International EPDs in NMD
In practice it has proven difficult for international producers to include their products in the NMD, whereby the LCA is included in the NMD Basic Process Database as a so-called NMD ‘environmental declaration category 1’ or as a ‘Basic profile’. Various barriers often result in international parties not submitting a request for inclusion in the NMD, or dropping out of the process at an early stage. Stichting NMD recognises this problem and asked environmental consulting firm EcoReview to examine the inclusion process and produce recommendations to make it easier to include non-Dutch LCAs in the NMD, without affecting data quality.
The Netherlands has decided to make the optional topics within EN15804+A2 mandatory regarding the methodological requirements (EN15804) for the assessment of environmental performance of construction and other products, installations and processes, the idea being that non-Dutch LCAs are not suitable for inclusion in the NMD.
EcoReview conducted a study in 2022 for Stichting NMD into streamlining of inclusion of non-Dutch LCAs in the NMD. They made their recommendations in a report delivered on 3 May 2022.
The recommendations can be divided into three areas:
- Information provision
- Membership of NMD EcoPlatform/collaboration with Stichting MRPI.
- Standardising verifications/verification process
Stichting NMD aims to establish a follow-up project to implement these recommendations. The following results were achieved:
- Information was provided via own and other channels (in English)
- safeguarding of the process via agreements with partners
- Verification process format for LCA verifiers
In detailing these results, Stichting NMD aims to provide clarity on the Dutch situation and remedy the fact that parties become aware of the Dutch additional rules for inclusion in the NMD too late in the process when formulating LCAs. In turn, improving this process helps enrich the database with as many diverse declarations as possible.
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