Nordicguidetosustainablematerials

WP3:Surveyresults–KnowledgeanddemandofEPD

Author:IGBC

Referencegroup:NGBC,SGBC,GBCFandIGBC

November2015

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Contents

Summary.................................................................................................................................................2

1.Introduction....................................................................................................................................3

1.2.Adjustmentoftheinitialobjectives.............................................................................................3

2.Implementationoftwowebsurveys..............................................................................................4

2.1.Surveyanalysis-buildingowners.................................................................................................4

2.2.Surveyanalysis-producers..........................................................................................................9

3.NordicBuildingMarketandEPD...................................................................................................15

3.1.Whathavewelearnedfromthesurveys?.................................................................................15

3.2.WhatcanwedotoincreasetheknowledeanduseofEPDintheNordicBuildingmarket?.....15

3.3.Marketdrivenapproach............................................................................................................15

3.4.TheroleofGBC´s.......................................................................................................................16

4.ListofthemostcommonlyuseddatabasesintheNordicmarket:..............................................17

4.1.AppendixI..................................................................................................................................18

SurveyforBuildingowners,consultantsandcontractors............................................................18

4.1.1.Questionnaire–Buildingowners/users.............................................................................19

4.2.AppendixII.................................................................................................................................21

SurveyforProducersandprovidersofbuildingmaterial.............................................................21

4.2.1.Questionnaire–forProducersandprovidersofbuildingmaterial.....................................22

4.3.AppendixIII................................................................................................................................24

4.3.1.ListofgivenanswerstoQ7inthesurveyforBuildingowners...........................................24

4.3.2.ListofgivenanswerstoQ5inthesurveyforproducersandproviders.............................25

Authorofreport:SigríðurBjörkJónsdóttir,ManagingDirectorofIGBCOthersthathavemadeinputintheworkofWP3onbehalfoftheIGBC:BjörnMarteinsson,architectandengineer,UniversityofIcelandandIcelandicInnovationCenterHelgaJóhannaBjarnadóttir,engineeratEFLAcounsulting.

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Summary

ThemainpurposeofWorkPackageIIIistoincreaseawarenessofEnviromentalProductDeclarations(EPDs)intheNordicbuildingmarketandmaptheknowledgeandtheuseofEPDsinthemarket.DuringtheprojectdevelopmentphasetheparticipantscametotheconclusionthatbeforedatacouldbegatheredonEPD´sitisnecessarytoincreasetheknowledgeonEPDs,thusenhancingthemarketforEPDcertifiedbuildingproducts.OneofthemaindriverfortheimplementationofEPDsistheuseofenvironmentalcertificationsystemsforbuildings,butotherfactorssuchaswillingnesstogainmarketadvantageforaqualityproductareimportantaswell.

UntilnowEPDshavemainlybeenusedbetweenbusinesses(B2B),wherebuyersandproducersofbuildingmaterialshavebeenabletogetinformationontheenvironmentalimpactofaproduct.ThedemandforhighqualitybuildingmaterialswithlowenvironmentalimpactsisnowgrowingrapidlyandthetargetgroupforEPDcertifiedproductshasbecomemuchlargerthanjustfewyearsago.

ThisreportshowsthemainresultsoftwosurveyswhichwereconductedinIceland,Norway,SwedenandFinlandduringthesummerof2015(June22-September10,2015).Whenthetwosurveysareanalyzeditisimportanttobearinmindthatanswerratesandparticipationisdifferentforeachcountry.Thetwosurveyswereaimedatdifferenttargetgroups;1)Buildingowners,consultantsandcontractorsand2)Producersandprovidersofbuildingproducts.Inthesurveyforbuildingowners(1),thereseemstobearisinginterestingettingmoredetailedinformationonenvironmentalpropertiesofmaterialsandinbeingabletocomparedifferentbuildingmaterials.Howeverforthisgroup,duetolackofknowledgeand/orexperienceinworkingwithEPDsinthesector,itissomewhateasiertouselabelledproductsthantoanalyzingtheinformationinanEPDforagivenproduct.Costisstillconsideredhighsincethisisnotyetcommonpractice.ItisalsoconsideredproblematicthatthedifferentEPDsarecurrentlynotharmonizedinallstageswhichcanmakethecomparisonbetweenproductsmoredifficult.Inthesurveyforproducersandproviders(2),themajorityofanswerscamefromSwedenandNorway.Hence,thesecondsurveydoesnotreflectthebuildingmarketintheNordiccountriesverywell.Theresultsshowthatthereisagrowingdemandforenvironmentaldataofbuildingproductsinthesecountries,andproducersareexpectedtopresentinformationinanaccessiblewaythatmakesiteasierforconsumerstomakeinformeddecisionsinselectingbuildingmaterials.ItisalsorequiredthatinformationprovidedinEPDstobeopenandaccessiblesincethegrowthofregisteredEPDsinthemarketwillonlyincreasetheiraccuracyandvalue.ThisdevelopmentgoesinhandwiththeincreaseduseofinternationalcertificationsystemsintheNordicbuildingmarketbutalsoreflectsdevelopmentsinEUandinternationallawsandregulations.OneofthemainobstaclesmentionedinthesurveysfortheuseofEPDsisthelackofmarketdemand.ThechallengetodayistoexpandthemarketforEPDcertifiedproducts,andmaketheinformationbothtransparentandunderstandableforbothdecisionmakersandthosethathaveinfluenceontheprocurementofbuildingproducts.

Informationcanbeapowerfultool,ifthepurposeistomakepermanentchanges!

