An LCA analysis (Life Cycle Assessment) can be compiled into an EPD, a concise document that summarizes the environmental profile of a component, a finished product or a service. Ever-increasing focus and demands around the environment and climate led to the program operator EPD-Norge delivering a record year last year in the number of verified and published EPDs, the number of EPD owners and the number of EPD tools.
What is EPD-Norway?
A program operator is an independent third party that has established a system for the verification, registration and publication of EPDs. A program operator is also responsible for maintaining the register for EPD and PCR (Product Category Rules).
Næringslivet’s Foundation for Environmental Declarations, or EPD-Norge, which is used on a daily basis, is a foundation established by Næringslivet’s Main Organization (NHO). EPD-Norge is the EPD program operator and follows ISO 14025 and other necessary standards.
EPD-Norge is a founder and active member of ECO Platform. This is an umbrella organization for EPD program operators whose main purpose is to develop and harmonize EPD in the international arena. The organization has concentrated on the building and construction industry, including manufacturers of building and construction goods.
EPD-Norge’s vision is that EPD should be the preferred method for open and credible documentation of products and services’ environmental performance in a life-cycle perspective and throughout the entire value chain.
EPD-Norge’s purpose is to operate and further develop the EPD programme, market and facilitate more published EPDs, both for existing and new sectors quickly and cost-effectively.
EPD-Norway has a long and solid history
We asked the general manager of EPD-Norge, Håkon Hauan, if he could tell us about the establishment of EPD-Norge: The foundation was established as early as 2002. The main reason is that at that time there was a growing demand for environmental documentation from construction and construction. There quickly arose a desire to standardize environmental documentation, as it is/was very time-consuming and expensive to create environmental documentation in each individual case.
Håkon Hauan, General Manager EPD-Norway.
The initiative for the establishment came from members of NHO, primarily within construction. After several rounds of information retrieval and investigations, NHO created EPD-Norge, based on international standards and the EPD system, says Håkon.
Development has accelerated in the last five years
From 2015 to 2018/19, there was slight growth in the number of EPDs. After this, the number of EPDs and EPD owners really took off. Growth will continue in the coming years. This is due to a few main reasons:
• Statsbygg and other public purchasers began to require EPD
• BREEAM Nor certification of buildings requires EPDs
• Reduced climate impact increasingly central to sustainability strategies Climate and environment as a competitive advantage in addition to the classic factors around price, functionality and design.
The figure shows the development in the number of EPDs and the number of EPD Owners since 2013.
At the start of 2024, 3,259 EPDs had been published through EPD-Norge. This was distributed among 370 EPD owners (source: EPD-Norway).
Modern digital EPD tools play a central role
Modern, cloud-based technology is also an important tool in the preparation of EPDs. It is a demanding process to work with manual processes for data collection and analysis. The more complex the products are, the greater the effect digital tools will have.
Three out of four EPDs are developed using EPD tools. There is an increasingly high proportion of EPD tools.
Fairly large differences in degree of maturity
Håkon Hauan tells us that there is a wide spread in the field when it comes to the degree of maturity of environmental documentation. EPD-Norway experiences large differences from industry to industry and from country to country. In Norway, building and construction, as well as furniture, are very mature industries. Industries within electrical/technical solutions and plumbing, come full circle. Transport, energy carriers, chemistry, textiles and seafood are industries that are also developing rapidly.
Focus on cooperation on international standards
The EPD system is dependent on international standards and there is rapid development here, both in ISO and EN standards.
Most companies that have prepared EPDs sell their products in several markets, therefore an international focus is important. International cooperation is important to be able to use the same environmental documentation/EPD across borders and continents so that an EPD verified and published by EPD-Norway is valid in other countries. Harmonization is a key concept.
EPD-Norway is central to several cooperation agreements for the development of EPD. For other EPD program operators, there are bilateral and multilateral standardized agreements. EPD-Norge collaborates with other EPD program operators that follow ISO 14025 and in this connection has carried out a mutual recognition process with IBU (Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V), The International EPD System (Sweden), EPD Denmark, EPD-Italy and PEP ecopassport where EPDs can be registered with a double logo with each other.
If we keep agreements with all EPD owners and third-party verifiers outside, EPD-Norge has agreements with around 20 national and international businesses from California to South Korea. There is a growing demand from international actors for cooperation.
Public regulations/requirements are coming increasingly
EPD-Norway notices clear tendencies for public authorities to tighten the requirements for climate footprints. On 1 January 2024, stricter requirements to emphasize climate and environmental considerations in public procurement came into force. The main rule is now that climate and environmental considerations must be weighted with a minimum of 30 per cent, with some exceptions if further conditions are met.
Status of the EPD work
In 2013, there were an average of 3 EPDs per company. In 2023, the ratio had grown to just under 9. At the start of 2024, 370 EPD owners had published 3,259 EPDs. This means that volume increases both with new businesses and that existing businesses have more EPDs.
EPD-Norway also reports that the number of EPD tools is increasing. User-friendly tools lower the barrier (both costs, time and expertise) to developing EPDs. This applies in particular to SMEs that have less administrative and professional resources in environmental documentation, but also to large companies. EPD-Norway works proactively to get more EPD tools on the market. The organization has a separate program where EPD-Norway part-finances the development of EPD tools for the individual company.
Internationally, EPD-Norway follows two main strategies:
1. ECO Platform is a non-profit organization for EPD Program Operators and other stakeholders. Here, it is harmonization and influence work via Brussels/EU that is important. Håkon Hauan is chairman of ECO Platform.
2. EPD-Norway has several bilateral agreements with other program operators, as well as separate agreements with companies that develop EPD in other countries. Now there is great interest for companies outside the EU, as the EU will introduce required environmental documentation (EPD) for everyone who will sell their products in the EU.
Norway is far ahead in the use of EPD. We have a large scope and are a mature market, especially in construction. There is a big gap between the countries in the EU, a bit of a north-south situation.
Automation and digitization will be important in the coming years
We asked Håkon what he expects from development in the coming years. He highlights the ability to handle large growth and a high volume of EPDs in a safe and efficient manner as a key success factor. EPD-Norway must meet this by investing even more in automation and digitalisation, as well as ensuring that costs remain low or, if possible, are lowered further.
When asked what changes are expected compared to the last two years, Håkon comments as follows. “We are moving from a more predictable and static situation to a more unpredictable and dynamic situation. For example, there are constantly new innovative production methods, products and solutions and everyone wants “credit” for it in the EPD. That is good, but often that development is faster than the standards can keep up. Here we have to find good solutions that are within EPD’s rules and standards.”
“We are moving from a more predictable and static situation to a more unpredictable and dynamic situation” – Håkon Hauan, EPD-Norway .
Continued growth in interest from national and international companies is expected. International/global companies increasingly see a need for environmental documentation and they want to handle this in a uniform and standardized way throughout the organization – across national borders. This applies to environmental competition, requirements for ESG reporting, taxonomy and more.
Håkon also expects several changes in standards and regulations in the coming two years. ISO 14025 is under revision. EN15802 A-2 will probably be further revised. It is also worth mentioning that standards are being developed for the circular economy, standards for handling CCS and standards for standards for biomass handling, to highlight three key areas.
It is in the cards that the EU will introduce directives for environmental documentation and this will be required by law. In addition, there is national legislation that is being implemented continuously in a number of countries.
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We thank Håkon for a good briefing on the central EPD work. It will be exciting to follow the development!