Application of the Environmental Cost Indicator (ECI) in Civil Engineering (GWW)

The environmental performance of construction works provides insight into the environmental impact of a building or civil engineering work over its entire life cycle. The calculation is carried out in accordance with the Assessment Method for Environmental Performance of Construction Works and uses environmental data from the Dutch Environmental Database. The result makes differences between design and material choices transparent and comparable.

In the building sector, this result is expressed as the Environmental Performance of Buildings (MPG). In the civil engineering and infrastructure sector (GWW), the Environmental Cost Indicator (ECI) is commonly used.

The Environmental Cost Indicator (ECI) has been applied in civil engineering and infrastructure for many years to provide insight into the environmental impact of projects and to support decision-making. In procurement and design processes, the ECI serves as a tool to support sustainable choices and to compare different alternatives.

What is the ECI and how is it applied in civil engineering and infrastructure?

The Environmental Cost Indicator (ECI) expresses the environmental impact of materials, products and projects in a single score. This score is based on the total environmental impact over the life cycle, from raw material extraction through processing to end-of-life.

In practice, the ECI is used by various stakeholders:

• contracting authorities, such as Rijkswaterstaat, provinces, water authorities, ProRail and municipalities, use ECI scores to include sustainability in procurement processes
• contractors and engineering firms use ECI calculations to gain insight into the environmental impact of design and execution variants and to substantiate sustainable choices
• policymakers use the ECI as an instrument to translate climate and circularity objectives into concrete actions within infrastructure projects

How does an ECI calculation work?

An ECI calculation in civil engineering and infrastructure broadly consists of the following steps:

1. inventory of materials, quantities and processes within a project or design variant
2. calculation of the environmental impact using Life Cycle Assessment and environmental data from the Dutch Environmental Database
3. application of characterisation factors to translate different environmental impacts into a single indicator
4. result: an ECI score expressing the total environmental impact of the design in euros

Consistency and comparability

By using environmental data from the Dutch Environmental Database, ECI values can be calculated in a consistent way and compared with one another. This enables objective assessment of different design variants and contributes to transparent and reproducible procurement processes.

Read more about category 3 data

Regulations and policy

In the civil engineering and infrastructure sector, there is currently no legal requirement to perform ECI calculations. At the same time, the ECI is increasingly being applied in procurement procedures. Its use aligns with national and European objectives in the areas of climate neutrality and circularity.

Policy development by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is working on policy development aimed at broader and more consistent application of the ECI in civil engineering and infrastructure. The objective is to structurally embed sustainability ambitions in public infrastructure projects.

This policy development focuses, among other things, on:

• setting minimum environmental performance requirements for key civil engineering materials
• applying the ECI as an award criterion in larger projects
• achieving a consistent and predictable application for contracting authorities and market parties

ECI in procurement

In practice, the application of the ECI in civil engineering and infrastructure is primarily shaped through procurement procedures. Public contracting authorities use environmental data from the Dutch Environmental Database and ECI scores to include sustainability in the assessment of tenders.

On the page  Applying environmental data in procurement, it is further explained how environmental data and ECI scores are used in procurement procedures and which considerations play a role.

Read more about the application of environmental data in procurement

Role of the Dutch Environmental Database

ECI calculations are based on environmental data from the Dutch Environmental Database. These data are derived from Life Cycle Assessments and are developed and verified in accordance with the Assessment Method for Environmental Performance of Construction Works.

Stichting Nationale Milieudatabase manages these data and ensures their quality and availability. In doing so, the Dutch Environmental Database provides the foundation for reliable calculations, but does not determine how the ECI is applied in procurement processes.

Where to ask your question

For questions about the application of the ECI in procurement, you can contact PIANOo, the Dutch Public Procurement Expertise Centre. PIANOo provides information and support to public contracting authorities on how the ECI is applied in procurement procedures.

Go to the website of PIANOo

For questions about the environmental data used in ECI calculations, you can contact the Dutch Environmental Database. The Dutch Environmental Database provides and manages the environmental data that form the basis for these calculations. Submit your question via the contact form.

Environmental performance in practice

The environmental performance of buildings and infrastructure is applied in different ways, depending on the type of project and the phase you are in. Whether it concerns new construction, existing buildings, or developments in policy and regulations, each application requires a different perspective and, in some cases, a different Assessment Method.

This page is part of an overview that shows how environmental performance is applied in various situations and when to use which approach.

Applying environmental performance in B&U and GWW

Applying environmental performance in new construction

Applying environmental performance in existing buildings