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1. Introduction DuringtheprocessofthisprojectithasbeenfoundoutthatthereisalackofEPDandotherenvironmentaldeclarationsandthatthereexistsaquitelargespanofexistingenvironmentalinformationofbuildingproductsineachcountry.Thereforeitwouldhavebeenverytimeconsumingandalmostimpossibletocarryouttheoriginalplanofthisworkpackage(WP3)withoutalreadyexistingEPDsorotherproductdeclarationstobuildon1.Intheoriginalprojectplan,itwasdecidedthateachcountryshouldrathercollectEPDdatafromtheirbuildingindustry.ButduringtheprojectprocesswehavecometotheconclusionthatinordertogatherdataonEPDintheNordicCountries,wefirstneedtoincreasetheknowledgeofEPD,thusenhancingthemarketforEPDlabeledbuildingproducts.

1.2. Adjustment of the init ial objectives

Theobjectivesinthebeginning,asstatedabove,weretomakeadatabaseofenvironmentaldatafromNordicproducers.NowtherearealreadyongoingdatabasesandactivitiesonEPDintheNordicmarketanditwasthoughtthattherewerenouseforaseparateGBC-databaseaslongastheotherdatabaseswereopen.Thereforeinsteadofmakingourowndatabase,itwasconsideredmoreappropriatethatthisprojectwouldinsteadpointoutandrecommendtheuseoftheseexistingdatabasesonourwebsites,inthebrochureetc.ForthisreasonthisWPhasundergonesomechanges,inordertobetterachievethemainobjectivesoftheprojectandtohavepermanentinfluenceiftheNordicmarketforsustainablebuildingmaterial.

InthisWPtherehasbeenaconsensusamongprojectparticipantstofocusonthefollowingthreeactivitiestoraisetheamountofEPDs:

§ MakeawebsurveyamongbothproducersandusersofEPDsineachcountrytoidentifyobstacles.

§ Presentinformation(brochures,andreport)tobothproducersandusersofEPDsineachcountrytoremoveobstacles,increasegeneralknowledgebythatincreasetheuseofEPDandenvironmentallabellingintheNordicbuildingmarket.

§ Tolearnfromeachotherandhelpproducerswhoneedmoreinformation2

MainpurposeofWorkpackageIIIistherforetoincreasetheawarenessofEnviromentalProductDeclaration(EPD)intheNordicbuildingmarketandmapknowledgeandstatusoftheuseofEPDinthemarket.ThestatusofpublishedEPDforbuildingmaterialsvariesmuchineachofthenordiccountries.InNorwayitisratherwellknownbutnotnearlyasmuchintheothercontries.Thisisthecurrentpositionthatweneedtoaddressinordertosucced.1InNorwaytheredoexistaratherlargenumberofregisteredEPDforproducts,butthesitutationisnotthesameintheothercontries,especiallyinIcelandandFinland.

2EPD-NorwayisforinstancewillingtoinviteproducersfromFinlandandIcelandandexplainhowproducersofsametypeofmaterialscancooperateandmakeEPD–calculationtoolstoproduceEPDsinacheaperway.Thiscouldbeakindofextendedproductofthisprojectbasedontheestablishednetworkandknow-howofsomeoftheparticipants.

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UntilnowEPDhasmainlybeenusedforbusinesspurpose(B2B),wherebuyersandproducersofbuildingmaterialhavebeenabletogetinformationontheenvironmentalproductdata.Thedemandforahighqualitybuildingmaterial,withlowenvrionmentalimpactisnowgrowingrapidlyandthereforethetargetgroupforEPDlabeledbuildingproductshasbecomemuchlargerthanjustfewyearsago.ThisreportshowsthemainresultsoftwosurveyswhichweremadeinIceland,Norway,SwedenandFinlandinthesumerof2015(from22thofjune-10.September2015).Themethodwasnotstrictlyscientific,butdoesgiveapictureofthebuildingmarketinthesecountries.Whenbothofthesurveysareanalyzeditisthoughimportanttobearinmindthattheanswereratesortheparticipationineachcountryaredifferent.3

2. Implementation of two web surveys ThissurveywasdesignedbyIGBC(IcelandicGreenBuildingCouncil)incollaborationwithotherparticipantsintheproject.Eachparticipant(GBC´s)sentthesurveyouttotheirmailinglist,anditwasalsopublishedonwebsites,facebookandothermediasforthepurposeofreachingnotonlythosethatarealreadycommittedtoenvironmentalvaluesintheirprojectsasmostofthemembersofallGBC´s.Itisthereforedifficulttoassumethetotalsamplegroupandthegeneralresponserateofthesurveys.Infactthesurveysweretwo,andaimedatdifferenttargetinggroups.

I)Producers,andprovidersofbuildingproducts

II)Buildingowners,consultantsandcontractors

Bothsurveysweresentoutatthesametimeineachcountry.Itisdifficulttocalculatetheresponserates,sincetheyweresentoutbothtomailinglistbutalsotoopenmediasourceslikefacebook.Totalofresponseswereasfollows:

I)Buildingowners,consultantsandcontractors-245answersII)Producers,andprovidersofbuildingproducts-194answers

Surveyanalyziswillbothbepresentedgraphicallyforeachquestionwithfurtherexplanationanddetailedtextanalysiswhereappropriate.

2.1. Survey analysis- bui lding owners Inthispartofthereportitispossibletolookatgraphicpresentationoftheanswerstothe12questionsasked.Theemphasishereistopresentthesurveyandtheresultsastheyappear,withthe

3Theanswerstothesurveyshavebeenbrokendownandeachcountryhasgottheirownresultstoworkwith,whichgivesamuchbetterinsightintotheirmarkedarea.Inthisreportthegenaralpictureispresented.

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aimtoprocessthedatamorethoroughlyinnextchapter,yetsomeconclusionswillbepresentedinrelationtoeachquestion.QUESTION1

Theanswersinthissurveywhichisspeciallyaimedatbuildingowners,consultantsandcontractorsaremoreevenlydividedbetweenthecountriesthanintheotherone,apartfromthefactthattheanswersfromFinlandareratherfew,oronly7%.Thisisimportanttobearinmindwhentheresultsareanalyzed.

QUESTION2

Around70%ofthoseansweringarerepresentingtheprivatesector,andonly30%thepublicsector.ThesituationintheNordicCountriesarethoughquitedifferentwhereinIcelandmostprojectsandprocurementsofsustainablematerialismadebythepublicsectorwhereasinNorwaytheprivatesectorortherealestatesectorhadbeenthedrivingforce.

QUESTION3

Almost47%ofanswerscomefromconsultants–architectsorengineers,whichdoesinawayreflectthecombinationofmembersinatleasttheIGBC.Contractorsareonly13%andpropertymanagement14%.Inthecolumnof,,other”whichisabout19%,areforexampleofficialsworkinginthepublicsector,education,research,projectmanagement,cityplanning,software,citydevelopment,materialproducer,manufacturingandsomeworkingforNGO´s

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QUESTION4

Itisclearthatthereisaneedformoreinformationonenvironmentalimpactofbuildingproductsinthemarket.Thiscaninfactpartlyexplaintheshortageofdemand,sincetomakedemandyouhavetohavearathergoodknowledgeonwhatyouareinfactaskingforandithastoberathereasytomakeacomparisonofproducts.Hopefullythisprojectcanhavepositiveinfluenceonthissituation.

QUESTION5

Hereitisratherobviousthatformaldeclarationisneededwhereonly24%willmakedowithgeneralinformationorsomethingelsethanEPD,LCAandformalcertificationliketheSwan.

Ittheoptionother,somementionedthattheyneededallofthis,otherlikedtobeinformedofthesituationoftraditionalmaterialversusnewstandards,andsomementionedharmfulsubstances.

QUESTION6

Informationcomingfromproducersarevaluableandnecessary.Itisintheirinterestandtheirresponsibilitytogivetheinformationaboutenvironmentalimpactoftheirproduct.Itisalsointheirinteresttoincreasethetransparencyoftheproductionoftheirproduct.Thisisthoughnotamatterofcourseinallpartsoftheworld.Informationfromproducersarevaluableandwantedaswellasverifiedinformationfromdatabases.

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QUESTION7

Thisquestionisnotpresentedgraphically.Thequestionwas:Ifdatabasesareusedtogetinformationofaproduct/material,specifywhichdatabase?Inalltherewere75differentresponses.(SeelistofanswersinappendixIII).Herearethefivemostcommonlymentioned.Thetopfivedatabasesorsourcesthatweremostoftenmentionedwere:

ü EPDNorge(http://www.epd-norge.no/)ü ProductXChange(http://productxchange.co.uk/)ü SundaHus(https://www.sundahus.se/)ü Byggvarubedömningen(https://www.byggvarubedomningen.se/)ü Ecoinvent(http://www.ecoinvent.org/database/database.html)

Othersourceswereonlymentionedtwotimesorjustonce.ThemostcommonlyuseddatabasesarefromNorway,SwedenandU.K.whichgivessomeideaofthestatusoftheNordicbuildingmarket.InIcelandandFinlandthereisalackofknowledgeofEPD,andthereforenotahighdemandofit.Thisishoweversomethingthatwillwithoutdoubtincreaseforthenextyearsduetotheincreaseinnumberofcertifiedbuildingsforexample.InmanycasesitispossibletousedatabasesintheotherNordiccountries.InFinlandthereissomeworkunderwayinestablishinganEPDdatabase,butinIcelandthereisnosuchworkgoingonatpresent.

QUESTION8

Thewastemajorityor66%isfamiliarwithEPD,butalmost33%arenot.Thisisapositivething.However,tobefamiliarwithsomethingisnotenough.TherehastoberathergoodknowledgeonthecontentaswellastheabilitytobeabletocomparetheinformationgivenindifferentEPD´s.Moreworkhastobedoneonanationalbasistoanalyzetherealknowledgeonenvironmentallabeling,tobeabletoevaluateherethereisagapinthatknowledge,especiallywherethemainobjectiveistoincreasegeneraldemandandhelppeopletotakeinformeddecisionsonprocurementofbuildingproducts.

QUESTION9

Answerchoices:

§ Generalsearchontheweb(11,3%)§ Throughprojectsatwork(37%)

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§ Inmystudies(16%)§ Inrelationtotheuseofcertificationsystemforbuildings(29%)§ Other(7%)

Twelveansweredwithotheroptions,mentionedwereforexample;thissurvey,fromseminar,fromtheindustry,fromcompanystrategyorspecificprojects.

Thispictureshowsthattheuseofcertificationschemeshashadconsiderableinfluenceinthebuildingmarketandthoseworkingwithinit.

QUESTION10

ThisgraphshowsthatEPDarein62%chosenratherthanmaterialthatdoesnothaveone.Theuseofenvironmentalcertificationsystemsforbuildings,doesprobablyhavemucheffectonthis,wherethereisgenerallyademandonthis,orLCA.

