CarbonBright for manufacturers: what it is and where it fits

What CarbonBright is

CarbonBright is a software company offering an AI‑native product sustainability stack. The platform bundles rapid life cycle assessment, Scope 3 supplier data workflows, and configurable reporting. The website describes four modules: Life Cycle Assessment, ScopeTrack, TrustLabel for claims communication, and Certify for regulatory and standards reporting that includes ISO 14067, ISO 14040, PEF and EPD support.

Where it fits in an EPD journey

For a manufacturer pursuing product‑specific EPDs, CarbonBright positions itself in data intake, modeling, and draft documentation. Program operator selection, independent verification, PCR alignment, and publication still sit outside the software and must be planned with a verifier and operator. That handoff is critical if the end goal is a Type III EPD a specifier can download.

Data inputs and AI gap‑filling

Per CarbonBright’s materials, the system blends primary product data with public and proprietary datasets such as ecoinvent and Agri‑footprint, then uses AI to match, model, and fill gaps. This can speed early scoping when supplier data is thin. It also raises governance questions any team should resolve up front, like factor versioning, regionalization, and how substitutions are logged for audit trails.

Outputs and documentation

The platform generates ISO 14040 and ISO 14067 reports and claims to be audit‑ready for EPD use when aligned to the right PCR. TrustLabel is marketed for customer‑facing impact communication. CarbonBright also states it holds SOC 2 certification, which is relevant for IT review and purchasing. Teams is wise to request the exact scope and latest attestation letter.

Standards and market pull

Two realities drive software choices here. First, LEED v4.1 still moves materials. Its MR credit for EPDs typically asks for 20 products from 5 manufacturers, with product‑specific Type III EPDs counting as 1.5 products toward that tally (USGBC Credit Library, 2024) (USGBC, 2024). Second, LEED v5 was ratified on March 28, 2025 and keeps disclosure pathways while pushing harder on embodied‑carbon outcomes, so verified EPDs remain essential signals in submittals (USGBC, 2025) (USGBC, 2025).

Who seems to benefit most

CarbonBright markets to product companies with complex portfolios, especially CPG and packaging, and any manufacturer standing up Scope 3 processes alongside product‑level LCAs. Construction‑oriented teams can use it to model alternatives, organize supplier outreach, and prepare EPD documentation, provided verification and publication steps are locked in with a program operator.

What to ask before you choose

• Which PCRs does the platform actively support today, and how are updates handled when PCR versions change.
• How primary supplier data is captured, validated, and locked, including audit logs and approvals.
• Which LCI datasets are in use, which versions, and how regional electricity, transport, and end‑of‑life are parameterized.
• Whether there are standing partnerships with specific verifiers or program operators, and what the publication handoff looks like.
• Data ownership, export formats, SOC 2 scope, and how quickly we can extract a complete LCA package for third‑party review.

Commercial takeaways

If your goal is to win specs, treat CarbonBright as a modeling and documentation engine that can accelerate the front half of EPD work. Pair it with a clear verification and publication plan so the finished declaration is accepted in bids, contributes to LEED, and avoids carbon accounting penalties that knock products out early. The ROI shows up when submittals move faster and your product is not sidelined for missing proof. That is the boring, bankable edge we care about.

Our stance

We like tools that collapse admin time, provided data provenance stays crystal clear. CarbonBright’s pitch is speed and scale with AI. The deciding factor is how well it fits your PCR, verifier, and operator path. Run a pilot on one product line, verify an EPD end‑to‑end, then scale if the workflow actually saves weeks. Otherwise it is just another dashboard, definately not what your sales team needs.