The Dutch Environmental Database (NMD) contains environmental data of construction products and building installations - stored in environmental declarations, which is used when calculating the environmental performance of construction works in the calculation tools. The environmental data in the NMD includes environmental profiles: lists of environmental impacts expressed in different environmental impact categories according to European Standard (EN) 15804, such as resource depletion, global warming potential and ozone depletion. An environmental profile is the outcome of a life cycle assessment (LCA).

Stichting NMD maintains and safeguards system quality with the Environmental Performance Assessment Method for Construction Works and a neutral, independent environmental database that stores environmental data on construction materials, construction products and building installations. They do this in coordination with and with the commitment of all stakeholders.

The Assessment Method for Environmental Performance of Building Works is the agreed method in the Netherlands for determining the environmental performance of building products, building installations and the associated MPG at construction level. The application of the data from the National Environmental Database is becoming increasingly important in the construction industry. The data in the NMD is used in validated tools for calculating the environmental performance of construction works mentioned in, among others, the Building Decree 2012 and certification schemes for sustainable real estate such as BREEAM-n and GPR and is used in tenders.
Developers and contractors are increasingly directed to determine the environmental performance of a building according to the Assessment Method. This means that they have to make their choices of materials and installations right from the design phase, and the relevance of the scheme is growing and becoming more important. As a result, the need for specific proprietary data is increasing. It helps designers and builders make their design choices.

When having the data reviewed by an LCA approver, potentially sensitive company information is retrieved. This is handled very confidentially and the information eventually published in the product maps in the NMD does not contain this sensitive information; it only shows the list of environmental indicators and the MKI value of the product. The product map/environmental declaration (cat. 1 and 2) remains the property of the manufacturer, supplier or industry/group.

You first pay fees for an LCA issuer to collect the data and perform the LCA. The amounts for this vary, depending on the complexity of the product. In addition, you pay an LCA approver to have the results tested; these costs also depend on the LCA approver and product. In addition, there is an annual fee for publication in the NMD.

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The National Environmental Database was created to provide an unambiguous calculation of the environmental performance of structures in the Dutch context. This database is managed by Stichting Nationale Milieudatabase (NMD Foundation). Besides this database, this independent organization also manages and maintains the Assessment Method.