SPD-100: Sustainable Product Declaration Framework & General Principles is the foundational document of the Sustainable Product Declaration system developed by United Metric Association. It establishes the philosophy, principles, terminology, governance logic, system architecture, and communication boundaries of SPD as a structured framework for product-level sustainability transparency. The document positions SPD as a practical, evidence-based and lifecycle-informed system for documenting, assessing, reviewing, registering and communicating sustainability-related product information across construction, infrastructure, industrial and manufacturing value chains.

The SPD framework responds to the growing market demand for credible product sustainability information. Manufacturers are increasingly expected to provide more than technical specifications and quality certificates; procurement teams, consultants, project owners, developers, contractors, ESG teams and supply chain partners now require transparent evidence on material composition, resource use, environmental aspects, selected ESG indicators, supply chain responsibility, production practices and product-level documentation. SPD helps organizations organize this information in a structured, traceable and reviewable format, supporting market readiness, vendor-list submissions, procurement evaluation, responsible sourcing and sustainability communication.

SPD-100 makes clear that SPD is not a generic green label, marketing claim, product ranking system, automatic sustainability certification, carbon neutrality certificate, full corporate ESG rating or replacement for Environmental Product Declarations, regulatory approvals or technical performance certifications. Instead, SPD is a sustainability transparency and assessment framework. Its purpose is to show what has been assessed, what evidence has been reviewed, which lifecycle boundary applies, what assumptions and limitations exist, and how the declaration can be traced through reports, certificates, registry pages and QR-based digital access.

A central principle of SPD is that product sustainability communication must remain specific, evidence-based, scope-limited and transparent. The system is designed to prevent vague or unsupported claims such as “green product,” “fully sustainable,” “eco-friendly,” “zero impact,” “carbon neutral,” or “accepted by all green building systems” unless such claims are separately justified, assessed and approved under relevant rules. This anti-greenwashing approach is supported through controlled wording, disclosure requirements, verification logic, registry traceability and clear non-claim statements.

SPD-100 also defines the relationship between the core SPD documents. SPD-100 acts as the umbrella framework, while SPD-200 defines assessment methodology and indicator structure; SPD-300 defines verification and review protocols; SPD-400 defines reporting and disclosure rules; SPD-500 covers ESG indicator guidance; SPD-600 establishes registry and certification rules; SPD-700 covers client onboarding and data collection; SPD-800 defines digital registry and traceability; and the SPD-PCG series provides product category-specific guidance.

The framework applies lifecycle thinking without automatically requiring a full cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment. For many products, a practical cradle-to-gate boundary may be used, while downstream aspects such as installation, use, maintenance, service life, reuse, recycling and end-of-life may be included where relevant and supported by evidence. SPD also applies a hotspot-oriented logic, helping manufacturers identify the most relevant sustainability risks, data gaps, resource impacts and improvement opportunities.

Through its governance structure, United Metric Association acts as the system owner, maintaining the integrity, consistency and controlled development of SPD. Manufacturers remain responsible for the accuracy and completeness of submitted data, while assessors, reviewers and technical committees support evidence review, technical consistency, impartiality and system credibility.

Overall, SPD-100 establishes SPD as a credible and internationally oriented framework for improving product sustainability transparency. Its value lies in helping manufacturers move from broad sustainability statements toward structured documentation, reviewed evidence, traceable disclosure, responsible communication and continuous improvement.