ISO 14025: The Passport Behind Credible EPDs
A nutrition label is only useful when everyone trusts what is on the back of the box. The same applies to an Environmental Product Declaration. ISO 14025 sets the rules that keep every EPD honest, comparable, and accepted on job sites where a single missing credential can erase you from the bid list overnight.
What ISO 14025 Actually Says
The standard defines Type III environmental declarations—data-heavy reports built on verified life-cycle assessments and governed by an independent program operator (ISO, 2022). It lays out how product category rules (PCRs) guide the math, how third-party reviewers check the work, and how results must be presented so specifiers can compare apples to apples.
Why Manufacturers Should Care
Public projects and green-building frameworks now treat EPDs as gatekeepers. Nearly three quarters of North American design teams refuse to consider products lacking a verified declaration (NIBS, 2025). ISO 14025 compliance turns an EPD into a passport that gets your product through those checkpoints and onto more drawings.
Proof Beats Promises in Bids
Specification writers trust numbers, not marketing copy. An EPD stamped under ISO 14025 signals that your carbon data passed a forensic audit. That credibility can shorten value-engineering debates and lock in margins because the discussion shifts from “Can we trust this claim?” to “When can you ship?”
Speed Bumps to Certification
Gathering plant-level utility data, aligning it with the correct PCR, and managing verifier feedback often drags on for months. Internal teams juggle that work on top of R&D and customer deadlines, so documents stall and bid windows close.
Cut the Timeline, Not Corners
Parq trims the average EPD timeline by roughly seventy percent by combining a purpose-built platform with a white-glove data-collection crew. You supply the raw process insights; we turn them into ISO-ready evidence without parking your engineers in spreadsheet jail. The result is a declaration you can hand to any program operator with confidence in its speed and rigor.
Ready to Translate Compliance into Sales?
An ISO 14025-compliant EPD is more than paperwork. It is a sales engine that gets your product specified faster and more often. Connect with John to swap stories, ask tough questions, or map out the shortest path from raw data to market-moving credibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ISO 14025 mandatory for public bids?
Many green-building programs and government contracts require Type III declarations—ISO 14025 is the only framework that defines them (US GSA, 2024).
Does ISO 14025 dictate what PCR I use?
No, but it demands you follow a PCR approved by a recognized program operator; skip that step and verifiers will reject the EPD.
How long does an ISO-compliant EPD usually take?
Traditional consultants quote 6–12 months; streamlined data collection can cut that to roughly 8–12 weeks (Parq, 2025).
Can one EPD cover several factories?
Only if the PCR allows averaging; otherwise you need separate declarations or a weighted average backed by clear justification.
How often must an ISO 14025 EPD be updated?
Every 5 years or sooner if your process changes by more than 10 % in key impacts (ISO, 2022).
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.