The NMD Foundation is extending the Biobased program within the NMD until the end of 2026. The goal is to make more and better environmental data on biobased building materials available within the National Environmental Database. This extension is part of the National Approach to Biobased Construction, which runs until 2030.
What will actually change
The "White Spots" compensation scheme for biobased products is being extended. Manufacturers can receive a compensation of €2.500 per life cycle analysis (LCA) if the product is included in the NMD with a Category 1 environmental declaration. This will add at least seventy biobased building products. In addition, the NMD is working on additional generic data by including at least twenty new Category 3 environmental declarations and developing approximately thirty basic processes for common biobased flows. This will help companies that do not yet have their own product card to calculate their environmental performance.
Why this matters on the construction site
Architects, contractors, and clients use the NMD to calculate the environmental performance of buildings. Without validated data on biobased materials, it's difficult to assess their value in tenders and design decisions. More product cards and better generic profiles make the comparison with conventional alternatives fairer and lower the barrier to using biobased materials.
Link with subsidy for biobased insulation
Starting January 1, 2025, a bonus for biobased insulation materials will apply within the ISDE (Industrial Energy Performance Assessment). The material must contain at least 16575 percent biobased mass according to EN 1 and meet an MKI of no more than 0,85 on a Category 3,5 product sheet in the NMD at an Rd of 1 m²K per W. With more Category XNUMX sheets in the database, demonstrating suitability will become easier for homeowners and contractors.
More insight into the biobased content
The NMD is investigating how to make the biobased percentage of a product visible in the database and the viewer. Currently, this check is often performed manually, which takes time during subsidy applications and purchasing. If suppliers voluntarily add this percentage and it is clearly stated in the NMD, it will accelerate both the implementation and enforcement of biobased incentives.
Attention also paid to particulate matter and the end of life
The program encompasses more than just product cards. It will update particulate matter emissions from biomass boilers in the woodworking industry, and work is underway to develop more realistic end-of-life scenarios for biobased products. This will ensure that environmental calculations are more closely aligned with practical applications, for example, reuse, recycling, or incineration with energy recovery.
The larger context
The National Biobased Building Approach aims to scale up the cultivation, production, and application of biobased materials by 2030. Initial evaluations show that implementation is underway, but that coordination within the supply chain and sufficient capacity require continued attention. Strengthening the database in the NMD is a logical step within this approach, as reliable information forms the basis for policy, procurement, and design.
What this means for makers and builders
Manufacturers will have a clear path to market their materials. The compensation scheme lowers the barrier to conducting and reviewing a life cycle assessment. Design teams and clients will have a wider range of reliable biobased options, increasing the likelihood that biobased materials will also win in calculation tools and tenders. And residents and users will have an easier time choosing insulation and finishing materials that qualify for subsidies.
Value of biogenic carbon in pictures
A difficult question remains: how should we value the temporary storage of biogenic carbon in biobased materials? At the request of NMD, Wageningen University & Research is developing a valuation formula that fits within the current assessment method and assumes a long time horizon. Clarifying this could further strengthen the position of materials based on wood, flax, and hemp fiber.
More info: milieudatabase.nl
