Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for British Columbia wood products
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are standardized third-party verified documents that provide environmental impact information to help stakeholders make more informed decisions when selecting products or services. EPDs do not rank products or compare products to baselines or benchmarks.
Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) collect the data reported in an EPD. For wood products, LCAs evaluate the environmental impacts from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal. LCAs analyze each stage of a product’s lifecycle, including sourcing raw materials like timber, manufacturing, transportation, use, maintenance and disposal or recycling. They measure a range of environmental impacts, such as energy consumption, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, as well as waste generation.
Photo credit: Nik West
Manufacturers can conduct their own LCAs and prepare EPDs in-house, provided they have the necessary expertise. Alternatively, companies can hire consulting firms, such as the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute to conduct the LCA and develop EPDs for different products.
While various entities can prepare EPDs, they must always be verified by an independent third party such as ASTM International to ensure compliance with relevant standards. EPDs are created and verified according to ISO 14025, an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization.
Why are EPDs important?
As projects prioritize low-carbon alternatives, EPDs allow architects, engineers and builders to assess the embodied carbon—carbon emissions tied to production and transportation—of materials. By selecting products with lower embodied carbon, projects can reduce their carbon footprint.
EPDs for B.C. wood products
Given the majority of British Columbia’s energy is generated from lower-carbon and renewable source such as hydroelectricity and biomass cogeneration at mills and facilities, Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) recognized the need for more accurate, region-specific environmental data for wood products manufactured in British Columbia. FII commissioned the development of EPDs for key products, including softwood lumber, plywood, glulam, cross-laminated timber and trusses. These EPDs are industry-average results, offering a reliable benchmark for the environmental performance of B.C. wood products:
- EPD for Cross-Laminated Timber (external PDF)
- EPD for Surfaced Dry Softwood Lumber (external PDF)
- EPD for Softwood Plywood (external PDF)
- EPD for Glulam (external PDF)
- EPD for Industry Wood Trusses (external PDF)
While these EPDs do not address all forest management activities that influence forest carbon, wildlife habitat, endangered species, and soil and water quality, these potential impacts may be addressed through other mechanisms such as regulatory frameworks and/or forest certification systems which, combined with these EPDs, will give a more complete picture of environmental and social performance of wood products.
