Hunton has worked with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) across all product groups for many years. With the introduction of the EPD generator from LCA.no, the company has moved beyond delivering documentation to actively using environmental data in assessments of material choices, suppliers and production. For Hunton, climate work is not only about meeting market requirements, but about making better decisions—both environmentally and commercially.
A long-established manufacturer with clear environmental ambitions
Hunton is based in Gjøvik and has been engaged in industrial production since the late 19th century. Today, the company manufactures wind barrier products and wood fibre insulation, primarily for the Nordic market. Hunton’s newest wood fibre insulation plant was opened in 2019, and it was here that the company first began using the EPD generator.
– We have EPDs for all our product groups, but when we moved to the generator, we started working much more systematically with both content and data quality, says Thomas Løkken, who has worked at Hunton for more than 25 years and is responsible for product documentation.
He emphasises that the transition required new routines as well as increased internal competence.
The EPD generator gave the analyses new value
For Hunton, the analysis functions in the EPD generator quickly became an important complement to the documentation itself. By modelling different scenarios, the company can assess how changes in input factors affect both the climate footprint and the final product.
– With the analysis modules, we can select different input materials, compare suppliers, and see how they perform in relation to our finished products. That provides very tangible value, says Løkken.
He explains that this has helped connect climate work more closely to the company’s overall environmental strategy.
– It brings the environmental strategy back into product development. You can actually measure the impact of investments and changes at product level.
Data quality and suppliers – a necessary improvement process
One of the biggest challenges before implementing the generator was access to accurate and sufficient data, particularly from suppliers and subcontractors.
– There was a lot of manual work involved. We had to collect data on everything from chemicals and plastics to packaging and pallets, Løkken explains.
This effort has also led to changes in how Hunton sets requirements in supplier agreements.
– When we renegotiate contracts or enter into new ones, climate data is now a clear and defined requirement. It has improved our processes, even though we are not fully there yet, he says.
Greater awareness across the organisation
The use of the EPD generator has not only affected documentation, but also internal understanding of what actually drives the climate footprint.
– The analysis work has made us more aware of how much certain input factors influence the final product. Two or three factors have a far greater impact than we might have expected, says Løkken.
He considers this one of the most important benefits.
– We would not have gained that level of awareness without the tool.
A market with increasing demands—and more complex documentation
Hunton sees that climate documentation in the construction industry has become both more important and more challenging to use.
– Do you have an EPD or not? That has become the threshold question. At the same time, EPDs have grown very complex and difficult to compare, says Løkken.
He believes the intention behind the documentation is sound, but that usability has become a challenge.
– Sometimes you wonder whether anyone actually reads them. There is a lot of paperwork involved.
Nevertheless, documentation remains essential in order to be a relevant supplier in the market.
The road ahead: broader use, wider implementation
So far, Hunton has used the EPD generator at its wood fibre insulation plant, but the company is now planning to expand its use to the older facility in Gjøvik.
– We will start by mapping the data foundation, and then activate the option we have with LCA.no to implement the generator there as well, says Løkken.
The goal is to use environmental data even more actively—across tenders, order processes and continued product development.
– It is only when the data is used broadly that it truly creates value, he concludes.