This study aims to examine the barriers small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face in publishing environmental product declarations (EPDs) and evaluate the role of One Click life-cycle assessment (LCA) in mitigating them. It pursues three objectives: identifying non-financial, organisational and technical barriers; analysing cost structures and institutional constraints shaping adoption; and assessing stakeholder perceptions of One Click LCA as a pathway for improving SME EPD disclosures.
This study adopts a qualitative design involving semi-structured interviews with 22 EPD professionals globally. The sample was segmented into direct users of One Click LCA (n = 12) and non-users or market observers (n = 10). Data were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis, using the technology acceptance model and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology to interpret findings.
Findings reveal that while cost remains significant, it is not the singular impediment. It is intertwined with socio-technical challenges including limited internal expertise, fragmented standards and data-collection difficulties. While One Click LCA streamlines workflows and reduces consultancy fees, it creates an expertise paradox by shifting burdens internally. This necessitates substantial investments in staff time and data governance, redistributing rather than eliminating the cost barrier.
This research offers a practice-based analysis of how digital tools reshape SME cost structures. It introduces the “cost transfer effect”, demonstrating that platforms shift burdens from external fees to internal organisational capacity. In reframing the cost barrier as a socio-technical redistribution of responsibility, this study provides a nuanced explanation of digital adoption in life-cycle disclosure.
