List of Indicators and Definitions

The LCA (Life Cycle Analysis or Life Cycle Assessment) provides an overview of the environmental impact of a product (or activity) throughout its entire life cycle. This includes everything from raw material extraction, production, construction, and use, to the end-of-life scenario—also known as the “cradle to grave” approach. Each product is analyzed individually.

Environmental Profile & Impact Categories

The result of an LCA is an environmental profile, which shows the impact per product based on various environmental effects, including:

• Photochemical oxidant formation
• Climate change
• Ecotoxicological effects in freshwater
• Ecotoxicological effects in seawater
• Ecotoxicological effects on land
• Depletion of fossil energy carriers
• Depletion of abiotic resources
• Ozone layer depletion
• Eutrophication
• Acidification
• Human toxicological effects

The environmental profile helps identify which environmental impacts play the biggest role in choosing a product. The data from the LCA serves as the foundation for all environmental performance indicators.

Currently, the Netherlands uses 11 environmental impact categories (the A1 dataset). However, this will increase to 19 categories (the A2 dataset).

BCI Gebouw provides insights into both datasets, with data supplied by the Nationale Milieudatabase (NMD).

The data from the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) reflects the environmental impacts of products.

To compare the products within a building, these environmental impacts are weighted and summed into a shadow price, known as the Environmental Cost Indicator (MKI). This represents a theoretical cost required to prevent or remediate environmental damage and is expressed in euros.

The shadow prices of all products within a building are added together in an MPG calculation and then divided by the gross floor area multiplied by the building’s lifespan. This results in the Environmental Performance of Buildings (MPG) value. The lower the MPG value, the fewer environmental impacts the building entails.

In the Netherlands, the maximum permissible MPG value for new residential buildings larger than 100 m² is set at 0.80 euros per m² of gross floor area per year, and for offices, a maximum of 1.00 euro/m². These values have been mandatory since July 1, 2021.

The formula below clearly illustrates the relationship between MKI and MPG:

It is expected that these values will be tightened in the (near) future, based on the revised assessment method covering 19 environmental impact categories, known as the A2 dataset. This tightening was initially scheduled for July 1, 2025, but has been postponed. BCI Gebouw provides insight into both the A1 dataset (the ‘old’ assessment method covering 11 environmental impact categories) and the A2 dataset.

Paris Proof is a shared sustainability goal aimed at achieving the climate targets agreed upon in Paris in 2016 within the built environment. One of the key agreements is that global warming must not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius.

When translating this into material-related CO₂ (carbon), it is essential to calculate the CO₂ impact of new construction and renovation projects using MPG calculations. To comply with Paris Proof material-related CO₂-eq., a building must have an embodied CO₂-eq. value per m² GFA that is equal to or lower than the threshold values for new construction or renovation, as specified in the protocol for the relevant year. This value is referred to as MPG-2 or GWPA (Global Warming Potential Module A). The current threshold values are as follows:

Threshold values for new construction (image temporary only available in Dutch):

Threshold values for renovation:

BCI Gebouw provides clarity on these values, both per building and per material. This makes it easier to manage the Paris Proof Indicator (also known as embodied carbon A1-5) in a structured and transparent manner.

Greenhouse gases are naturally occurring gases in the atmosphere. By absorbing part of the sunlight and the heat radiated by the Earth, they create the conditions necessary for life on our planet. The greenhouse effect they cause is, therefore, a natural phenomenon.

However, human activities have increased the concentration of some of these gases and introduced synthetic substances into the atmosphere, intensifying the natural greenhouse effect and contributing to global warming.

Not all greenhouse gases have the same “warming potential” (Global Warming Potential or GWP), which measures the effect of a gas over a specific period. CO₂ is used as the reference, with a value of 1. To express emissions from different gases in a single unit and calculate their combined effect, they are converted into CO₂ equivalents over a 100-year period—the standard reference used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). To assess the construction sector’s contribution to GWP, BCI Gebouw expresses it per phase of the construction process (Phase A – D).

(Image temporary only available in Dutch)

BCI Gebouw provides insight into GWP at both the building and material levels, making it manageable and actionable.

(Most) bio-based materials have the ability to absorb and store CO₂ from the atmosphere. The use of these materials results in negative CO₂ emissions, having a positive impact on the environment.

BCI Gebouw follows the Construction Stored Carbon measurement methodology as defined by SGS. This method is also recognized by Cirkelstad/Het Nieuwe Normaal as the leading approach for measuring Construction Stored Carbon. This measurement method has been integrated into BCI Gebouw as a monitoring tool.

