Why do construction material choices matter?
The construction industry is a major contributor to global carbon emissions:
- 39% of energy-related carbon emissions come from buildings, including both construction and operation.
- 11% of these emissions are specifically linked to the materials used in construction and renovation.
Selecting materials with a lower carbon footprint and ensuring they remain in use for longer can significantly reduce emissions and drive the shift toward a circular economy.
What is the Madaster Material Passport?
Madaster’s Material Passport provides detailed insights into the environmental footprint and reusability of building materials. When professionals register materials on Madaster’s platform, they gain access to:
- Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and life cycle assessment (LCA) data.
- Embodied carbon metrics, circularity potential, and material health indicators.
Comprehensive tracking of materials to support reuse and recycling.
Find and track sustainable materials
The Madaster Material Passport ensures that materials retain their value beyond a single construction cycle, supporting circular building practices.
Your advantage with the Madaster Material Passport
Holistic material tracking: A full record of materials used in a project, including sources, embodied carbon, and lifecycle potential.
Optimized circularity: Identify materials that can be repurposed, reducing waste and the need for virgin resources.
IFC integration: Works alongside BIM tools to embed sustainability data directly into design and construction workflows. Learn from one of our partners how to make a material passport using BIM.
Regulatory compliance: Aligns with EU Taxonomy, ESG reporting requirements, and sustainable building certifications. Learn how Madaster supports EU Taxonomy alignment.
Future-proofing: Ensure materials remain useful beyond their first use, creating financial and environmental value. Learn how to future-proof developments with building LCA.
Compare materials for informed decision-making
With the Madaster Material Passport, professionals can easily assess the sustainability of different materials:
Side-by-side comparison: Compare building materials based on embodied carbon, recyclability, and environmental impact. Learn how to identify the most sustainable design options using the the comparison tool.
Standardized data: Ensures comparability across different standards and methodologies.
Manufacturer insights: View supplier data and sustainability claims for better decision-making. Explore more solutions for manufacturers.
How the Madaster Material Passport integrates with design tools selection
Each registered material is linked to a digital twin, allowing for:
- Integration with BIM software for accurate tracking.
- Real-time updates on material performance and availability.
- Streamlined documentation for sustainability reporting and certification processes.
Learn more about sustainable design for architects.
Ensuring data quality and comparability
Madaster applies rigorous quality control to ensure reliable material data:
- All environmental impacts are assessed using consistent methodologies.
- Data transparency allows users to verify the sustainability claims of materials.
- Materials are assessed across their full lifecycle, ensuring informed decision-making.
Explore the Madaster platform methodologies in the Knowledge Base.
As the construction industry moves toward circularity, the Madaster Material Passport bridges the gap between sustainability goals and practical implementation. Making material data more accessible, comparable, and actionable empowers professionals to build a future where materials are continuously reused — reducing waste and carbon emissions in the process.
