What is specific data, selected generic data and proxy data?

As of version 4.0 of the GPI, specific data is defined as: 

• data gathered from the actual manufacturing plant where product-specific processes are carried out; 
• actual data from other parts of the life cycle traced to the product under study, for example site-specific data on the production of materials or generation of electricity provided by contracted suppliers, and transportation data on distances, means of transportation, load factor, fuel consumption, etc., of contracted transportation providers; and 
• LCI data from databases on transportation and energy ware that is combined with actual transportation and energy parameters as listed above. 

This definition is also included in PCR 2019:14 Construction products as of version 1.2. Note that this is a clarification – but not a change – of the definitions in version 3.01 of the GPI or version 1.1 of PCR 2019:14. 

This definition means that specific activity data that is combined with generic LCI data from databases, that is not data on transportation or energyware, cannot be considered specific, regardless of the level of representativeness of the generic data. 

The GPI defines other data as generic data, divided into: 

• selected generic data: data (e.g. commercial databases and free databases) that fulfil prescribed data quality characteristics for precision, completeness, and representativeness (see Section A.4.1 in the GPI), 
• proxy data: data (e.g. commercial databases and free databases) that do not fulfil all of the data quality requirements of “selected generic data”. 

PCR 2019:14, however, classifies all data that is not specific as proxy data. 

Further, version 4.0 of the GPI says that the environmental impacts associated with proxy data shall not exceed 10% of the overall environmental impact of the product system. This rule only applies for proxy data as defined in the GPI. In other words, EPDs of construction products shall use the definition of proxy data in the GPI when applying this rule, and not the definition of proxy data in PCR 2019:14. 

As of version 5.0.0 of the GPI, the terminology of data has changed to primary data and secondary data, where secondary data is further split into representative secondary data and proxy data. See Section A.5.1 in GPI 5.0.0 for more information. This will be implemented in PCRs as they are updated to GPI 5.0.0, including version 2.0.0 of PCR 2019:14 expected to be published late 2024 or early 2025.