To calculate the circularity potential of a real estate asset or portfolio, the Building Circularity Index (BCI) is used. This measurement method is scientifically validated and has been tested in practice within the construction and real estate sector. BCI Gebouw aligns precisely with the uniform and effective measurement method developed by platform CB’23 in collaboration with clients and contractors. BCI Gebouw integrates various recognized measurement methods for environmental impact and circularity into a single score: the BCI score.

The BCI score is determined by considering the responsible sourcing of materials, the future scenario of the material, and its disassembly potential. The weighting factor of all products within a building is based on the MKI (Environmental Cost Indicator).

Material Circularity Performance

The BCI score is expressed as a percentage between 0% and 100%, where 0% represents a fully linear approach and 100% represents full circularity. For detailed information about the Building Circularity Index, download the whitepaper here.

In Het Nieuwe Normaal, responsible sourcing, future scenarios, and disassembly potential are considered as three separate indicators. These are assessed using the same methodology as the Building Circularity Index. See more information here: Material Circularity Index (MCI). In BCI Gebouw, all indicators are displayed both individually and collectively within the BCI score.

In the BCI methodology, the circularity of material use for each product in a building is determined. This is the MCI (Material Circularity Index) and is expressed as a percentage between 0% (fully linear) and 100% (fully circular). Within the MCI, a distinction is made between the origin of materials, the future scenario of materials, and the lifespan of materials.

Responsible Origin

The manufacturing of products requires raw materials and energy. To achieve a circular (construction) economy, we must use as few new raw materials as possible. This can be achieved by using either recycled or bio-based raw materials and by reusing products.

For each product, the share of raw materials is expressed in percentages:

• Virgin raw materials (new raw materials)
• Recycled materials
• Reused materials
• Bio-based materials

Future Scenario

In a linear economy, we dispose of or incinerate products at the end of their lifespan. This results in the permanent loss of these raw materials and increases the demand for new raw materials. In a circular economy, we recycle or reuse our products.

For each product, the future scenario is determined and expressed in percentages:

• Landfilling
• Incineration
• Recycling
• Reuse

NOTE: BCI Gebouw provides the opportunity to revise the predefined (default) future scenario in some cases. This is crucial to accelerating the transition to a circular economy! Additional proof is required, and approval must be granted by a certified BCI Gebouw Expert.

Lifespan

The lifespan of a product determines how durable it is. Products with a longer lifespan require fewer replacements over the building’s lifetime and generate less waste. The utility factor is a ratio between the technical lifespan and the expected lifespan of a product, based on the industry average.

By determining the circularity performance of a chosen material according to this MCI methodology, BCI Gebouw follows the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as an international expertise organization for the circular economy.

NOTE: BCI Gebouw also allows for the revision of default lifespan values in some cases. This is important to accelerate the transition to a circular economy! Additional proof is required, and approval must be granted by a certified BCI Gebouw Expert.

Buildings are complex entities composed of various materials, products, and elements that are interconnected. The extent to which these connections can be undone, allowing an object to retain its function and enabling high-value reuse, determines its degree of disassembly.

Four Technical Factors of Disassembly

The disassembly of a product is measured using the Disassembly Index, which is determined by four key technical factors:

• Type of connection (How are the products connected?)
• Accessibility of the connection (How easily can the connection be found and reached?)
• Enclosure (Is the product enclosed by one or more other products?)
• Intersections (Are there interlayer constructions, such as piping, that connect products?)

Measuring Disassembly in Real Estate

The methodology for measuring disassemblability in the real estate sector has been established by the Dutch Green Building Council (DGBC), the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), Alba Concepts, and W/E Adviseurs in the Disassembly Measurement Method V2.0.

BCI Gebouw adheres to this methodology, expressing disassembly as a percentage between 0% and 100%. Additionally, BCI Gebouw utilizes the unique disassembly database from Alba Concepts, which contains data on the disassembly of commonly used building materials.

Note: BCI Gebouw allows for the reassessment of the predetermined (standardized) disassembly scenario. This is important for accelerating the transition to a circular economy and offering flexible solutions. However, additional supporting evidence is required, and approval must be granted by a certified BCI Gebouw Expert.

Update (April 26, 2024)

We have noticed that when calculating a building’s Disassembly Index, external energy supply has been included.

While external energy supply is mandatory for MPG calculations, it does not impact a building’s disassembly. BCI Gebouw measures the average Disassembly Index of all products in the scenario.

To simplify the calculation process, we are working on automatically excluding external energy supply from the Disassembly Index while still including it in the MPG (Environmental Performance of Buildings) calculation. Until this update is implemented, we recommend performing two separate calculations:

1. Including external energy supply to assess MPG and material-related CO₂ emissions.
2. Excluding external energy supply to determine the Disassembly Index.