This recorded webinar explores how EPDs can be used as a practical tool for manufacturers and specifiers to understand water usage across a product’s life cycle, and disclose the impacts of that use within the catchments from which water is sourced.
With competition for water resources increasing globally due to population growth, climate change, and rising industrial and agricultural demands, verified data on a product’s embodied water use and impact is becoming increasingly important.
We heard from experts Paul-Antoine Bontinck, Senior LCA Consultant at Lifecycles; Laura Guccione, Senior Technical Advisor – Sustainability at BlueScope; and Steve Mitchell, Director at EPD Australia.
Paul-Antoine explained how the resource indicator Fresh Water use (FW) and the impact indicator Water Depletion Potential (WDP) are calculated in the latest EPDs. He outlined how the water depletion indicator method is availability, demand and remaining water over a certain area where production takes place, with water scarcity factors normalised between 0.1 (minimum) and 100 (maximum).
Laura outlined the evolution of water indicators and results in BlueScope’s EPDs from the first publication in 2015 through to the latest versions in 2026. She highlighted the low use of fresh water in steel production at their Port Kembla facility and the use of Water Stewardship Plans at their two Australian production facilities. Laura also explained how water indicators and EPDs are used in projects targeting Green Star ratings.
The session concluded with a live Q&A, with a dozen questions addressed from an engaged audience.
Thank you to everyone who joined us live. If you missed the session, a recording of the webinar is now available to watch at your convenience. You can also download the presentation slides.
Paul-Antoine is a senior environmental engineer at Lifecycles, specialising in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and complex, large-scale modelling. With 15 years’ experience across research, consulting and industry, he is a trusted technical expert known for his rigorous and detail-oriented approach. In 2021, he published updated water scarcity factors for Australia in the International Journal of LCA, which are now widely used by practitioners to assess the impacts of water consumption on local freshwater resources. More recently, he has focused on the development of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), alongside delivering LCA projects across a range of industries.
Laura specialises in the development and governance of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for its Australian steel products. She has extensive experience in LCA and product sustainability disclosure and works to ensure BlueScope’s EPDs are technically robust and standards aligned. BlueScope is one of the longest standing publishers of EPDs in Australia, with over 10 years of experience in EPD development and disclosure. Laura is also a member of the GBCA Responsible Products Expert Reference Panel and previously served as a Board Director of the Australian Life Cycle Assessment Society (ALCAS)
Steve is a sustainability professional with over three decades of experience working with community organisations, state government and industry. He is a specialist in sustainable constructions products, waste recovery, and LCA-based environmental declarations for building and construction products. Steve has been a Director of EPD Australasia since 2015.