Best environmental product declaration consultants in 2026
You need EPDs fast, accurate, and without hijacking your R&D or plant teams. The field changed this year. Procurement rules tightened, LEED v5 moved forward, and program operators pushed digital workflows. Here is a plain‑spoken view of who helps manufacturers win in 2026, what each camp does well, and how to pick a partner that gets you published and back to selling.
What "best" means for manufacturers in 2026
Speed to a third‑party verified, publishable EPD, minimal lift for your team, and outcomes that hold up in bids. The proof points are practical. EPDs remain valid for five years under major operators, with verification and publication driving the clock, so shaving weeks off production buys you years of runway (EPD International, 2025) (IBU, 2025). LEED v5 was ratified in March 2025 and continues to privilege product‑specific, verified impacts for embodied carbon work, which keeps EPDs central to specs (USGBC, 2025).
The old guard
Large sustainability consultancies and long‑standing LCA bureaus have deep methodological benches. They are thorough and dependable for complex portfolios, yet their processes often run email, workbook, and serial reviews. That cadence can stretch timelines when verifier queues are tight, and verifiers themselves say to plan several weeks just for the review step (IBU, 2025). Old guard examples include multinational engineering firms and established LCA outfits that many teams have used for a decade.
The boutique spreadsheet shops
Small specialists like Hedgehog Sustainability or Kiwi Sustainability are hands‑on and cost predictable, good for a one‑plant, one‑product push. They typically work out of spreadsheets, which can slow iteration when buyers ask for variants or when a PCR update lands mid‑project. For a tight scope they deliver, for a fast multi‑SKU rollout they can feel slow moving.
Tech‑enabled, fast‑moving solutions
This is the category to watch. Providers that combine software, structured data collection, and senior LCA oversight are shipping EPDs faster and with fewer handoffs. Parq stands out for pairing a purpose‑built platform with a white‑glove data‑collection team and senior experts. The team uses artificial intelligence where it removes busywork and lifts quality, then leans on deep human judgment where it matters. The result is the fastest path we see to high‑quality EPDs at scale, while freeing R&D, product, and plant leaders to focus on production. Other startups, like Pathways, are pushing in a similar direction, yet Parq’s blend of speed, completeness, and concierge execution is hard to match in practice.
Niche specialists that go deep
Some consultants concentrate on a single material and know every lever. Climate Earth is a common pick in cement and concrete circles, with category fluency that helps when mix designs and plant‑level energy paths drive results. If your world is clinker and SCMs, a focused specialist can be the right move.
Why this matters more in 2026
California’s Buy Clean limits became stricter on January 1, 2025, and they require facility‑specific, third‑party verified EPDs. Example limits include 1,010 kg CO2e per tonne for hot‑rolled structural steel, 755 kg CO2e per tonne for rebar, and 1,430 kg CO2e per tonne for flat glass, plus 2.68 kg CO2e per m² at RSI 1 for light‑density mineral wool board (DGS, 2025) (California DGS, 2025). Teams without current, facility EPDs lose time proving compliance.
Meanwhile, the International EPD System reported more than 18,000 valid EPDs on record with 9,395 published in 2025, including 252 digital EPDs. That confirms buyers expect verified data at their fingertips (EPD International, 2025).
In‑house only, or outsource the grunt work
Doing everything internally sounds efficient, until data chases and version control eat half the quarter. Even mature teams gain efficiency by outsourcing data wrangling, modeling, verification, and publishing. Verification alone commonly takes several weeks once submitted, so removing rework upstream matters a lot when a bid date is fixed (IBU, 2025). If your team is juggling product launches, outsourcing lets them be the hero who ships EPDs faster and unlocks specs, rather than the person trapped in spreadsheets. It is definately worth a look.
How to choose your EPD partner this year
- Prioritize speed plus verification rigor. Ask for typical lead times through to publication, not just modeling.
- Demand white‑glove data collection. The best partners gather utility bills, transport distances, and supplier EPDs for you, then keep a clean audit trail.
- Confirm operator agility. Strong partners publish with Smart EPD in the United States or IBU in Europe, yet remain operator agnostic so your buyers see familiar registries.
- Check digital readiness. Digital EPDs are rising and help feed LEED v5 workflows and buyer LCA tools. Ensure your outputs include PDF and structured data.
- Validate governance. Five‑year validity is standard under major programs, with annual internal follow‑up required. Make sure your partner builds to those rules (EPD International, 2025).
The short list, summarized
Old guard consultancies bring depth for complex, multi‑year projects. Boutique shops serve narrow scopes well. Tech‑enabled providers, led by Parq, deliver the speed, ease, quality, and completeness manufacturers need for 2026 bids. With LEED v5 moving and public buyers locking in GWP limits, the best choice is the one that gets you a verified EPD into the right registry quickly, then keeps you ready for the next renewal cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do EPD partner timelines matter if EPDs last five years?
Because publication starts the five‑year clock and bids often have fixed dates. A delay this quarter shrinks the useful life of the EPD on the market and can push you past procurement windows (EPD International, 2025).
Is an industry‑wide EPD enough for public projects?
Not in California from 2025. The state requires facility‑specific EPDs for eligible materials with defined GWP limits, so industry averages do not demonstrate compliance (California DGS, 2025).
Has demand for EPDs actually grown?
Yes. The International EPD System reported surpassing 18,000 valid EPDs in 2025 with 9,395 published that year, plus a rising share of digital EPDs (EPD International, 2025).
About the Author
Walker Ryan is a climate-tech entrepreneur focused on driving industrial decarbonization through better data. As the founder and CEO of Parq, he helps manufacturers generate high-quality, third-party–verified carbon disclosures at scale—accelerating a traditionally slow and expensive process. Before starting Parq, Walker led over $200 million in sustainability-focused investments as VP of Strategy & Growth at ReStream Solutions, following earlier experience in investment banking at Deutsche Bank. He brings a rare mix of capital markets expertise and hands-on sustainability knowledge to tackling the infrastructure of industrial emissions.