QUESTION11

Answerchoices:

§ Reduceofenvironmentalimpact(37%)§ Qualified/standardizedinformation(22,5%)§ Neededincertificationscheme(12%)§ Directorindirectregulation(5%)§ Tofacilitatetheuseofevaluation/comparisonof

buildingproducts(19,5%)§ Brand/image(2%)§ Other(2%)

Itisinterestingtoseethatthemainincentivesaregeneral–ortoreduceenvironmentalimpact.Whichisofcoursethegeneralincentivefortheuseofcertificationsystemsforbuildings.WhichisontheotherhandoneofthemaindrivertowardsenvironmentallabelingorcertificationofbuildingmaterialapartfromlawsandEUregulations.About22%seethemainincentivetobetheneedtoobtainstandardizedinformationofbuildingmaterial.Thisisalsoveryimportantinformationwhichmakesbuyersorbuildingownersabletocomparethequalityanddifferentqualitiesofconstruction

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material.EnvironmentalProductDeclarationsarealsogoodtofacilitatetheuseandthecomparisonofbuildingproducts(19%).Only2%valueitsothatbrand,imageorsomethingelseisthemainincentive,whichisgood,whereasabout5%seeitassomethingthathastobecarriedouttofollowandfulfillstandards–lawsandregulation.

QUESTION12

ProblemswithevaluationandcomparisonofproductsseemstobethemainobstaclesinusingEPD,withnomarketdemandcomingsecond.Thedifficultiesmustthoughberelatedwiththefactthatthenumbersofregisteredarenotveryhigh(apartfromNorway).Otherproblemcanbethatthereisnotasufficientknowledgeontheknow-how,andthatthevariablesinEPDarenotsynchronizedwhichmustmakethegeneralcomparisonmoredifficult.Highcostisalsosomethingthatclearlymatters.Moreinformationandtheattempttoharmonizethevariablesandhowinformationisrepresentedcanpossiblymakethisprocesseasierandlesscostly.Twentysix(or16%)ofthosethatansweredmentionedotherobstacles,suchas:notenoughknowledge,lackoffocus,EPDnotwidelyknownorused,theydonotspecifywhetheraproductisgoodorbad,quantitativedatasometimesvaluedbyunqualifiedpeople,needofmoreinformation,toofewproductswithEPD,Bettertorelayonlabeling,difficulttovaluethegiveninformation,notcompliancewithREACH,notpartofthecurrentbusinessmodelandtimeconsuming.

2.2. Survey analysis- producers Heretheresultsofthesurveyarepresentedgraphically,ortheanswersofall11questionsaskedinthissurveyforProducersandprovidersofbuildingmaterial.Answersareinall193,whichisfewerthanfromtheothersurveyofbuildingowners.AsseeninthegraphicforQ1,themajorityoftheanswersarecomingfromSwedenandNorway,butveryfewfromothercountries.Swedenhasalmost67%andNorway25%.Therest,Iceland,FinlandandDenmarkarelessthan6%.InawaythisreflectsthesituationinIcelandwherethereareveryfewproducersofbuildingmaterial,butsuchisnotthecaseintheothertwocountries.Thisdifferenceis

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almosttoobigtobeabletoreadsomethingvaluablefromthissurvey,butatleastitwillrepresentthesituationinthesetwocountriesregardingtoEPDandbuildingproducts.QUESTION1ThissurveywassentoutinIceland,Finland,NorwayandSweden,buttherearealsosomeanswersfromDenmark(asmuchasfromIceland)andonefromBelgium.Insomecasesworkdoesnotrespectboundariesandinmanycasescompaniesaresellingproductacrossborders.QUESTION2Majorityofthosethatansweredthesurveyareinmaterialproduction.Totalof31(18%)mentionedothertypeofproduction,amongthem:procurement,chemicals,qualitymanagement,cleaningchemicals,designofhardware,lighting,distribution,salesofwood,circulationofheating/coolingpumps,ventilation,maintenance,consultation,elictricalinstallations,andpaintmanufacturing.Someofthisismoreofaclarificationonwhatkindofproductorworktheydo,butitisevidentsomethatdidanswerthissurveyshouldperhapsratherhaveansweredthesurveyforbuildingowners.QUESTION3Itisveryclearthataccordingtothisrepresentativegroup,thatthereisagrowingdemandofenvironmentaldataofbuildingproducts.WhichisthenagainnotveryeasytoindentifyifthatisthecaseapartfromSEorNO.Thisgoesinhandwiththeincreaseduseofinternationalcertificationsystemsin

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theNordicBuildingmarketforbuildingsbutdoesalsoreflectthedevelopmentofEUandinternationallawsandregulation.QUESTION4Givenoptionswere:

§ Generalinformationofstatementse.g.,,greenproduct”(20%)

§ LifeCycleAssessments(LCA)data(5%)§ Environmentalcertificationsystemsor

labelling(Svanen,Ecolabeletc.)(18%)§ EnvironmentalProductDeclaration

(EPD)(38%)§ Other(19%)

Almost20%answerwithotheroptionsgiven,whichdoesreflectthehighavailabilityofoptionsonenvironmentalacreditation.EPDisthemostcommondemandaccordingtothisor38%,buttherearestillmanypossibilitiesofacreditation.Otheroptionsmentionedwereforexample:BMD,Svanen,ISO14001,Basta,SundaHus,Byggvarubedömningen,MSDSofgivenproduct,LEED,BREEAM,Safetydatasheet,Möbelfacta,EmicodeED-1,M1.QUESTION5Moreproducersdoputforththeinformationintheirpromotionalmaterial,brochuresandwebsites,orsendtheinformationthroughdirectchannelstotheircustomersupondemand.Totalof34%areregisteredindatabases.KeepinginmindthatthemoreEPDarelistedindatabases,themore

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accuratetheinformation.Thiswillalsomakeallcomparisonmucheasier.Givenoptionswere:

