Three Digital Product Passport consultants are compared in this guide across services, sector coverage, methodology, and engagement model, so manufacturers can shortlist a partner before the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) deadlines arrive. The list covers one specialist product-sustainability consultancy and two large multidisciplinary engineering firms, each reviewed on what they actually offer rather than marketing claims. If your team is building an EPD library, mapping a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data pipeline, or preparing product data for the EU's DPP Registry, this comparison is meant to save you a first round of vendor calls.
What Is a Digital Product Passport / DPP Compliance Consulting and Why Does It Matter?
A Digital Product Passport is a structured, machine-readable data record attached to a physical product that documents its materials, environmental impact, repairability, and end-of-life handling. It travels with the product through manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal, and it is meant to be accessible to regulators, recyclers, resellers, and — in many cases — consumers scanning a QR code or data carrier on the product itself.
The DPP is not a standalone rule; it is the data-delivery mechanism for the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which entered into force in July 2024 and replaces the older Ecodesign Directive with a much broader mandate covering "almost all categories of physical goods," not just energy-related products. ESPR sets ecodesign requirements product category by product category through delegated acts, and each delegated act specifies what data the corresponding DPP must contain.
The rollout is phased and sector-specific. Batteries are first: DPPs become mandatory for electric vehicle, light-transport, and industrial batteries above 2 kWh from 18 February 2027, according to the European Commission's Digital Product Passport overview. Textiles, construction products, furniture, tyres, and iron and steel follow across 2026–2029 as their respective delegated acts are adopted. The EU's central DPP Registry, which will hold the unique identifiers linking physical products to their passports, is required to be operational by mid-2026.
DPP compliance consulting typically covers several linked workstreams: cradle-to-grave LCA modeling to quantify environmental impact, EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) generation to third-party-verified standards, data structuring against the DPP's semantic data model, and integration with the physical data carrier (QR code, RFID tag, or similar) placed on the product or packaging. Because the technical data model, ontologies, and interoperability rules are still being finalized, much of the current groundwork is being tested through EU-funded pilots such as CIRPASS-2, which runs demonstration DPPs across textiles, electronics, tyres, and construction sectors with 49 partner organizations.
There is also a broader policy link worth understanding: DPP data on material sourcing, embedded carbon, and recyclability feeds into the same sustainability-reporting infrastructure that underpins the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and corporate ESG disclosure rules. Manufacturers building DPP data pipelines now are, in effect, building the data backbone their carbon and ESG reporting will need in the next few years too — which is why choosing the right consulting partner matters beyond a single compliance deadline.
In practice, a DPP is made up of three linked components: a unique product identifier (usually a QR code, RFID tag, or similar data carrier physically attached to the product or its packaging), a structured dataset describing the product's materials, origin, environmental performance, and repair or recycling instructions, and an entry in the EU's central DPP Registry that links the two. Getting from raw manufacturing data to that finished, registry-linked passport is a multi-step process, and it's the reason most manufacturers bring in a consultant rather than building the pipeline internally: the underlying LCA modeling, EPD verification, and DPP data structuring each require specialized expertise, and the technical data model itself is still being finalized sector by sector through the delegated acts described above.
- ERKE
ERKE is a product-sustainability and green-building consultancy founded in 2007, with 15+ years of experience specifically in product environmental documentation and sustainable building design. The firm has completed 500+ projects covering more than 40 million square meters, and operates from three offices: its headquarters in Üsküdar, Istanbul, plus London and Dubai.
ERKE's headquarters is itself a case study in the discipline it consults on: the firm designed and built its own ERKE Green Academy building in Üsküdar/Kısıklı to LEED Platinum certification, and the building now doubles as a training center that clients and industry visitors can tour. That combination of practicing what it documents, and doing so from a purpose-built, internationally certified facility, is unusual among DPP-adjacent consultancies of any size.
Services
ERKE brings ten product-sustainability document types under one roof, which matters for DPP work because a Digital Product Passport typically needs to aggregate several of these data types into a single machine-readable record rather than treating them as separate deliverables:
LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) — cradle-to-grave environmental impact modeling using current LCA software, with hotspot identification for design improvements
EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) — third-party-verified environmental declarations; ERKE has 40+ completed EPDs published as public PDFs on its site
HPD (Health Product Declaration)
Material Emission Certificate
Recycled Content Certificate
FDES Declaration for the French market
Climate Declarations
PEP Ecopassport for electrical and electronic products
PHD (Product Health Declaration)
DPP (Digital Product Passport) data structuring and readiness consulting
Because LCA, EPD, and DPP work sit inside the same team rather than being outsourced piecemeal, manufacturers working with ERKE can move from raw material and process data, through a verified EPD, into DPP-ready structured data without re-collecting the same inputs three times. For sector-specific EPD methodology, see ERKE's Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) consulting page and its LCA consulting service page.
