Data has been referred to as the new raw material of the 21st century. Even for a relatively simple material like timber, data requirements have been expanding rapidly. Initially focused on technical performance, demand for information now extends into a bewildering array of other issues, such as legality and sustainability of supply, carbon footprint, energy efficiency, impacts on air and water, toxicity, social welfare, recycling attributes and disposal at end of life.

The rise of data has gone hand-in-hand with a powerful drive in both industry and government to increase transparency to enhance public trust and the credibility of claims. In fact the ability of suppliers to provide data credibly and efficiently is now almost as important to competitiveness as their ability to deliver the product.

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) is responding by expanding its data offer, notably on environmental issues. It has been building up a portfolio of scientific data on US hardwoods since it was established over 20 years ago, making the resulting technical performance information, underpinned by conformance to CEN and ISO standards, available in online species guides.

"Now," said AHEC European director David Venables, "we want to make the environmental data equally accessible."

Forest ownership
This has been a challenge in the past, he added, partly because of the structure of the US hardwood industry. The hardwood forests are owned by more than four million American families, each harvesting only once in a generation. Such low intensity management is environmentally benign, but certification, such as FSC and PEFC, is simply not cost-effective for these individual owners.

At the same time, many of the strong environmental attributes of US hardwood are not covered by forest certification. It says nothing, for instance, about carbon footprint, while UN data shows that the stock of carbon held in US forest soils and trees has increased by 2.23 billion tonnes since 1990 – compared to a loss of 17 billion tonnes worldwide – with much of the gain concentrated in hardwood forest.

So, rather than building an environmental communication strategy around FSC and PEFC certification, AHEC has forged an innovative approach adapted to the demands of the sector. The latter has been able to draw on comprehensive forest inventory data compiled regularly by the US Forest Service. More recently this has evolved into a Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) programme linking forest sample plot data with satellite imagery.

Credible information
Responding to consumer demand for credible information on the legality and sustainability of harvesting, AHEC commissioned the Seneca Creek study in 2008. This was the first independent analysis to show negligible risk of illegal or unsustainable harvest across a major wood-supplying sector. The study, due to be reviewed this year, foreshadowed the regional risk-based approach to due diligence now central to both the EU Timber Regulation and FSC through its National Controlled Wood Assessments.

Most recently, AHEC has been working with sustainability consultants PE International to acquire and compile data on the life cycle environmental impact of American hardwood in line with international carbon footprint and LCA standards. Through this, AHEC is able to model the full environmental impact of delivering US hardwood lumber and veneer to any market worldwide. Data can also be individually tailored to any one of 19 US hardwoods, which together account for over 95% of its production.

So the challenge for AHEC was not lack of data. The issue was how to make it available to the industry and their customers. It believes it has now found the answer in its new American Hardwood Environmental Profiles or AHEPs. This profiling system is currently being pilot tested by US hardwood exporters and is due to be launched across the full AHEC membership before the end of May.

AHEPs are designed to provide credible environmental information specific to individual consignments at point of delivery to importers in all export markets. The data is delivered quickly at near zero cost to exporter and importer. This is achieved by building on PE’s GaBi Envision software tool, originally developed to integrate LCA into product design. Individual US hardwood exporters are given online access to the system to prepare profiles for their consignments. They can quickly adjust output according to key parameters, such as species, kilning efficiency and transport routes and modes.

Combining data
Each AHEP combines LCA and carbon footprint data with information from the US Forest Service FIA and Seneca Creek study. The content also aligns to the requirements of the EUTR, closely following the EC’s Guidance Document for the EU Timber Regulation.

The AHEP provides, for every consignment, access to information on the name of the US supplier, product description, quantity of wood, commercial and scientific species name, place of harvest, and documents demonstrating negligible risk of illegal harvest.

According to Mr Venables, the initial objective of the AHEP is simply to assist European buyers of US hardwood with EUTR compliance, but it has wider potential.

"By providing additional credible data on sustainability and life cycle impacts, we can be proactive in encouraging manufacturers, architects and officials to raise the bar on the environment," he said.

"We can start pushing for scientific life cycle data to be properly integrated into design and procurement through Environmental Product Declarations and Building Information Modelling. And we can do this confident in the knowledge that US hardwood suppliers are able to deliver the data and can challenge their competitors to do the same."