New and amended environmental performance requirements for buildings
Published by:
Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO
< 1 min read
Effective date of this change in law: 1 July 2026
What changes?
Do you work in construction, project development, or property development? From 1 July 2026 the requirements for the environmental performance of buildings (Milieuprestatie-eisen voor gebouwen, MPG) will change. The government is tightening the existing requirements, and introduces an environmental performance requirement for several types of building.
The main changes are:
- The environmental performance requirement for office buildings will be tightened
- Schools, shops, care institutions, and industrial buildings will be subject to an environmental performance requirement for the first time.
- For small homes and some offices the environmental performance requirements will be less stringent.
- The calculation method for the environmental performance for buildings will change. It will use 19 environmental categories instead of 11.
For whom?
- construction companies
- project developers
- property developers
- architects
- entrepreneurs commissioning new-build projects
When?
The changes in the Decree on construction works in the living environment (Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving, Bbl) and the Environment and Planning Regulations will take effect on 1 July 2026.
Amendments
More changes on this subject:
- Measures to improve quality in the construction sector (existing buildings)Effective date: not yet known