One access point for sustainability data in the construction value chain

Sustainabuild Collective (SBC) is a market initiative of building materials wholesalers and purchasing organizations in the Netherlands and Belgium. Its goal: one uniform way to share sustainability data across the value chain, based on the existing GSES platform non-profit and with the entire value chain involved.

“We deliberately structured SBC as a foundation, so it truly becomes a joint, market-driven initiative for and by the sector,” says Roel Laban.

In this interview, Steven van de Cruijs (Communications Manager at Koninklijke Hibin) speaks with Roel Laban, Director of SBC, about who SBC is for, how it works, what it costs, and what it delivers for producers, traders, and contractors. Before discussing pricing later in the interview, they first outline the key building blocks of the initiative.

One uniform route

Who is Sustainabuild Collective for, and what problem does it solve?

Roel: SBC focuses on three key roles in the construction value chain:

1. Producers, suppliers, and importers
2. Traders
3. Contractors

All benefit from less duplication and more standardization.

Producers no longer want to be asked the same sustainability questions by every customer, each time in different Excel sheets  which reflects the current situation.

Traders want to better substantiate sustainable supplier and product choices, while increasingly being asked by their customers about the environmental and sustainability impact of their purchases.

Contractors, in turn, need that same product-level sustainability data from traders for tenders, permits, sustainability strategies, reporting, and compliance.

The core problem: almost everyone uses their own questionnaires, formats, and portals.

“If everyone builds their own small data platform, you end up with twenty slightly different versions and a fragmented landscape full of extra work.”

That is not a healthy situation for the sector. SBC therefore deliberately chooses one uniform route using GSES, a platform already proven in other sectors while organizing collaboration and agreements on top of it.

Traders opt for Full membership

How does it work in practice?

Roel: SBC works with three GSES memberships: Limited, Pro, and Full.

• Limited: mainly used to respond to customer data requests. You upload existing certifications (e.g. ISO, EcoVadis, CO₂ Performance Ladder), build an organization score, and share product data. (€1,795/year)
• Pro: adds an organizational assessment module (CO₂ footprint, circularity, sustainable procurement, safety & health). (starting from €4,350/year)
• Full: includes the full ESG tool and supply chain module, providing insight into partner data (if shared). (€17,250/year)

For traders, Full is typically the logical choice, as it enables real steering on sustainability. Producers often start with Limited or Pro and scale up over time.

In many cases, purchasing organizations take out memberships centrally, allowing affiliated members to join at lower cost.

For product data:

• €28 per product for LCA/EPD data
• €80 per product for BOM (Bill of Materials)

These costs cover verification and the creation of a product scorecard within GSES.

What’s in it for…

What are the concrete benefits?

Roel: It comes down to three things:

• Less administrative burden
• Better decision-making
• Lower commercial risk

Producers reduce repetitive reporting. Instead of answering every client separately, they submit data once in a standardized way.

Traders gain a clear basis for supplier and assortment decisions and can respond faster to customer questions.

Contractors gain reliable, comparable data:
“Give us something we can actually calculate with.”

Organizational vs product data

While product data (CO₂, LCA, environmental profiles) is important, organizational data is equally essential.

GSES functions as a one-stop shop for both:

• Organizational data (e.g. CSRD, ESG structures)
• Product-level data

Organizational data is becoming a “license to operate”  without it, companies risk exclusion from tenders.

From product data to project impact

In the product module, data such as CO₂ per product and recycled/biobased content is recorded.

Contractors and clients can multiply this with purchasing volumes to calculate project impact.

Instead of Excel-based calculations, this can eventually be done directly via the platform or APIs.

Positioning vs existing systems

How does SBC relate to systems like 2BA, IB, and the National Environmental Database (NMD)?

Roel:
SBC is complementary, not a replacement.

• 2BA / IB → product data pools (technical specs)
• SBC/GSES → adds validated sustainability data

For NMD:
“It’s not our goal to replace it.”

SBC focuses on additional use cases such as:

• Early-stage comparison
• Organizational CO₂ footprinting
• Procurement decisions beyond compliance

How to get started

Roel: Entry is easier than expected.

• Join SBC (directly or via purchasing organization)
• Take a GSES membership
• Use onboarding materials
• Activate suppliers

“Start small with a limited product set or bestsellers. Learn, test, and scale.”

Early adopters will be seen as frontrunners.

Final message to the market

Roel:

“There is still some uncertainty, especially among producers. But once we explain it, most concerns disappear especially when scalability becomes clear. This is not just a Benelux initiative; we are aligned with European standards.”

“The demand for sustainability is not going away. If you don’t respond to it, you’re missing commercial opportunities.”

“Don’t wait for another initiative. SBC is already widely supported across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. We have a foundation, a strong platform with GSES, and the momentum to build something lasting.”

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