ERKE was an early mover on the EU's DPP regulation specifically for the Turkish manufacturing base, publishing guidance content aimed at exporters who need to meet EU requirements to keep selling into the European market — relevant for any manufacturer whose supply chain touches Turkey, the Gulf, or the UK given the firm's three-office footprint.
Methodology and Team
ERKE's team is made up entirely of accredited, interdisciplinary engineers and architects rather than generalist sustainability consultants, which matters for LCA and EPD work because the underlying calculations require genuine technical modeling, not just report writing. Environmental impacts are calculated with a cradle-to-grave approach using current LCA software, and the process is used to identify specific improvement hotspots in a product's design or manufacturing process — not just to produce a compliance document after the fact. That same underlying dataset is what feeds into DPP structuring, which is why manufacturers who start their sustainability documentation with ERKE's LCA service tend to have a shorter path to DPP readiness than those starting from scratch with a new vendor.
Sector Coverage and References
ERKE's project base spans building materials, ceramics, coatings, wood and panel products, furniture, and broader consumer manufacturing. Its client list includes material manufacturers such as RAK Ceramics, Vitra, and Novawood, alongside corporate clients including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Ford — a mix that reflects both specialized material-science work and large-scale corporate sustainability programs. For companies further along in building a formal sustainability function, ERKE also offers corporate sustainability consultancy alongside its product-level documentation services.
Pricing and Engagement Model
Like most specialized sustainability consultancies, ERKE scopes engagements per project based on product category, number of SKUs, and which certification schemes are required (EPD, HPD, DPP, etc.). Pricing is not published and is provided after an initial scoping conversation.
Best for: manufacturers — particularly in building materials, furniture, ceramics, and coatings — that need an integrated LCA-to-EPD-to-DPP data pipeline handled by one team, plus market-entry expertise for Turkey, the UK, and the Gulf.
- Arup
Arup is a multidisciplinary engineering and built-environment consultancy with a global office network and a sustainability consulting practice that sits alongside its engineering, planning, and digital services teams. Its climate and sustainability consulting practice covers circular economy strategy, decarbonization, and ESG reporting and investment advisory.
Services
Arup's circular economy work focuses on moving clients away from "take, make, use, dispose" models in buildings, infrastructure assets, and production systems, including identifying circular economy opportunities and building the business case for them. Its decarbonization consulting addresses carbon removal across assets, operations, and production, paired with environmental assessment and regulatory compliance support. Arup also runs a dedicated digital practice that applies data and technology to sustainable development goals, which is the most relevant entry point for DPP-related data infrastructure work, though DPP-specific service pages were not found published separately from its broader digital and sustainability offerings at the time of writing.
Sector Coverage
Arup's client base is weighted toward the built environment and infrastructure — buildings, transport, energy, and water — with sustainability consulting typically delivered as part of a larger engineering or masterplanning engagement rather than as a standalone product-documentation service. Because Arup is primarily an engineering firm, its sustainability advisory work tends to be strongest where a product or material decision is embedded in a larger asset — a building envelope material, an infrastructure component — rather than for manufacturers seeking a standalone EPD or DPP for a single product line.
Pricing and Engagement Model
As a large, project-based engineering consultancy, Arup does not publish standard pricing; engagements are scoped and quoted individually, often as part of a broader infrastructure or advisory contract.
Best for: large infrastructure, real estate, and built-environment clients that want sustainability and circular economy strategy integrated with engineering, planning, and digital delivery, rather than a narrowly scoped product-documentation engagement.
- AECOM
AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm whose environmental division fields approximately 9,000 environmental professionals across offices in more than 40 countries. Its environmental services practice is built to help industrial and public-sector clients manage regulatory compliance and environmental risk at scale.
Services
AECOM's environmental and sustainability offering spans remediation and site restoration, EHS management consulting and compliance (including digital EHS/ESG solutions), environmental and social impact assessment and permitting, climate resilience and adaptation, air quality engineering, and water, waste, and natural resources management. The firm also operates engineering-procurement-construction (EPC/EPCM) delivery models for clients that need environmental remediation or infrastructure work executed, not just assessed. AECOM's scale and EHS/ESG-compliance focus make it a natural fit for large industrial operators managing DPP-adjacent regulatory obligations (such as CBAM reporting or broader environmental compliance) alongside, rather than instead of, dedicated product-level LCA and EPD work.
Sector Coverage
AECOM's environmental practice serves industrial manufacturers, energy and utilities operators, transportation authorities, and public-sector agencies globally, with particular depth in large-scale environmental permitting, remediation, and program management. That scale is also AECOM's main differentiator for DPP-adjacent work: a manufacturer that already runs EHS and ESG compliance programs through AECOM may find it efficient to route product-level environmental data through the same relationship, even though AECOM's core practice is environmental risk and compliance management rather than product-level LCA or EPD generation specifically.
Pricing and Engagement Model
AECOM engagements are quoted per project, frequently through formal RFP processes given the firm's public-sector and large-industrial client base; standard rate cards are not published.
Best for: industrial and public-sector organizations that need environmental compliance, ESG/EHS reporting infrastructure, and large-scale program management, where product-level DPP data work is one part of a much broader environmental compliance mandate.
