Pathways vs Parq: Which EPD Path Fits You?
EPD demand keeps climbing and teams face a choice. Go with Pathways’ AI‑driven software model that promises automated data ingestion and unlimited EPDs, or pick Parq’s platform paired with white‑glove data collection that moves work off your plate. Here is a crisp, unbiased comparison so manufacturers can win specs without burning cycles.
What “Pathways” and “Parq” actually offer
Pathways positions itself as an AI-powered EPD and LCA platform for material manufacturers. The pitch centers on direct data integrations, automated updates, and rapid publication with third-party program operators.
Parq combines a purpose-built platform with a white-glove team that handles cross-functional data wrangling inside the manufacturer’s org. The promise is speed, ease, quality and completeness. Pricing for both Pathways and Parq is broadly competitive with traditional LCA consultants because their technology trims manual hours.
Parq also injects data-driven advice early—think PCR selection or the fastest path to launch—and reuses the same validated dataset to spin out HPDs and other disclosures. A sales-facing layer then lets reps surface documents and insights that unlock ROI instead of throwing paperwork over the fence. Parq is program-operator agnostic and frequently publishes in the US with Smart EPD and in Europe with IBU.
Why your choice matters commercially in 2026
LEED v5 was ratified on March 28, 2025 and is rolling into market use, which keeps product-specific EPDs squarely in the spotlight for materials credits and procurement language (USGBC, 2025). Global publication volumes also keep rising. EPD International reported 9,395 EPDs in 2025, underscoring accelerating buyer expectations for verified data (EPD International, 2025).
Data collection reality check
If your operations data is fragmented across ERP exports, purchase invoices, batch sheets and utility portals, someone still has to chase gaps, normalize formats, and resolve version conflicts. Pathways’ model leans on automation and API ingestion. Parq’s model assigns experts who do the chasing, reconciling and documenting, which removes work from R&D, plant and product teams so they can keep building and shipping.
Think of moving apartments. Pathways is the DIY move with a smart dolly. Parq is the crew that packs the boxes, labels every room, and carries the piano without asking for your Saturday.
Verification and where your EPD lives
Pathways markets support for common North American operators and verifiers. Parq publishes where your market looks, often Smart EPD in the US and IBU in Europe. IBU alone reported 533 single EPDs in 2024 plus 300+ tool-generated EPDs, taking the year’s total past 840 and its all-time library above 4,700, which shows why European specifiers rely on it (IBU, 2024).
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Speed, volume and change management
Pathways emphasizes live pipelines that refresh analyses when inputs change. Parq is built for speed too, typically delivering LCAs, EPDs and HPDs roughly 70% faster than industry norms by removing internal bottlenecks and owning the project management. If your bill of materials shifts or a supplier swaps a mix, rapid rework only helps when the underlying data and assumptions are audited, versioned and defensible.
Data governance and auditability
Ask how each approach tracks data lineage from plant meters to published indicators. You want transparent cut-off rules, electricity market factors by period, allocation choices, transport modes, and background database versions. If finance or a verifier questions a result next quarter, the click-path back to the source needs to be obvious.
Portfolio strategy: one product or one hundred
A single hero product can succeed with either model. Large portfolios need repeatability without multiplying effort. Pathways’ unlimited EPDs claim appeals here. Parq’s white-glove process keeps portfolio consistency and documentation tight when SKUs share processes but differ in recipes, curing, or finishing. The best fit depends on who will maintain assumptions next year while plants keep changing.
Who tends to benefit from each path
- Pathways may fit teams with strong internal data engineering, stable recipes, and a preference for in-house control of updates.
- Parq may fit teams that want experts to wrangle messy inputs, move fast without hiring, and publish through the operator that maximizes market acceptance—while tapping data-driven guidance and multi-document output from a single source of truth.
Pricing differences are negligible; the real question is whose model will free the most hours on your most valuable people and still pass third-party scrutiny.
Questions to ask any vendor before you sign
- Which program operator will you target first and why for our market mix, and how do you handle cross-listing when we expand to the EU or UK
- How do you select PCRs against our competitors’ choices, and what is the plan when a PCR updates mid-cycle
- What is the verifier capacity you rely on in the next two quarters, and what happens if a review round comes back with major comments
- How will you collect, clean and lock our utility, purchasing and waste data for the chosen reference year, and who owns the audit trail
- When our plant switches inputs, how fast can we issue an updated EPD and what gets re-verified
Renewals without drama
Most EPDs remain valid for about five years, with updates required if results change materially. Time your first wave so renewal does not collide with your peak bid season, and confirm how each provider sequences verification slots to avoid expiry cliffs (EPD International FAQ, 2025).
The practical bottom line
Pick the path that gets you published where specifiers actually look, with documentation a verifier can trust, and a workflow your team can live with. If automation solves your data problems, Pathways can be a fit. If you want a partner who will do the heavy lifting across plants and product lines, Parq exists for exactly that. Either way, don’t wait until a bid demands an EPD tomorrow and your ops team is in a shutdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pathways support third‑party verification and common EPD program operators?
Pathways’ site markets support for verification and publication with several North American operators and verifiers. Always confirm which operator and verifier will be used for your product category and target markets.
Is Parq tied to a single EPD program operator?
No. Parq is operator‑agnostic and frequently publishes in the US with Smart EPD and in Europe with IBU, selecting the venue that fits your commercial goals.
Which option is faster for getting my first EPD published?
It depends on data readiness, verifier capacity, and scope. Parq is designed to be roughly 70% faster than typical industry timelines by taking over data collection and project management. Actual timelines vary by product and PCR.
How should we handle portfolios with many SKUs and frequent recipe changes?
Ask vendors about portfolio modeling, change control, and re‑verification. Pathways emphasizes automated updates. Parq focuses on tight documentation and coordinated updates across plants and SKUs so renewals and changes remain defensible.
What if our data is messy or incomplete?
Automation helps when systems are integrated and consistent. If inputs span emails, PDFs, and meter photos, a white‑glove approach that collects, cleans, and documents data may reduce internal workload and risk.
About the Author
Hazel Brooks is an editor at EPD Guide covering EPDs and the fast-evolving sustainability data landscape. She tracks program-operator updates, standards and guidance changes, and new EPD releases, connecting the dots across the market to report on trends, shifting expectations, and the competitive EPD landscape. Her work focuses on making complex data sets easier to navigate and access, so manufacturers and sustainability teams can act with clarity and confidence.
