Environmental Product Declarations: Why They Matter Now
A single missing EPD can boot your product from a bid faster than a grumpy bouncer. Yet manufacturers still treat declarations as optional paperwork. With new rating systems, data-hungry specifiers, and carbon math on every tender, skipping an EPD in 2025 is like launching a phone without a camera—possible, but painfully uncompetitive.
Compliance keeps the gate unlocked
Building codes and procurement policies from California to Copenhagen now require documented embodied-carbon data. LEED v5, ratified on March 28 2025, makes life-cycle assessment and EPD analysis baseline prerequisites for most credits (USGBC, 2025). No declaration means no points and, often, no entry to the project short-list.
Specifiers shop with spreadsheets, not brochures
A global survey found 80 % of architects, engineers, and contractors say EPDs shape material choices (Building Enclosure, 2025). Digital tools let them sort options by kg CO₂e in seconds. If your product lacks an EPD, it drops to the bottom of the column and stays there.
Trust is the new currency in a greenwashing crackdown
Regulators may have paused the EU Green Claims Directive negotiations, but authorities still fine companies for vague eco-promises (Reuters, 2025). Third-party-verified EPDs replace fluffy slogans with ISO-backed numbers, protecting brand credibility when marketing teams get creative.
Carbon math fuels better margins inside the plant
In one concrete study, 98 % of engineers and contractors use EPDs on at least some projects, and 55 % use them on all projects. Their demand pushes suppliers to track hotspots and cut waste in energy, cement, or transport, often trimming cost alongside carbon (Dodge Construction Network, 2022).
Faster bids, shorter sales cycles
Spec-ready data removes a round of Q&A during tender review. Sales teams report that having product-specific EPDs shaves one to three weeks off typical submittal timelines for public works. Solid cross-industry numbers are scarce, but anecdotal evidence stacks up across metals, glass, and insulation lines.
What to ask before you commission an EPD
- Is the provider collecting primary plant data or guessing from averages?
- Will they manage PCR selection and program-operator submission for you?
- How quickly can they publish, and in which markets?
Pick a partner who treats data wrangling as their job, not yours. There is less bureaucracy than you might expect, data flows smooth.
Bottom-line snapshot
EPDs are no longer a nice-to-have sustainability badge. They are passports to regulated markets, accelerators for revenue, and blueprints for operational efficiency. Manufacturers that invest now will read their product name on more specification sheets tomorrow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which rating systems currently award points for product-specific EPDs?
LEED v4 and v5, BREEAM v7, and Germany’s DGNB all allocate material credits for Type III EPDs.
How long does an EPD stay valid before renewal?
Most program operators set the validity at five years, unless major process changes occur sooner.
Do we need different EPDs for North America and Europe?
Often yes. Regional PCRs and program operator rules differ, though one core LCA can feed multiple declarations with smart scoping.
Can small production runs justify the cost of an EPD?
Yes when the product targets high-spec projects. One curtain wall order on a stadium can repay the declaration fee many times over.
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.