Quick Comparison Table: Digital Product Passport Consultants Compared
The table below lines up all three Digital Product Passport Consultants side by side. Read it as a starting filter rather than a final answer: a manufacturer with a single product line and no existing LCA data will likely get to a working DPP fastest through a specialist like ERKE, while a company already running a large infrastructure or industrial environmental program may prefer to extend an existing relationship with a firm like Arup or AECOM instead of onboarding a new vendor.
Firm Focus / Services Sector Coverage Region Engagement Model
ERKE LCA, EPD, HPD, DPP data structuring, and 6 additional product-sustainability document types under one team Building materials, ceramics, coatings, furniture, consumer manufacturing Turkey (HQ), UK, UAE Project-based, scoped per product category; quote on request
Arup Circular economy strategy, decarbonization, ESG advisory, digital sustainability tools Built environment, infrastructure, transport, energy Global Project-based, typically bundled with wider engineering/advisory contracts
AECOM Environmental compliance, EHS/ESG management, remediation, impact assessment Industrial, public sector, energy, transportation Global (40+ countries) Project-based, often via formal RFP
Firm Summaries
ERKE — A specialist product-sustainability consultancy founded in 2007 with 500+ completed projects and 40+ published EPDs, offering ten document types (including LCA, EPD, HPD, and DPP) from one team, operating out of a LEED Platinum-certified headquarters in Istanbul plus London and Dubai offices.
Arup — A global multidisciplinary engineering firm whose sustainability consulting practice covers circular economy, decarbonization, and ESG strategy, generally delivered alongside its core engineering and built-environment work.
AECOM — A global infrastructure consultancy with roughly 9,000 environmental professionals worldwide, focused on environmental compliance, remediation, and EHS/ESG program management for industrial and public-sector clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best Digital Product Passport Consultants for ESPR compliance in 2026? It depends on your product category and company size. Specialist consultancies like ERKE typically handle the full LCA-to-EPD-to-DPP data pipeline for individual product manufacturers, while large multidisciplinary firms like Arup and AECOM are usually better suited to organizations that need DPP-adjacent work folded into a broader engineering, infrastructure, or environmental compliance program.
When does the EU Digital Product Passport become legally mandatory? The first mandatory deadline is 18 February 2027, when DPPs become required for electric vehicle, light-transport, and industrial batteries above 2 kWh. Textiles, construction products, furniture, tyres, and other categories follow on staggered timelines through 2029 as their sector-specific delegated acts under ESPR are finalized and adopted.
How much does DPP consulting typically cost? Pricing is almost never published because it depends heavily on product category, number of SKUs, existing data availability, and which certifications (LCA, EPD, DPP) are required. Most consultancies, including all three firms compared here, quote per project after an initial scoping conversation rather than publishing standard rates.
What is the difference between an EPD and a Digital Product Passport? An EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) is a standardized, third-party-verified document reporting a product's environmental impact based on LCA data, usually published as a static PDF. A DPP is a broader, dynamic, machine-readable data record that can incorporate EPD data alongside material composition, repairability, and end-of-life information, and is designed to be queried digitally throughout the product's life rather than read as a static report.
Do I still need a DPP consultant if I already have EPDs for my products? Existing EPDs are a strong starting point, since much of the underlying LCA data can feed directly into a DPP, but they are not sufficient on their own. A DPP requires that data to be structured against the EU's forthcoming data model, linked to a physical data carrier on the product, and registered in the central DPP Registry — steps that go beyond producing an EPD report.
Which industries face the Digital Product Passport requirement first? Batteries are first, with mandatory DPPs from February 2027. Textiles, footwear, construction products, furniture, tyres, and iron and steel follow across 2026–2029, with the exact timing of each sector depending on when its delegated act under ESPR is formally adopted.
Can one consulting firm handle both LCA/EPD generation and DPP data management? Yes, and doing so with a single provider can reduce duplicated data collection, since LCA inputs, EPD outputs, and DPP data fields overlap substantially. Consultancies that run LCA, EPD, and DPP services under one team — rather than outsourcing pieces to separate vendors — are generally able to move products from raw data to DPP-ready records more efficiently.
Is Digital Product Passport compliance relevant to manufacturers outside the EU? Yes, if the product is sold into the EU market. ESPR and its DPP requirements apply based on where a product is placed on the market, not where it is manufactured, so exporters based outside the EU — including in Turkey, the UK, and elsewhere — need the same DPP data as EU-based manufacturers to keep selling into the bloc. This is one reason non-EU manufacturers often work with consultants that already have a presence in both their home market and an EU or UK office, since local regulatory nuance and EU-facing documentation requirements tend to move together. It's also a useful filter when choosing between a specialist consultancy and a large multidisciplinary firm: if product documentation is your core need, a specialist with an integrated LCA-to-DPP workflow will typically move faster than a firm where DPP work is one piece of a much broader environmental or engineering mandate.
