What is an environmental declaration?

An environmental declaration contains the environmental data of a construction product based on a life cycle assessment. This data is registered in the Dutch Environmental Database and forms the basis for environmental performance calculations of buildings and infrastructure. Without these environmental declarations, a consistent and comparable calculation of the environmental performance of construction works is not possible.

An environmental declaration is a verified set of environmental data for a construction product, based on a life cycle assessment. The declaration is registered in the Dutch Environmental Database and used in environmental performance calculations, such as the MPG in the building sector and the MKI in the civil engineering sector. Manufacturers and trade associations register environmental declarations to ensure their products can be applied in projects and public procurement procedures.

What is an environmental declaration?

An environmental declaration contains the environmental data of a construction product over its entire life cycle. The data is based on a life cycle assessment and recorded in accordance with the applicable rules within the Dutch system. The environmental declaration enables products to be included in an environmental performance calculation in a uniform manner. This makes differences between materials visible during the design phase.

What is an environmental declaration used for?

Environmental declarations are applied in:

Environmental performance calculations of buildings
MKI calculations in the civil engineering sector
Design comparisons between materials
Public procurement procedures in which sustainability is a criterion

The environmental data from an environmental declaration is processed in calculation tools that operate in accordance with the Assessment Method for Environmental Performance of Construction Works.

Within the Dutch Environmental Database, a distinction is made between category 1, 2 and 3 environmental declarations. The difference relates to the origin of the data and whether it is generic or product specific.