not assumptions.

If a product can answer all three questions with clear, verifiable evidence, you're looking at a sustainability claim backed by proof rather than marketing.

A sustainable roof is about more than the roofing system itself. As part of Holcim, one of the world's leading building solutions companies, Elevate combines roofing expertise with a broader focus on sustainable construction.

That means roofing solutions are backed by independently verified data and the technical information needed to support sustainable building and certification goals, from EPDs to project-specific documentation.

Proving a roof is sustainable is only one part of the story. The next step is making the most of roofing materials throughout their lifetime. Want to discover how reducing, reusing and recycling roofing materials can help reduce waste and extend roof life? Read our article.

¹ Based on an independent study conducted by SKZ – Testing GmbH (2024).