§ Inourpromotionalmaterialfortheproduct(43%)§ Indatabasesforenvironmentalinformation(34%)§ Other(23%)

QUESTION6Thisquestionisnotpresentedgraphically.Thequestionwas:Ifdatabasesarebeingused,pleasespecifywhichones?Inalltherewere67differentresponses.(SeelistofanswersinappendixIII).Herearethefivemostcommonlymentioned.Whenresponcesfromthisquestionareanalyzedithastobeconsideredthat67%ofthosewhoansweredthissurveyarefromSweden,andalmost25%fromNorway.Byggvarubedömninge,SundaHusandBASTAareclearlythemostuseddatabasesinSwedenbutitisdifficulttoseeiftheyarewidelyusedintheothernordiccountries.Thesetopthreeareinmostcasesusedtogether.-Byggvarubedömningen(https://www.byggvarubedomningen.se/)-SundaHus(https://www.sundahus.se/)-BASTA(http://www.bastaonline.se)-EPD-Norge(http://www.epd-norge.no/)-Ownorinternalwebsites.QUESTION7Ower91%ofthoseansweringthissurveyarebasedeitherinSweden(67%)orNorway(24%).EDPisratherwellknownintheNorwegianbuildingmarket,andinbothcountriesthereareexistingandopendatabaseswhereyoucaneitherseekinformationand/orregisermaterial.In

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IcelandandFinlandtherearenotcomparableoptionsornationaldatabases,neiteronbehalfofthepublicortheprivatesector,andasmentionedbeforethiscanpartlybeexplainedbyveryfewproducersandaswelllittlepublicdemandofEPDlabelling.

QUESTION8

Thesameappliesinthisquestionasinthequestionabove.Morethan62%doeitherhaveanEPDfortheirproductsorserviceorsomeotherkindoflabeling.37%donothaveanEPD.Somementionedthattheywillprovideitwhenaskedfor,orthattheyhavesomethingsimilaroronlyhaveitforsomeoftheirproducts.

QUESTION9

Answerchoices:

§ Thecustomerhasastrategyofchoosingsustainablematerials(27%)

§ Inrelationtotheuseofcertificationsystemsforbuildings(43%)

§ Itisyourpolicytoprovidesustainablematerialwhichyouwanttoverify(11%)

§ Other.(18%)

Itisclearthattheuseofcertificationsystemsintheindustrydoeshavemucheffectonthosewhomanageprocurementforcompaniesandorganizations.ThisisalsotheexperienceinNorwayandSwedenwheretheuseofcertificationsystemshasincreasedsignificantlyinrecentyears.EDPisthereforeinmostcasesmadeondemand,whereonly11%sayitisjusttheirpolicytohavethiskindoflabeling.Intheoptionother,someelaboratethattheyhavenotyetbecomeawareoftheincreasingdemandsanddothereforenothaveanEPDfortheirproduct.

QUESTION10

Answerchoices:

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§ Qualifiedandstandardizedinformation(17%)§ Demandorrequirementsfromcertificationsystems(28%)§ Tohelpuserstomakeinformeddecisionsabouttheirchoiceofbuildingmaterial(20%)§ Toincreasecustomer´sdemand(7%)§ Togainanadvantageinthemarketforqualitybuildingproducts(22%)§ Other(4%)

TheanswertothisquestiondoesreflectwhatcanbeseeninQ9,orthefactthatcertificationsystemsdoincreasethedemandforEPD.ThereforeiftheintentiontoincreasetheuseofEPDintheNordicBuildingmarket,wehavetosystematicallyincreaseandpromotetheuseofcertificationsystems.Itseemsthatsupplyanddemandgohandinhandinthismatterasanyother.Themaindriveriscloselyconnectedtotheuseofcertificationsystemanddemandmadeontheirbehalf,butfactorslikethewillingnesstogainadvantageinthemarketforqualityproductsishighaswell.Environmentallabelingisstillnotmainstreamandwillstillbeconnectedorconsideredasapartofthemarkedforhighqualitymaterial.Thechallengeistoreachtosuppliersandproducersofmorecommonlyusedbuildingmaterial.

QUESTION11

Answerchoices:

§ Highcost(31%)§ Problemswiththeevaluation/comparisonof

buildingproducts(35%)§ Doesnotincludevaluableinformation(5%)§ Nomarketdemand(18%)§ Other(11%)

ItisveryimportanttobeabletodistinguishtheobstaclesfortheincreaseduseofEPDintheNordicmarketasitisnow.Ratherhighpercentagementionhighcost,butmosthaveproblemwiththeevaluationand/orcomparisonofbuildingproducts.ThisisrelatedwiththeshortageofEPDinsomeareasforexampleinIceland,andpossiblyFinland,whereitisbothcostlyanddifficulttofindcertifiedorlabeledbuildingmaterialwithinamoderatepricerange.Thereforeitcanbedifficultfordesignerstorecommendtheuseofitandeveniftheydo,thecheaperproductissometimeschosenintheend.Oneofthemainobstaclesmentionedisthelackofmarketdemand.ThechallengehereistoexpandthemarketforEPDlabeledproducts,andmaketheinformationclearandunderstandableforallthosebuyingbuildingproducts,eveniftheconstructionisnotbuiltonsoundenvironmentalcertificationsystem.

