Can you tell us more about the origins and development of the Resource Hub?
We were given a strategic project by Smart Built Environment where the construction companies came together and felt that it was better that all EPDs were completed, reviewed and made machine interpretable in a common way and published via a web service. The idea from the construction companies was then that Boverket would take over responsibility for this (and that IVL would possibly be a consultant to Boverket). The Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning did not feel they should take such responsibility and IVL therefore operated the Resource Hub and access to EPD "ready to use" (R2U EPD) under license.
How will the Resource Hub change the access to and use of EPDs and climate data in the construction and real estate industry in Sweden?
IVL has decided that all R2U EPDs from the Resource Hub should be made available to all utilities that want to use them. IVL has a new project where we will develop a website so that material manufacturers can produce R2u EPDs on their own in the future.
What do you consider to be the main advantages of having a centralized hub for EPDs, compared to the previous situation?
Everyone will then make the same interpretations of EPD data. The idea is that the tools should compete with different functions and not with who interprets the data best. This can be done jointly in the Resource Hub.
Plant has visions of making environmental data fully available completely free and open source. How do you see the future of this initiative?
The Resource Hub has the potential to make this possible.
How do you think the availability of free and open climate data could affect the sustainability of the construction sector in the future?
It is simplistic to use specific data and thus favor those who in each product segment can deliver the most attractive product choice both in terms of price and environment.
Can you give examples of how users will be able to facilitate and relieve their projects with the help of the Resource Hub?
It is not the Resource Hub that builds the interfaces, but the Resource Hub makes it possible that after you have selected a generic product for your project, you can go in and see what EPDs there are for this generic product and with the click of a button exchange generic for specific EPD data.
What are the next steps for the Resource Hub and how do you plan to further develop this resource?
As I mentioned above, we will develop a website so that material manufacturers can produce R2U EPDs on their own. We will develop a new format for EPDs that will be close to what comes in the digital product passports and thus reduce the need for assumed fields in an EPD that must be interpreted.
What measures have been taken to ensure data integrity and quality of the information provided through the Resource Hub?
In the new website solution, the manufacturer will take this responsibility instead of IVL as now.
