I was pleased to represent Peikko with my presentation, “From Transparency to Circularity: Peikko’s EPD Journey.” I shared how EPDs at Peikko have developed from a reporting exercise into a practical business tool. One that supports design, procurement, sales, compliance, and, most importantly, better decisions for our customers.
EPDs are no longer just about disclosure
When many companies started developing EPDs, the primary objective was transparency. Customers wanted verified environmental information, and EPDs provided a standardized way to communicate it.
Today, EPDs play a much broader role.
At Peikko, we increasingly see EPDs as infrastructure for decision-making. Verified carbon data supports building-level LCAs, sustainability certifications, procurement choices, product development, tendering, and regulatory reporting. Yet the real value is not contained in the document itself. It emerges when someone uses the information to compare alternatives, improve a design, answer a customer’s question, or select a lower-carbon solution.
The industry does not have a data problem
One theme appeared repeatedly throughout the summit. We have more carbon data than ever before. The challenge is helping people understand and use it. That was one of the clearest themes running through the summit. Many organizations have invested significantly in environmental assessments, carbon calculations, and EPD development. The next challenge is to bring that knowledge into everyday work. How can a salesperson explain the difference between two products? How can a designer identify the lowest-carbon option? How can a customer see what the figures mean for a real project? Sustainability data creates value only when people can confidently act on it.
This is where many organizations are currently focusing their efforts.
Making carbon information easier to understand
The fellow presenters shared how they have trained hundreds of sales professionals to understand and communicate sustainability data and EPD information with customers. Rather than limiting expertise to sustainability specialists, they are building carbon literacy across the organization.
Another company described how they are developing simple one-page summaries that explain complex EPD information in a practical and understandable format for different audiences inside the company. Their message was clear: technical information only creates value when people understand it.
This resonated strongly with me.
As sustainability professionals, we often devote considerable effort to producing robust data. The summit was a useful reminder that our work does not end when the calculation is complete or the EPD is published. We need to invest just as much in translation: helping colleagues, customers, and decision-makers understand what the figures mean and how they can be used.
From numbers to stories
Another insight from the summit was the growing importance of visualizing sustainability performance. Several presentations demonstrated how carbon savings are communicated directly through project examples and building references. Instead of showing only technical data, they connect carbon reductions to real projects and real outcomes. People connect with stories more easily than spreadsheets. Showing how much carbon was reduced in a building, how materials can be reused, or how a design choice impacted the building lifecycle makes sustainability tangible and actionable.
Circularity is becoming mainstream
Circularity was another major topic throughout the event. The discussion has moved beyond recycling and now focuses increasingly on reuse, design for disassembly, modularity, and extending the useful life of buildings and building components. For Peikko, this direction feels familiar. It connects closely with our work on circular construction, reusable connections, hybrid structures, and solutions such as DELTABEAM® Green. Lower-emission materials remain essential, but the future of low-carbon construction will also depend on using materials more intelligently: designing for adaptability, extending service life, and preserving component value so they can be reused.
Turning insight into impact
I left Stockholm with the sense that sustainability in construction is entering a more practical phase. The industry has spent years building the foundations: better methodologies, more EPDs, stronger reporting, and wider access to carbon data. Now the focus must shift from producing information to using it well. Now the conversation is about turning carbon data into decisions. For example: in the case of Data Centers and reducing embodied carbon with low-carbon products.
