Digital Standard for Material Passports Launched
The *openEPD* initiative has launched an open data format for digital Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). The new standard is designed to enable seamless data exchange between EPD databases, life cycle analysis tools, and design platforms, moving beyond static PDFs to allow real-time tracking of materials' environmental impacts. This interoperable structure is critical for the building sector as it faces tightening EU rules on product passports and sustainability claims.
- The openEPD format is a direct response to upcoming European Union regulations, specifically the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the revised Construction Products Regulation (CPR), which mandate the creation of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) for a wide range of goods, including building materials. - The revised EU Construction Products Regulation entered into force on January 7, 2025, with most of its provisions, including digital-by-default product information, set to apply from January 8, 2026. A central registry for Digital Product Passports is expected to be operational by July 19, 2026. - In the Netherlands, this standard directly supports the mandatory Environmental Performance of Buildings (MPG) calculation required for new homes and offices, which relies on the life-cycle assessment data found in EPDs. The Dutch government tightened the MPG requirement for new homes from a score of 1.0 to 0.8 in July 2021, with plans to halve it by 2030. - This initiative aligns with the Dutch government's national strategy to achieve a 50% circular economy by 2030 and 100% by 2050, targeting the construction sector which accounts for 50% of raw material use, 40% of energy consumption, and 35% of CO2 emissions in the Netherlands. - The openEPD standard was developed as a modern RESTful Open API to improve upon older, less interoperable digital formats like ILCD+EPD. A key partner in this effort is Building Transparency, a nonprofit focused on reducing embodied carbon emissions. - Digitalization of building data is part of a larger trend in Dutch governance, with organizations like the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) actively developing digital platforms and services to streamline processes and enhance data sharing between national and local authorities.