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3. Nordic Building Market and EPD

3.1. What have we learned from the surveys? Theresult,aftertheimplementationofboththesesurveys,isthatthesituationinthefourcountriesisverydifferentandknowledgeofEPDisvariable.Inthesurveryforbuildingowners,therewasagooddistributionofanswersfromNorway,SwedenandIceland,butlessfromFinland.Thiscanpossiblyreflectthefactthatownersanddesignersaremoreawareofdevelopmentsinthebuildingmarketandsustainablematerialdevelopment.Thereseemstobeageneralintresttoknowmoreandhavemoreinformationtobeabletocomparedifferentoptions.Thereisalsoademandforreliableinformation.Duetolackofknowledgeand/orexperiencewithworkingwithEPDingeneralthereisinsomecaseseasiertouselabelledproductinsteadofhavingtoanalyzetheinformationgiveninEPDforagivenproduct.ThesurveyreflectsthefactthatmajorityisfamiliarwithEPDbutitdoesnotgiveverygoodinformationonhowdeeporthoroughthatknowledgereallyis.Costisstillconsideredhighsincethisisnotyetthegeneralwayofdoingthings,andthereforeitcanbedifficulttocomparedifferentbuildingmaterial-byonlylookingattheEPDofsimilarproducts.Inthesurveyforproducers,wealmostonlygotanswersfromSwedenandNorway,andinfactthissurveydoesnotreflectthebuildingmarketinthefourcountriesverywellasawhole,butmoreorlessinSEandNO.ForexamplethefactthatinIcelandthereareveryfewcompaniesproducingbuildingmaterial,doesofcoursehaveanimpactonhowmanyansweredthissurvey.Inthisreportthegeneralresultsofthetwosurveysarepresented,buttheresultsforeachcountryhavebeencompiledandwillbeexaminedfurtherlocally.ItisimportantforustogetthelocalresultstobebetterabletoreachouttoourownmarkedareasandanalyzetheresultsandrealisewhatdirectactionweneedtotaketoincreasethedemandforEPD.Theselocalresultsarenotpartofthisreport,buthavebeensenttoallGBC´sinvolved.

3.2. What can we do to increase the knowlede and use of EPD in

the Nordic Building market? Informationcanbeapowerfultool,ifthepurposeistomakepermanentchanges.Thereforeitisimportanttoencouragecompaniestoincreasetransparencyioftheirproductionandtogiveoutasmuchinformationoftheirproductstotheircustomers.Itisalsoimportanttopresentinformationinveryaccessiblewaythatmakesiteasierforconsumerstomakeinformeddecisionsintheirselectionofbuildingmaterials.ItiscrucialthatinformationinEPDareopenanaccessiblebecausethemoreEPDinthemarketthemoreevaluabletheywillbecome.

3.3. Market driven approach ItisclearthattheuseofcertificationsystemsintheindustrydoeshavemucheffectontheincreasedsupplyofEPD´s.ThisistheexperienceinNorwayandSwedenwheretheuseofcertificationsystemshasincreasedsignificantlyinrecentyears.ThereforeiftheintentionistoincreasetheuseofEPDintheNordicBuildingmarket,weneedinparalleltosystematicallyincreaseandpromotetheuseofcertificationsystemsatthesametime.

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OneofthemainobstaclesmentionedinthesurveysfortheuseofEPDisthelackofmarketdemand.ThechallengehereistoexpandthemarketforEPDlabelledproducts,andmaketheinformationclearandunderstandableforallthosebuyingbuildingproducts-notonlyfocusonB2B.Thiscanbedonebygivingoutinformationonwheretolookforinstructions,servicesuchasdatabasesforEPD,andofcoursewherethereisapossibilitytohaveacomparisonofdifferentproducts.4Inordertoachieverealprogressweneedtoanalyzethemarketineachcountry,sincethesituationisquitedifferent,andtrytomanagepromotionalmaterialaccordingtothatsituation.Stillthefocusinthisallhastobeonboththosethatareproducingandsellingbuildingmaterialbutaswellonbuildingowners,contractorsandconsultants.Theapproachisdifferent,althoughthebasicgoalisofcoursetoreducetheenvironmentalimpactofbuildings.

3.4. The role of GBC´s InNorway,SwedenandDenmark,theGBC´sarethemselvesrunningbothnationalcertificationsystems,oradaptiveversionsofinternationalsystemsaswellasnationalones,likeMilljöByggnadinSweden.InIceland,andFinlandthemarketismostlyworkingwithinternationalversionsofsystemslikeBreeamandLeed.ItiseasierfortheGBCwheretherearelocallyadaptivesystemstopromotethem,throughdirectconnectiontospecialprojects.ThereforethemarketingofEPDandtheuseofcertificationsystemsininFinlandandIcelandhavetobemoregeneral,still.ThisisthechallengetheGBC´sarefacinginalltheirwork.Thereisaneedtoputmorefocusonproducers,andmakethemrealisetherealadvantagesofinvestingintheirproductanalyzes(LCA)whichwillleadtoincreasednumberofEPDforbuildingmaterial.ThiscanbedonebothwithdirectcontactoftheGBC´stothosecompaniesproducingmaterial,butthereisalsoaneedtopromotetheobjectivesandthedevelopmentofEuropeanlawsandlegistlagion,preferablyinclosecoporerationwiththepublicsector.

4Thiswillbedoneonasideproductofthisreport-abrouchurefocusingonbothbuildingownersandproducers.EachGBC´swillmakesomealternationstothebasictextofthebrochureaccordingtothesitutationineachcountry.

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4. List of the most commonly used databases in the Nordic

market:5 ThefivemostcommonlymentionedinthesurveyforBuildingowners:

ü EPDNorge(http://www.epd-norge.no/)ü ProductXChange(http://productxchange.co.uk/)ü SundaHus(https://www.sundahus.se/)ü Byggvarubedömningen(https://www.byggvarubedomningen.se/)ü Ecoinvent(http://www.ecoinvent.org/database/database.html)

ThefivemostcommonlymentionedinthesurveyforProducersandproviders:

ü Byggvarubedömningen(https://www.byggvarubedomningen.se/)ü SundaHus(https://www.sundahus.se/)ü BASTA(http://www.bastaonline.se)ü EPD-Norge(http://www.epd-norge.no/)ü ownorinternalwebsites.

