Wood Technology Standards Summary - May 2025

Looking back at May 2025, the Wood Technology sector witnessed the release of three critical standards that reflect both the evolving demands for climate accountability and the ongoing refinement of material science practices. This overview synthesizes these publications, focusing on greenhouse gas displacement, carbon storage quantification, and advancements in physical property testing methodologies for wood. As regulatory attention sharpens and life cycle assessment becomes central to product claims and corporate reporting, understanding these standards is essential for quality managers, procurement leaders, compliance professionals, and researchers looking to remain competitive and compliant.

Monthly Overview: May 2025

The standardization activity in Wood Technology during May 2025 was marked by a dual emphasis on environmental performance and core material testing. Two of the three published standards—ISO/TR 25078:2025 and ISO/TR 25080:2025—delve into complex, yet increasingly vital, topics of quantifying greenhouse gas displacement and carbon storage in wood-based products. These technical reports serve as practical supplements to the ISO 13391 series, providing both background and usable examples for practitioners tasked with sustainability assessments and emissions disclosures.

In parallel, ISO 13061-15:2025 updated a foundational testing method for swelling in wood, underlining the sector’s continuing commitment to rigorous material characterization and compatibility evaluation. Comparing May’s publications to typical release patterns, this month stood out for its balanced focus: advancing environmental impact methodologies while maintaining the technical underpinnings required for robust product assessment.

Collectively, these standards signal a clear industry direction—toward integrated environmental measurements, transparent reporting, and technical precision underpinning both product development and sustainability claims.

Standards Published This Month

ISO/TR 25078:2025 - Calculating Displacement Potentials in Wood-Based Products

Wood and wood-based products – Examples of calculating displacement potentials for wood-based products and considerations for further analyses

This technical report provides practitioners with comprehensive examples and guidance for quantifying the greenhouse gas displacement potential associated with wood-based products. Building upon the ISO 13391-1 and ISO 13391-3 frameworks, it walks users through the steps to establish functional equivalence between products, calculate displacement factors, select appropriate system boundaries (including cradle-to-gate and cradle-to-grave), and document alternative product benchmarks. The report includes practical calculation examples (such as wooden vs. plastic pallets, wood energy vs. fossil fuel, and timber vs. concrete construction), supported by literature reviews and best practices for data sourcing and transparency.

Key requirements highlighted include robust life cycle assessment (LCA) considerations, regional and market-specific adjustments, and clear documentation of data and assumptions. Organizations in wood product manufacturing, LCA consulting, sustainability reporting, or climate disclosure roles will find direct application for procurement decisions, product claims, and emissions reporting. The report also catalogs influential factors—from market dynamics to economic cycles and system boundaries—that can shape the real-world realization of displacement benefits.

Key highlights:

• Detailed calculation examples for multiple real-world product substitutions
• Stepwise guidance on defining functional units, system boundaries, and data sources
• Literature reviews of displacement factors for various wood-based products

Access the full standard:View ISO/TR 25078:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO/TR 25080:2025 - Quantifying Carbon Storage in Harvested Wood Products

Wood and wood-based products – Background and examples of calculating contributions to carbon stored in harvested wood products (HWP)

Targeted at professionals managing greenhouse gas inventories and sustainability assessments, this report offers an in-depth exploration of approaches to calculate and report the carbon stored in harvested wood products, including product-level and aggregate (national/organizational) pools. The document supports users of ISO 13391-1 by offering conceptual background, stepwise explanation of IPCC-aligned calculation methods, and worked examples demonstrating the application of tier 1, 2, and 3 methodologies. Topics such as HWP coefficients, residence times, recycling rates, landfill storage, and bio-CCS are addressed with practical calculation scenarios for various wood product categories.

The standard reinforces the need for clear reporting boundaries (production, stock change, atmospheric flow, and simple decay), robust data management for HWP inflows and outflows, and sensitivity analysis based on underlying assumptions. forestry organizations, product manufacturers, consultancies, and sustainability officers will find this standard crucial for both compliance with emissions regulations and substantiating carbon storage claims as part of environmental product declarations (EPDs) and voluntary disclosures.

