Five years of Stichting NMD: perspectives from the system
Stakeholders share their perspectives on growth, collaboration and the future of the system
In five years, Stichting NMD has grown into the foundation of sustainable construction in the Netherlands. Interviews with people involved in the system from different roles — both policy and practice — reveal a strong and diverse combination of perspectives.
Together, these perspectives paint a picture of what has been built collectively so far and how the system is expected to develop in the future.
Where we come from
Paul ten Kroode: “Stichting NMD has made an impressive journey from start-up, to scale-up, to grown-up.”
Danielle Bakx: “His description of a friendly group of people who are passionately committed to sustainability in the construction sector really appealed to me.”
Growth and development
David Anink: “Sustainability has evolved from a niche or an extra into an essential aspect of the construction sector.”
Niels Ruijter: “Digitalisation is accelerating rapidly … and this is of great importance for the NMD.”
Sjoerd Keetels: “In five years, sustainable environmental performance has evolved from a ‘nice to have’ into a ‘license to operate’.”
Harm Verster: “We can rightly be proud of how we have built the Dutch system.”
Where we are now
Sjoerd Keetels: “The environmental database is no longer a theoretical instrument, but a factor that genuinely influences decisions.”
Charlie de Jong: “Steering through the MKI reduces the environmental impact of GWW works and promotes uniformity in procurement.”
David Anink: “The material-related impact of construction works is now structurally on the agenda.”
Pieter Nuiten: “The environmental performance calculation (MPG) is taken much more seriously nowadays.”
Collaboration as a foundation
Pieter Nuiten: “We need each other — and that is now much more widely recognised and acknowledged.”
Charlie de Jong: “The cooperation between the ministries and Stichting NMD has become closer in recent years.”
Harm Verster: “An increasing number of disciplines within the construction sector are being better connected, also at European level.”
Niels Ruijter: “Collaboration on the societal theme of sustainability — that is precisely where the strength of Stichting NMD lies.”
Waar we naartoe gaan
Charlie de Jong: “Over vijf jaar zie ik een professioneel en onafhankelijk stelsel, met volledige GWW‑dekking en hoge datakwaliteit.”
Jelle Bluemink: “De NMD moet de plek in Nederland worden waar ontwerpers en bouwers hun milieu‑ en klimaatdata halen.”
Paul ten Kroode: “Datagedreven werken zal een vlucht nemen … data uit de NMD worden een integraal onderdeel van ontwerp‑ en keuzeprocessen.”
Danielle Bakx: “Het zou toch cool zijn als Nederland andere landen wegwijs kan maken met de opgedane kennis en ervaring.”
Clarity and reliability
Jelle Bluemink: “Promoting a unified language in the construction sector saves a great deal of consultation, coordination and ambiguity.”
David Anink: “The system with the NMD, calculation tools and protocols is an achievement, with room for improvement.”
Harm Verster: “Many signals from Stichting NMD are recognised and translated into clarification and solutions.”
Pieter Nuiten: “Stichting NMD will remain the manager of the Dutch Environmental Database, providing information on environmental impact and circularity.”
These perspectives show how Stichting NMD and the sustainability system have developed over five years into a solid foundation for sustainable construction in the Netherlands. The system is never finished and will continue to grow and evolve.
The stories illustrate where we come from, where we stand today and the direction we are moving in together. At the same time, they underline the importance of consistency and reliability as the basis for further steps — especially in a context in which developments are accelerating.
Over the next five years, we will continue to steadily build towards the realisation of a circular construction economy, with the same openness, engagement and focus on quality that have characterised the system so far.
The NMD Symposium 2025 also showed how Stichting NMD and the system have grown over the years, with a clear view towards the future. This was illustrated through a presentation structured as a timeline.
Read all interviews:
