Skills by role

Environmental data now lands on many desks, not just the sustainability team’s. This lesson goes role by role: which skill fits your work, what you might type, and the two or three things you should always check before you use the answer. Every example request is in plain words, because that is all a skill needs.

Purchasing

You receive EPDs and carbon figures from suppliers and have to decide what they are worth.

Skill	Example request	Always check
epd-reader	“Here’s the EPD from our new insulation supplier. Is it valid, and what’s the carbon per m²?”	Validity on the programme operator’s register; the declared unit matches what you buy
supplier-epd-compare	“Compare these three block EPDs. Which is lowest carbon for a 100 mm internal wall?”	The comparability verdict; that the products do the same job; don’t publish the result
cbam-data-request	“We import steel fasteners from Turkey. Draft the CBAM request to the supplier.”	CN codes with your broker; the Commission template is attached; scope with your adviser

The buyer's habit

If the skill says two EPDs are not comparable, that is a result, not a failure. Send the supplier the list of what would make them comparable.

Finance and planning

You build business cases and cost models. The carbon version uses the same BOM.

Skill	Example request	Always check
bom-carbon-screening	“Here’s the costed BOM for the new product and the factors from our database. Give me carbon per unit next to cost per unit.”	The boundary at the top; three lines by hand; which lines are missing and how big they might be
cbam-data-request	“Which of our imports might be caught by CBAM, and how many tonnes are we talking about?”	The threshold and dates on the Commission’s pages; scope with your adviser

Product and engineering

You change designs and choose materials, and need to know which change moves the footprint.

Skill	Example request	Always check
bom-carbon-screening	“Here are the BOMs for design A and design B. Where’s the hotspot in each, and what’s missing?”	Both runs used the same unit, boundary and factor sources; proxies on hotspots
epd-reader	“What does this EPD say about the recycled content and end of life?”	The modules declared; the page references

Sales and tenders

Customers and tenders ask for EPDs, GWP figures and CPR information. Wrong answers here leave the building with your company’s name on them.

Skill	Example request	Always check
epd-reader	“The tender asks for GWP A1-A3 per tonne and the EPD registration number. Pull them from our EPD.”	Registration and validity; the exact indicator and unit the tender asks for
cpr-readiness	“A customer asked if we’re ready for the new CPR. What do we have and what’s missing?”	That nothing in the answer promises a date; have your regulatory team approve it

Don't turn a comparison into a claim

Saying your product is lower carbon than a named competitor’s is a comparative assertion. ISO 14044 sets extra requirements for those, including critical review. The skills support internal decisions, not marketing claims.

Sustainability

You collect, check and report the data, and you are often the one others ask.

Skill	Example request	Always check
bom-carbon-screening	“First-pass footprint for our top ten products from these BOMs and our ecoinvent version, so we know where to start.”	Coverage per product; the database version recorded; that results are labelled screening
cpr-readiness	“Map our EPDs against the CPR’s environmental characteristics and give me a gap list for next year’s budget.”	Which harmonised specification applies to each product family; the sources checked date
lca-report-review	“Our consultant sent the background report. Review it before it goes to the verifier.”	Every Major finding against your copy of the standard

Reviewers

You check other people’s work: LCA reports, EPDs, supplier data.

Skill	Example request	Always check
lca-report-review	“Review this background report against ISO 14044 and EN 15804+A2, PCR attached.”	That the findings are fair at the cited pages; what it could not check
epd-reader	“Summarise this EPD with flags before I start the detailed review.”	The flags against the document

Build your own for your role

The six skills are a starting point. The jobs that are specific to your team (your questionnaire, your tender template, your review checklist) are the best candidates for a skill of your own. Lesson 4 shows how, with ideas per team.

Exercise

A colleague in sales wants to answer a tender question: “State the GWP-total (A1-A3) of the product per tonne, with the EPD registration number.” Your EPD gives results per m² and states the mass per m². Which skill would you use, and what two things would you check before sending the answer?

Answer: epd-reader, asking it to convert per m² to per tonne using the mass per m² printed in the EPD, calculated in the tool. Check the conversion factor on the cited page, and check on the programme operator’s register that the EPD is valid and the registration number is right.

What you should now be able to do

• Pick the right learnLCA skill for a task in your role.
• Phrase a request in plain words that gives the skill what it needs.
• Name the two or three checks that matter most for your role before using an answer.
• Recognise when a request would turn internal analysis into an external claim.

Sources

• ISO 14044:2006, Environmental management: life cycle assessment, requirements and guidelines (comparative assertions disclosed to the public). https://www.iso.org/standard/38498.html
• The skill files themselves, in the skills cabinet.

Checked: 2026-09-29