SCHOTT, specialty glass, and today’s EPD reality

Who SCHOTT is, and what they sell into buildings

SCHOTT is a diversified specialty‑glass group spanning pharma packaging, optics, semiconductors, consumer appliances, and architecture. For construction, the relevant lines are fire‑protective glass‑ceramics under the PYRAN and PYRANOVA families, plus borosilicate flat glass such as BOROFLOAT used in select architectural details. That is two main building categories with variants by thickness, lamination, and coatings, so we are looking at dozens of SKUs rather than thousands.

EPD snapshot as of December 8, 2025

We found legacy EN 15804 EPDs published via IBU for PYRAN and for insulated glazing assemblies, both issued in 2015 and marked valid until April 1, 2021, then lapsed (IBU, 2015) (EPD PYRAN, 2015, EPD Mehrscheiben‑Isolierglas, 2015). We could not locate any currently valid, product‑specific EPDs for SCHOTT’s architectural glass in IBU.data or Environdec as of today. If new ones exist, they are not publicly listed where specifiers typically look.

Why this matters commercially

Project teams targeting low‑carbon outcomes and preparing for LEED v5 are steering toward product‑specific EPDs to avoid conservative default factors in embodied‑carbon accounting. Without an EPD, a product often carries a penalty in the tally, which makes substitution more likely and compresses pricing power. One EPD can tip a short‑list, which is why many competitors have refreshed declarations in 2024 and 2025.

Competitor activity you will meet on bids

Several direct alternatives in fire‑rated glazing now carry current EPDs, published under reputable operators:

• Vetrotech Saint‑Gobain, multiple CONTRAFLAM EPDs published in June 2025, valid to 2030, under EPD International. Examples include CONTRAFLAM 60 CLIMATOP and CONTRAFLAM 30 CLIMAPLUS (EPD International, 2025) (EPD‑IES‑0004245, 2025, EPD‑IES‑0024242, 2025).
• AGC Glass Europe, Pyrobel‑T fire‑resistant glass EPD initial version dated June 18, 2025, valid to 2030 (EPD International, 2025) (EPD‑IES‑0024571, 2025).
• Pilkington NSG holds a suite of flat‑glass EPDs in Europe and North America that often underpin system assemblies used around fire‑rated solutions, with validity windows into 2028 or 2030 (EPD International, 2023–2025) (EPD‑IES‑0008816, 2023, EPD‑IES‑0021621, 2025).

On product pages, several of these brands also flag “EPD Verified” to signal easy specification pathing, which matters when schedules are tight and submittals must clear quickly.

Likely best‑seller without a current EPD

In North America, PYRAN Platinum is positioned for 90 to 180 minute applications in doors, sidelites, and windows with UL listings and large sheet sizes that fabricators like to work with. It is a strong spec candidate on life‑safety performance, yet a lapsed EPD means it can be swapped for a fire‑protective or fire‑resistive unit that arrives with a 2025‑dated declaration. That is avoidable revenue left on the table.

What a fast EPD plan could look like

Think of the PCR as the Monopoly rulebook. Pick the rulebook competitors already use for fire‑rated glazing, most often EN 15804 with the flat‑glass c‑PCR referenced by recent Vetrotech and AGC EPDs. Then batch variants. One background report can support a family of PYRAN or PYRANOVA thicknesses and laminations, so you cover most of the ordering curve with fewer verifications.

Two time checks help with planning. IBU currently guides that third‑party verification often runs near six months due to demand, on top of data prep and final approvals (IBU, 2025) (IBU FAQ, 2025). And SCHOTT’s own energy work, like a 14.5 GWh per year solar CPPA in Germany, is a credible story to weave into corporate sustainability narratives while product EPDs come online (SCHOTT, 2025) (CPPA media release, 2025).

Where SCHOTT shines on sustainability, and how to use it

SCHOTT’s corporate targets are not window dressing. The company keeps a climate‑neutral‑by‑2030 production goal and has improved its EcoVadis standing, ranked in the top 3% of rated companies in 2024, which resonates with owner ESG screens (SCHOTT, 2024) (EcoVadis Gold, 2024). Pointing specifiers to a sustainability hub helps, yet for building products the proof point that clears approvals remains the product‑specific EPD. SCHOTT’s climate content is a strong supporting act, not the ticket to entry. A good internal link to surface is the sustainability news stream and climate updates on schott.com.

Product coverage and gaps, in plain view

• Coverage today: historic EPDs for fire‑protective glass and an insulated assembly are public, but expired. Current architectural SKUs appear uncovered by valid EPDs, which limits smooth adoption on projects with low‑carbon requirements.
• Gaps: PYRAN Platinum filmed and laminated variants, plus common PYRANOVA configurations, would benefit from an updated family EPD. If BOROFLOAT is promoted for architectural uses in a region, a dedicated flat‑glass EPD aligned to the c‑PCR would bolster bids.
• Competitive reality: fire‑resistive units with 2025‑dated EPDs are already in the market, so waiting risks being value‑engineered out late in design or during submittals.

What we would prioritize first

1. Pick the scope that maps to real revenue, for example PYRAN Platinum F and L in the most ordered thicknesses. Bundle variants in one verification set to compress timelines.
2. Mirror the c‑PCR operator and geography used by the competitors you face most often, so your declaration is apples to apples at bid time.
3. Lock the data year and collection plan early. The heaviest lift is internal data wrangling, not modeling. A white‑glove partner keeps senior engineering time focused on exceptions, not spreadsheets. It sounds obvious, but it defintely saves months.

Closing thought

SCHOTT’s building portfolio is targeted rather than broad, which is good news. A compact set of fresh EPDs would cover most of the specs they chase and remove a silent discount that shows up when a contractor reaches for a 2025‑dated alternative. The market is moving, and in this case a few precise documents will do more than a hundred brochures.

If you want a quick primer on their fire‑glass line while sustainability work proceeds, SCHOTT’s PYRAN Platinum page is a clean starting point, and their climate updates live in the news section. For a company‑wide view, see the sustainability‑related media releases on schott.com.