5Accordingtothesurvey´s.Manyotherdatabaseswerementioned.

18

4.1. Appendix I .

SurveyforBuildingowners,consultantsandcontractors.

IGBC-WP3/22.06.15

Nordicguidetosustainablematerials

-ProjectfundedbytheNordicInnovationthrough–NordicBuilt.

Theproject”NordicGuidetoSustainableMaterials”willprovidepracticalguidelinesforbuildingownerswhodemandtheuseofsustainablebuildingmaterialsandwillbeapplicableforalltypesofbuildingandrehabilitationprojects.AfurtheraimisthattheharmonisedmaterialdemandswillbeimplementedinbuildingcertificationsystemslikeBREEAM,LEEDandDGNB.Theywillalsobeavailabletobuildingownerswhoarenotaimingforaspecificbuildingcertification,butwhostillwanttoadoptasustainableapproachtodesignandconstruction

Introduction

Sweden,Finland,NorwayandIcelandhavejoinedforcestotacklethreeimportantchallengesforthetransitiontomoresustainablematerials:agreementonacommonsetoffunctionalcriteriaforsustainablematerials,sufficientEnvironmentalProductDeclarationsforNordicproductstoenablemanufacturerstogetcreditfromtheirdevelopmentofsustainableproductsandsimplificationoftheprocurementprocessforsustainablematerials.Theprojectwillalsoprovidepracticalguidelinesforbuildingownerswhorequiretheuseofsustainablebuildingmaterialsandwillbeapplicableforalltypesofbuildingandrehabilitationprojects.TheGreenBuildingCouncils(GBCs)inFinland,Iceland,SwedenandNorwayareallpartnersintheproject.Theprojectconsistsoffiveworkpackages.

TheIcelandicGreenBuildingCouncilisleadingworkpackage3.InWP3themainaimistoincreasethedemandforEnvironmentalProductDeclarationintheNordicbuildingmarket,maphowactorsonthebuildingmarketsearchfordataonenvironmentalproducts,andespeciallytodefinedriversandobstaclestouseofEnvironmentalProductsDeclarations(EPD).Thequestionnaireattachedisatoolinthismappingprocess.Theresultsofthesetwosurveyswillbepresentedinafinalreport,andalsotoseewhatshouldbethemainfocusintheguide.

Thissurveyisaimedattwogroups;

a)Producersandprovidersofbuildingmaterial

b)Buildingowners(municipalities/governments,buildingownersanddevelopers,housingcompanies,contractors,designersandconsultants)

Beforeyouanswerthesurvey,pleaseconsiderwhichgroupyourepresents.

19

4.1.1. Questionnaire – Building owners /users

1. Location(country):Denmark,Finland,Iceland,Norway,Sweden

2. Activitydomain;Public,private

3. Typeofactivity;Propertymanagement,,builder,architecturalconsulting,engineeringconsulting,contractorOther?_______________

4. Doyouwantinformationonenvironmentalimpactofbuildingproductsandappliances?YesNo

Ifnoskiptoend...

5. Whenyouwantinformationaboutenvironmentalimpactofthebuildingproduct,whatkindofinformationwouldbemostusefultoyou?Generalinformationorstatementse.g.„greenproduct“Lifecycleassessment(LCA)dataEnvironmentalcertification/labelling(e.g.Svanen,Ecolabel,)Environmentalproductdeclaration(EPD)Other?___________

6. WheredoyoulookforinformationInformationfromproducerGeneralsearchonthewebUsingdatabasesforenvironmentalinformation

7. Ifdatabasesareused,pleasespecifywhichone?

20

8. AreyoufamiliarwithEnvironmentalproductdeclarations;EPD?YesNo

Ifnoskiptoendofsurvey

9. WheredidyoufirstlearnaboutEPD?onthewebthroughprojectsatworkinschoolinrelationtotheuseofcertificationsystemforbuildingsProfessionalvocationaltrainingOther:

10. Whenchoosingbetweenproducts;doyouprioritizeproductswithanEPDbeforeproductswithoutanEPD?

YesNo

11. WhatarethemainincentivesforuseofEPD‘sinyouropinion?ReduceofenvironmentalimpactQualified/standardizedinformation,NeededincertificationschemeDirectorindirectregulation(LCA)Tofacilitatetheuseofevaluation/comparisonofbuildingproducts,Brand/imageother;___________________________

12. WhatarethemainobstaclesfortheuseofEPD’sinyouropinion?HighCost,Problemsinevaluation/comparisonofproducts,Nomarketdemand,Doesnotincludevaluableinformation,Others;_________________

21

4.2. Appendix I I .

SurveyforProducersandprovidersofbuildingmaterial

IGBC-WP3/22.06.15

Nordicguidetosustainablematerials

-ProjectfundedbytheNordicInnovationthrough–NordicBuilt.

SeemoreabouttheprojectontheNordicBuiltwebsite.

Introduction

Sweden,Finland,NorwayandIcelandhavejoinedforcestotacklethreeimportantchallengesforthetransitiontomoresustainablematerials:agreementonacommonsetoffunctionalcriteriaforsustainablematerials,sufficientEnvironmentalProductDeclarations(EPD)forNordicproductstoenablemanufacturerstogetcreditfromtheirdevelopmentofsustainableproductsandsimplificationoftheprocurementprocessforsustainablematerials.

