Pathways vs Parq for EPDs and HPDs
Choosing an environmental certification route can feel like picking a hero in a strategy game. One path gives you tools and training, the other brings an elite squad that plays the levels for you. If your team is juggling production deadlines and sales asks, the right choice is the one that gets a verified EPD or HPD published without derailing day jobs.
What buyers actually need from you
Owners and design teams want product specific, third party verified EPDs and increasingly HPDs to clear embodied carbon and materials transparency requirements. Public procurement alone shapes massive demand, representing roughly 12 percent of GDP across OECD countries (OECD, 2024). Getting the credential in hand early keeps you in the spec instead of being swapped for a comparable product that already qualifies.
What “Pathways” usually means in practice
Software centered pathways give manufacturers a guided workflow for LCA, data entry, and modeling. They suit teams with strong internal data discipline who can coordinate plants, utilities, and verification themselves. The tradeoff is time and attention. Most of the project management, data chasing, and evidence gathering still sits with your people, which can stretch timelines when plants are busy.
What a Parq style model delivers
A platform plus white glove data collection model lifts the heaviest work off your engineers and product managers. We coordinate bills of materials, metering, waste streams, transport, and supplier requests, then run the LCA to program operator requirements. The result is speed, ease, and high confidence numbers that land on a verifier’s desk with fewer back and forths.
EPD, LCA, HPD fundamentals without the jargon
An LCA is the math. An EPD is the audited report that follows ISO 14025 and EN 15804 rules. An HPD is a disclosure for ingredients and hazards aligned to the HPD Open Standard. If a tool or service cannot explain your system boundary and scenarios in plain English, it will not fly with a verifier or a savvy specifier.
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Standards and who verifies what
For construction products, EN 15804 is the core EPD rule set in Europe and a common reference globally. Program operators run the review and publication workflow. In the United States many manufacturers publish with Smart EPD. In Europe many choose IBU. The operator does not change your LCA math, yet it can influence lead times, formats, and where buyers look first.
Timelines and renewals that protect bids
EPDs typically carry a five year renewal cycle under ISO 14025 and program operator rules, with re verification on updated PCRs at renewal when applicable (ISO 14025, 2022; EPD International GPI, 2024). If you are within six to nine months of expiry, plan your refresh so sales is never left answering awkward questions mid tender.
Cost talk that respects reality
Fees vary with product complexity, number of plants, data readiness, and the program operator. Reliable public averages are scarce because scopes differ. What we do see consistently is that the credential often pays back quickly when it unlocks access to carbon constrained projects and shortens due diligence for procurement teams. Saying the quiet part out loud helps sales prioritize.
How to choose your route in under five minutes
If you have a seasoned sustainability team, consolidated utilities data, and one or two plants, a software pathway can work well. If your products span multiple sites, ERP data is patchy, and sales needs certificates this quarter, a platform plus white glove service is typically faster and lower risk for the same internal calendar time. It is not just about license cost, it is about leadership attention and calendar weeks saved.
Questions to ask before you commit
- Who owns plant data wrangling and supplier outreach in week one
- Which program operator will publish the EPD and why that pick
- How verification is scheduled and who prepares responses for reviewers
- How updates are handled when a PCR changes or a grid factor shifts
- What the timeline looks like if a plant misses a data pull by two weeks
Commercial edge without heroics
Pick the route that minimizes disruption for the people you cannot spare. A credible EPD or HPD removes friction in bids, helps maintain price integrity, and keeps your product in play when embodied carbon and material credits move from nice to necessary in LEED v5 aligned projects. That is the quiet advantage that wins more specs, more often, and it should be your north star. It definately should.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “Pathways” refer to in this comparison?
A software centered approach where the manufacturer’s team leads data collection and coordination using guided tools for LCA and EPD preparation.
What is the main difference in a Parq style model?
A platform plus white glove service that handles data collection, project management, and verification prep so internal teams spend far less time.
Do program operators change the LCA results?
No. Operators manage verification and publication. They influence workflow, formatting, and timelines, not the underlying LCA math.
How long do EPDs remain valid?
Typically five years under ISO 14025 and program operator rules, with updates at renewal if PCRs change (ISO 14025, 2022; EPD International GPI, 2024).
What if I lack full year data for a new product?
A prospective EPD can sometimes be issued with partial data and then updated after a full reference year, depending on the operator and PCR.
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.
