Personal reflections on 14 years delivering EPDs
by Chris Erickson, Founder and Chairman, Climate Earth
In 2011, Climate Earth set out with a bold idea: to automate Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for concrete. At the time, EPDs were barely on the radar—complex, manual, and mostly academic. But we saw something bigger. We believed that if we could make EPDs fast, scalable, and accessible, they could become the foundation for a low-carbon transformation across the concrete industry.
On April 23, 2013, Central Concrete announced the first EPDs for concrete mixes in the United States—and the world’s first automated EPD generator, powered by Climate Earth. That moment marked the beginning of a journey that’s now spanned 14 years.
Since then, EPDs have evolved from a “nice to have” into a requirement for LEED projects public infrastructure and most large commercial projects. More importantly, they’ve become the baseline measurement system for carbon-informed decision making—enabling every mix, every project, and every specification to be shaped by sustainability.
This shift has been both technical and cultural. We’ve seen software innovation accelerate, business models adapt, and industry leaders embrace transparency as a competitive advantage. What started as a tool for compliance is now a catalyst for change.
Looking back, I’m proud of what we’ve built—but even more excited about what’s ahead. The concrete industry is no longer waiting to be told what to do. It’s leading. And EPDs are the compass guiding us toward a low-carbon future.
From Data to Decisions: The Road Ahead for Carbon-Informed Concrete
The concrete industry is no longer just reacting to sustainability—it’s architecting it. As environmental data becomes central to business strategy, EPDs must evolve from isolated automation tools into embedded intelligence within the software that powers daily operations. This shift demands more than integration—it requires purpose-built, carbon-informed platforms that understand the unique tempo and constraints of concrete production.
Ready mix concrete is unlike any other sector. Products are designed and delivered daily, constrained by geography, and governed by a 90-minute shelf life. To support real-time, carbon-smart decisions, software must be deeply attuned to these realities.
Innovations coming this Fall with first looks at ConcreteWorks in Orlando October 10-12,
Climate Earth is continuing our leadership in innovation with a new generation of capabilities purpose built for the concrete industry. These include:
- AI-enabled mix optimization, powered by the world’s largest Concrete EPD database
- An advanced version of the Tarantula curve to further automate mix design around workability and reduced carbon.
- Intelligent transport analysis. Launching a whole new product line enabling concrete producers to make carbon and cost informed selection of suppliers.
- Intelligent data collection that speeds the data collection process from weeks to hours
These latest innovations—AI-driven mix optimization, intelligent transport analysis, and accelerated data collection—are purpose built for the concrete industry are strategic enablers, the foundation for an industry that is transforming itself to be the low carbon leader of the construction industry.
What’s next?
A full-spectrum transformation. The next generation of platforms will extend carbon and cost intelligence beyond the mix and the plant—into the entire supply chain. Cement, aggregate, block, and ready mix will operate in a shared data ecosystem, enabling transparent, fluid collaboration. The industry is shifting from cost-informed to carbon-and-cost optimized. And software is leading the way.
A Final thought on transformation
I founded Climate Earth in 2008 and helped start the CLF in 2009 when a small group of us recruited Kate Simonen to become Director and leader of CLF at the University of Washington where it has become the nation’s advocate and thought leader for reducing embodied carbon in the built environment.
For me personally, after 17 years at Climate Earth, I have stepped into the role of Chairman and recruited Karl Laughton ([email protected]) to take Climate Earth into this exciting new era for sustainable concrete. Karl has a deep background in software and is rapidly applying that expertise to lead Climate Earth into the future. I know he is excited to meet the many leaders from concrete and the AEC industry that have pioneered the need for reduced embodied carbon in construction. Please reach out to him.
Chris Erickson is the Chairman & Co-Founder of Climate Earth, the first and only global provider of on-demand, digital EPDs and business intelligence tools for the concrete industry. Climate Earth’s mission is to increase transparency and help concrete producers accelerate product innovation with on-demand EPDs and advanced digital tools that measure, analyze, and project environmental impacts. Founded in 2008 and based in Richmond, California, Climate Earth systems have automated EPD creation for over 500 ready mix, block and cement plants worldwide and have generated nearly 50,000 EPDs.
The next generation of platforms will extend carbon and cost intelligence beyond the mix and the plant—into the entire supply chain. Cement, aggregate, block, and ready mix will operate in a shared data ecosystem, enabling transparent, fluid collaboration.
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