AnEPD(EnvironmentalProductDeclaration)isanindependentlyverifiedandregistereddocumentthatcommunicatestransparentandcomparableinformationabouttheenvironmentalimpactofproductsthroughthelife-cycle.EPDforbuildingproductsarenowbeingusedincreasinglyintheconstructionsectorworldwideorwhereecologicalcertificationforbuildingshavebecomequitecommon.

EPDforaproductdoesincludeinformationontheenvironmentalimpactofrawmaterialenergyuse,contentofmaterialsandchemicalsubstances,emissionstoair,soilandwaterandwaste.Itcanbeaverysuccessfultooltoevaluateandcomparetheenvironmentalimpactonsimilarbuildingproducts.

HoweverhavinganEPDforaproductdoesnothavetoimplythatthedeclaredproductisenvironmentallysuperiortootherproducts.Itisratheratransparentandformaldeclarationofthelife-cycleenvironmentalimpactofthegivenproductbasedonISO14025standardsandquantitativedatacertifiedbyanindependentthirdparty.

ByhavingEPDmadefortheirproductsmanufacturerswillhaveacomprehensivetooltocommunicateprovenandreliablefactsontheenvironmentalimpactsoftheirproductinatransparentway.EPDalsoallowsconsumerstomakeinformedchoicesusingastandardized,comprehensive,validatedenvironmentalinformationputforthinaneasyandcomprehensibleway.

OneoftheaimoftheprojectistoincreasethedemandforEnvironmentalProductDeclarationintheNordicbuildingmarket,maphowactorsonthebuildingmarketsearchfordataonenvironmentalproducts,andespeciallytodefinedriversandobstaclestouseofEnvironmentalProductsDeclarations(EPD).Thequestionnaireattachedisatoolinthismappingprocess.

Theprojectwillalsoprovidepracticalguidelinesforbuildingownerswhorequiretheuseofsustainablebuildingmaterialsandwillbeapplicableforalltypesofbuildingandrehabilitationprojects.

22

Thequestionnaireisaimedattwogroups:

a)Producersandprovidersofbuildingmaterial

b)Buildingowners,consultantsandcontractors.

Beforeyouanswerthesurvey,pleaseconsiderwhichgroupyourepresents.Itshouldonlytakeyoufewminutestoanswerthesurvey,andyouranswerisawelcomedandmuchvaluableinputtotheproject.

4.2.1.Questionnaire – for Producers and providers of bui lding

material

1. Location(country):Denmark,Finland,Iceland,Norway,Sweden

2. TypeofProduction:Materialproduction,

Compositebuildingproduct/buildingcomponents

Importedmaterial(providers)

3. Isthereademandforenvironmentaldataofyourproduct?YesNoIfnoskiptoend...

4. Ifyouareaskedforenvironmentaldataonyourproduct,whatkindofinformationdothecostumersaskfor?

Generalinformationorstatementse.g.„greenproduct“Lifecycleassessment(LCA)dataEnvironmentalcertificationsystemsorlabelling.(e.g.Svanen,Ecolabel,..)Environmentalproductdeclaration(EPD‘s)Other?___________

23

5. Wheredoyouprovideinformationabouttheenvironmentalqualificationofyourproduct?InourpromotionalmaterialabouttheproductIndatabasesforenvironmentalinformation

Ifdatabasesused,thenwhichones?

6. AreyoufamiliarwithEnvironmentalproductdeclarations;EPD?YesNo

Ifno,skiptoendofsurvey

7. DoyouhaveanEPDforyourproduct/productsyouprovide?YesNo

8. Iftheanswertoquestionnr.7,isyes.InwhatcontextareyouaskedforEPDs:

a. Thecostumerhasastrategyofchoosingsustainablematerialsb. Throughtheuseofcertificationsystemsc. Youhaveapolicyyourselftoprovidesustainablematerialsandwantstoverifythisd. other

9. WhoarethemaindriversfortheuseofEPD‘sinyouropinion?

Qualified/standardizedinformation,demandorrequirementsfromcertificationsystems,tohelpusersmakeinformeddecisionsaboutchoosingbuildingproducts,increasedcustomer´sdemand,togainanadvantageinthemarketforqualitybuildingproducts,others;___________________________

10. WhatarethemainobstaclesfortheuseofEPD’sinyouropinion?Highcost,Problemswithevaluation/comparisonofproducts,Doesnotincludevaluableinformation,NomarketdemandOthers;_________________

24

4.3. Appendix I I I

4.3.1. List of given answers to Q7 in the survey for Building owners.

Artsdatabanken.noBastaByggtjenesteByggvarubedömningenCoBuilderDGNBEcoinventEcoproduct(NOR)ELCDEnslicEPDnorgeEU-blomstenGaBiGoogleGronnhverdag.noILCDdatabaseInternalLCAdatabaseKlimagasseregnskap.noM1Marksanerigsinfo.netMiljodirektoratet.noMiljostatus.nongbc.noNorskMyggevaretjenesteOpti360ProductXChangeSimaProStoffkartotekSundaHusSvanenÖkobau

25

4.3.2. List of given answers to Q5 in the survey for producers and providers

ApriconC3BastaByggvarubedömningenByggvarudeklarationeneCoBuilderCosDatabaseswithininternationalstandardsreportsEcoProductEcoinventEPDinternationalEPDNorgeEU-EcolabelForestia.noGabi6IMDSInstitutefurBauenundUmwelte.v.InternalDatabaseKemikalieinspektionenNOBBPassivhusProductxChangeSinteftgSundaHusSvanenSvenskakemikalieinspektionenTreindistrien