Key highlights:

• Guidance on HWP coefficients and tiered carbon stock calculation methodologies
• Practical examples using national, market, and organization-level data
• Specific coverage of landfill, recycling, and bio-CCS carbon accounting

Access the full standard:View ISO/TR 25080:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO 13061-15:2025 - Determination of Radial and Tangential Swelling in Wood

Physical and mechanical properties of wood – Test methods for small clear wood specimens – Part 15: Determination of radial and tangential swelling

In this updated second edition, the standard sets out a precise methodology for measuring linear swelling in the radial and tangential directions of wood. The specification details the apparatus, test piece preparation, and procedures for dimension measurement—both in the oven-dry and fully saturated states. It provides clear formulas for swelling calculation and requires reporting of results in alignment with best practices.

This revised method updates size and measurement parameters to reflect advancements since the 2017 edition, providing greater reproducibility and reliability for researchers, quality assurance laboratories, product manufacturers, and procurement specialists concerned with dimensional stability. Accurate swelling measurements assist in material selection, design for durability, and verifying compliance with product requirements for flooring, joinery, paneling, and engineered wood systems.

Key highlights:

• Standardized procedures for preparing and testing small, defect-free wood specimens
• Updated test piece sizes and measurement precision
• Essential reference for dimensional stability and material property characterization

Access the full standard:View ISO 13061-15:2025 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

The May 2025 publications in the Wood Technology sector highlight a pronounced industry pivot towards holistic climate impact accounting and enhanced product transparency. The focus on both greenhouse gas displacement (ISO/TR 25078:2025) and carbon storage in harvested products (ISO/TR 25080:2025) illustrates the sector’s alignment with global climate goals and increased regulatory scrutiny around carbon neutrality and life cycle emissions. The technical rigor required in these documents also points toward more sophisticated procurement and supply chain claims, harmonized with IPCC methodologies, fostering comparability in transnational reporting.

Meanwhile, the update to fundamental property testing (ISO 13061-15:2025) confirms that, amid climate disclosures, material performance and durability remain critical. This dual emphasis—on quantitative environmental stewardship and robust physical testing—reflects the integration of sustainability metrics with traditional product quality standards.

Key trends reinforced by this month’s standards include:

• Integration of LCA and carbon accounting in standard product evaluation cycles
• Demand for higher transparency and traceability in emissions and storage claims
• Continued refinement and harmonization of test methodologies across international markets

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

Organizations affected by these standards should prioritize:

1. Gap analysis: Assess current calculation, reporting, and testing practices against the new ISO/TR 25078:2025 and ISO/TR 25080:2025 requirements for displacement and carbon storage. Identify where processes or data sources need updating.
2. Training and upskilling: Ensure technical and LCA teams understand the calculation methods, terminology, and data management practices outlined in the new standards.
3. System integration: Embed the updated test methods (ISO 13061-15:2025) and climate impact calculations into procurement, R&D, documentation, and QA workflows.
4. Documentation: Maintain transparent records of system boundaries, functional unit definitions, calculation assumptions, and source data justification for regulatory compliance and audits.
5. Timeline: While immediate compliance boosts credibility, organizations should monitor for downstream regulatory deadlines or sector-specific adoption requirements.

Getting started:

• Download full standards texts and integrate into SOPs
• Conduct stakeholder training on new methodologies
• Liaise with supply chain partners to align carbon accounting practices
• Use iTeh Standards as an authoritative reference and resource for detailed technical implementation

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from May 2025

The standards released in May 2025 make clear that the Wood Technology sector is evolving rapidly, prioritizing both accurate environmental measurement and robust physical testing. The arrival of ISO/TR 25078:2025 and ISO/TR 25080:2025 arms professionals with actionable methodologies for evaluating product-level and portfolio-wide climate impacts, in alignment with international best practices. ISO 13061-15:2025 ensures the quality baseline is not overlooked, delivering modernized, precise guidance on dimension stability measurement.

For Wood Technology professionals—whether in manufacturing, procurement, LCA, R&D, or sustainability roles—keeping pace with these standards is more than a compliance matter; it is key to market access, claim defensibility, and long-term business resilience.

Stay informed, invest in capability building, and use the resources available through iTeh Standards to ensure your teams are prepared to meet the demands of modern wood product evaluation and climate accountability.