Why include my product in the NMD?
Here you can read about the rationale and benefits of including your product in the Dutch Environmental Database
The Netherlands has sharp climate goals for the future. Construction plays an important role in achieving these goals. The construction materials used during the construction of a building partly determine the environmental impact of a building.
To determine the sustainability of a structure, environmental performance is an important measure. The better the environmental performance of a structure, the lower its environmental impact is. The calculation tools used to calculate environmental performance get their information from the information stored in the Dutch National Environmental Database.
As a manufacturer/producer, there are advantages to having a life cycle assessment performed for your product and having it included in the environmental database.
Why should you have an LCA performed and have the environmental declaration included in the environmental database?
- To have an environmental declaration included in the environmental database, you must first have a life cycle analysis performed. A life cycle analysis gives you information about your product and its production processes. This information can help you improve production and business processes and make them more sustainable.
- If your product's environmental declaration is included in the environmental database, it can mean that it is chosen earlier in the creation of sustainable construction projects. You will gain greater visibility among sustainability professionals.
- If you start having an LCA performed now, you will be prepared for the changes that will (most likely) take effect January 1, 2025. Then the requirement for the environmental performance calculation will be tightened.
- The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations is taking measures to make the construction of homes and other buildings more sustainable. For new homes, the so-called environmental performance requirement for buildings will go from 0.8 to 0.5 by January 1, 2025. This means a lower environmental impact of the buildings, but sets stricter requirements for the products and materials used.
- It will then become more interesting for you to have your product in the environmental database. If there is only known data of your products that has not been tested according to the testing protocol (we call this category 3 data), it is not possible to meet the new requirements.
- Because in some cases it can take a long time to have an LCA prepared (consider how time-intensive extracting information from specific sources can be), we advise organizations to start early.
- You may also now be entitled to a reimbursement from the White Spots project for having an environmental declaration prepared. The White Spots reimbursement scheme has been extended through Oct. 31, 2024.
- Other subsidy schemes also have certain requirements. For example, with the Environmental Investment Allowance (MIA), the percentage of the deduction depends on the environmental impact and prevalence of the asset. The Environmental List for 2024 has now been published. The list has been significantly adjusted from 2023 due to amended European state aid rules and recommendations of the policy evaluation MIA/Vamil (2017-2021). For example, the requirements for sustainable buildings have also become stricter. For example, the required number of demountable building products for circular buildings has been increased to 50%. Also, a minimum energy requirement is now included to receive tax benefits.
Also read: why it is best to have an environmental declaration made now and not wait any longer
Frequently asked questions environmental data
If an LCA of your product has not yet been drawn up in accordance with the Assessment method, the first step is to have this analysis carried out by a (recognised) LCA practitioner of your choice.
Find a recognised LCA practitioner in our overview
Or check the list of companies that draw up LCA practitioners. These companies are mostly affiliated with the VLCA.
Have you found an LCA practitioner? Then see the next steps here
Before the LCA practitioner can enter the environmental data, you must be registered as data owner with Stichting NMD. You then indicate that you agree to the NMD Terms of Use and the General Terms and Conditions. There are costs associated with registering data in the NMD. In order for invoicing to proceed in good order, we need billing details from you. It is also important that you indicate in the form which LCA practitioner will provide the data entry, so that login details for the entry module can be provided.
An LCA is a quantitative method to determine the total environmental impact across the product life cycle; from raw material extraction and production to end-of-life use and disposal. It allows companies to understand the environmental impact of their products and raw materials through the entire value chain. Read more information on environmental data here. Environmental declarations in the NMD must be prepared according to the The Environmental Performance Assessment Method for Construction Works (Assessment Method). Chapter 2 of the Assessment method provides the methodical requirements for determining the environmental performance of (building) products, installations and processes.
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