EPDs have increasingly become a strategic lever for manufacturers to engage builders during the product specification process.
By providing verified, standardized environmental data, EPDs equip manufacturers with the documentation builders need to frame low-carbon, reduced–environmental impact materials as the next evolution of standard practice—one that aligns with rising consumer expectations.
At the same time, EPDs create a common language across the value chain. They allow manufacturers, builders, and homeowners to move beyond high-level sustainability claims and engage in more substantive, data-driven discussions about embodied carbon and material performance. EPDs spark the conversations that bring stakeholders together and set the stage for collaborative industry-wide decarbonization.
COGNITION Smart Data underscores the growing importance of EPDs in material selection. 64% of builders report increasing consumer demand for EPD-backed products, reinforcing the market pull for transparent environmental disclosures.
In response, 41% of builders now consider EPDs a must-have when selecting products, while another 50% view them as influential (although not a deal breaker). Together, these findings indicate that products with EPDs enjoy a clear advantage during the specification process.
COGNITION Smart Data further shows that EPDs are not an afterthought. Builders most often evaluate EPDs early in the build process, during the product specification phase (35%) and design phase (30%), when material choices have the greatest downstream impact on cost, compliance, and performance.
Specification patterns from COGNITION Smart Data reveal where EPD adoption is gaining traction. Builders most commonly select EPD-certified products in categories such as building wrap, decking, flooring, and doors, where cost premiums tend to be lower and sustainability attributes are easier to justify. In contrast, roofing, siding, and windows lag behind, reflecting higher upfront costs, longer replacement cycles, and more limited availability of EPD-certified options.
The true value of EPDs lies not only in the data they provide but in the structured conversations they facilitate among builders, manufacturers, and homeowners, turning transparency into actionable steps toward decarbonization.
Like this COGNITION Hot Take? We have more! Unlock the data driving the industry’s sustainability transformation to build smarter and sell faster. Subscribe to COGNITION Smart Data.
Victoria Muharsky is an ESG specialist at Green Builder Media, where she leads the ESG for Building Working Group. Under her guidance, the group has successfully overseen the release of the groundbreaking ESG Defining Principles. Crafted collaboratively by industry experts, these guidelines are revolutionizing the homebuilding sector's approach to ESG and sustainability.
EPDs Are the Conversation Starter
EPDs have increasingly become a strategic lever for manufacturers to engage builders during the product specification process.
At the same time, EPDs create a common language across the value chain. They allow manufacturers, builders, and homeowners to move beyond high-level sustainability claims and engage in more substantive, data-driven discussions about embodied carbon and material performance. EPDs spark the conversations that bring stakeholders together and set the stage for collaborative industry-wide decarbonization.
COGNITION Smart Data underscores the growing importance of EPDs in material selection. 64% of builders report increasing consumer demand for EPD-backed products, reinforcing the market pull for transparent environmental disclosures.
In response, 41% of builders now consider EPDs a must-have when selecting products, while another 50% view them as influential (although not a deal breaker). Together, these findings indicate that products with EPDs enjoy a clear advantage during the specification process.
COGNITION Smart Data further shows that EPDs are not an afterthought. Builders most often evaluate EPDs early in the build process, during the product specification phase (35%) and design phase (30%), when material choices have the greatest downstream impact on cost, compliance, and performance.
Specification patterns from COGNITION Smart Data reveal where EPD adoption is gaining traction. Builders most commonly select EPD-certified products in categories such as building wrap, decking, flooring, and doors, where cost premiums tend to be lower and sustainability attributes are easier to justify. In contrast, roofing, siding, and windows lag behind, reflecting higher upfront costs, longer replacement cycles, and more limited availability of EPD-certified options.
The true value of EPDs lies not only in the data they provide but in the structured conversations they facilitate among builders, manufacturers, and homeowners, turning transparency into actionable steps toward decarbonization.
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Like this COGNITION Hot Take? We have more! Unlock the data driving the industry’s sustainability transformation to build smarter and sell faster. Subscribe to COGNITION Smart Data.
By Victoria Muharsky
Victoria Muharsky is an ESG specialist at Green Builder Media, where she leads the ESG for Building Working Group. Under her guidance, the group has successfully overseen the release of the groundbreaking ESG Defining Principles. Crafted collaboratively by industry experts, these guidelines are revolutionizing the homebuilding sector's approach to ESG and sustainability.Also Read