The new report ‘Material Flows and Environmental Impact in Construction and Infrastructure’ lays out the facts: what is the true state of material use and environmental pressure in the Dutch construction sector? Together with the EIB, we have audited the entire industry for the third time, ranging from residential and commercial building (B&U) to civil engineering (GWW).

The figures present a challenging outlook. In the building sector, 84% of materials still consist of virgin raw materials, with concrete being the primary culprit. Although we are fully committed to sustainability, the total Environmental Cost Indicator (MKI) has risen from €1.2 to €1.9 billion. This is partly because we now have a much more accurate picture of the impact of installations like solar panels and heat pumps. In civil engineering, we are seeing a shift: fewer national highways are being built, but municipalities and provinces are increasingly busy with maintenance. A massive opportunity lies in asphalt; in theory, we could meet 75% of the demand using materials we already have.

According to Vincent Gruis, chairman of the Circular Construction Economy transition team, this report highlights exactly where the pain points and opportunities lie. It’s about the urgency of scaling up. By staying in constant dialogue with the sector, we are working on practical tools and demonstrating that small changes—or even the choice to not use material at all—have a massive impact on our resource stocks.

Download here the report and here the methodological annex (both in Dutch)