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Welcome to the Institute for Environmental Research and Education (IERE)

Science-Based Solutions for a Sustainable Future

IERE is a non-profit organization dedicated to conducting and sharing fact-based environmental research. Our mission is to support responsible decision-making in policy, programs, and business by providing rigorous, life cycle-based assessments and education.

🌍 What We Do

Earthsure® Ecolabel Program

Earthsure® is IERE’s flagship ecolabel initiative — the first Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) program in North America.
We support manufacturers, policymakers, and consumers with transparent, comparable environmental data through:

  • Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
    EPDs are standardized reports that provide clear, verified information about a product’s environmental performance.

  • Product Category Rules (PCRs)
    PCRs define how EPDs are created and ensure consistent, comparable methods across product types.

  • EPD Development Process
    From initial scoping to third-party verification, our step-by-step process ensures EPDs meet strict ISO standards.

  • Program Management
    Earthsure operates with full ISO 14025 compliance, ensuring quality, impartiality, and transparency at every level.

🔁 Life Cycle Programs

At IERE, we apply Life Cycle Thinking to drive real-world impact. Our Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based services help businesses, governments, and communities:

  • Enhance brand and sustainability communication

  • Improve procurement and product design

  • Identify cost-saving and environmental impact reduction opportunities

  • Comply with regulations and ecolabeling standards

We offer:

  • Scoping & streamlined/full ISO-compliant LCA studies

  • Third-party verification and critical review

  • Communication and stakeholder engagement support

🏙️ Life Cycle Communities

Our award-winning Life Cycle Communities Program empowers cities, counties, states, ports, and tribes to use life cycle thinking in:

  • Policy-making

  • Public procurement

  • Economic development

The City of Tacoma led the way as the first Life Cycle Community — others are following.

🎓 Education & Training

We’re committed to building LCA capacity through hands-on education:

  • Courses:
    Learn the fundamentals with our LCA 101 course — ideal for beginners and professionals alike.

  • Webinars & Workshops:
    Offered regularly through ACLCA, our sessions cover LCA methods, sustainability, and business integration.

  • Conferences:
    Through our partner ACLCA, we host North America’s only dedicated LCA conference, along with sector-specific events.

🧠 Research & Policy

Our research supports thought leadership at the intersection of environment, policy, and business. Topics include:

  • Environmental labeling & product transparency

  • Energy and resource efficiency

  • Policy frameworks for sustainability

🤝 Our Partners: ACLCA

The American Center for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA), a division of IERE, is a professional organization promoting life cycle thinking in government, business, and NGOs. With members from major corporations like Coca-Cola, Chevron, and DuPont, ACLCA leads:

  • Education & outreach

  • Professional networking

  • Advocacy for underrepresented groups in the LCA field

📬 Stay Connected

Interested in becoming part of our community or starting your EPD or LCA journey?

Contact us:
📧 staff@iere.org
🌐 IERE.org

“Our decisions have implications — large and small, direct and indirect. At IERE, we help you make them wisely.”

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