The hemp plant has been used by humans as a construction material going back to at least the 6th century A.D., with scientists finding evidence that hemp was combined with clay to make wall plaster in the Ellora Caves in India.

A more recent example of how hemp is used in modern construction is hemplime, also commonly referred to as hempcrete, which is a sustainable building material made by combining the inner shives of the hemp plant with lime. The end product is often used for insulation purposes, and according to a growing body of research, it holds significant potential as a regenerative construction material.

Researchers affiliated with various academic and research institutions based in Germany recently examined hemplime’s potential as a regenerative construction material. The researchers’ findings were previously published on the research database Springer Nature.

“With its positive properties in terms of thermal insulation, heat storage capacity, vapor permeability, and breathability, hemplime improves the indoor climate and increases the energy efficiency of buildings. Its light weight and ease of processing make hemplime particularly suitable for renovations and conversions.” A team of scientists affiliated with various academic and research institutions based in Germany recently wrote on the research database Springer Nature.

The Industrial Hemp Network (Nutzhanf-Netzwerk e.V.) and the Cannabis Industry Association (Industrieverband Cannabiswirtschaft) have issued a joint statement advocating for the facilitation of cross-border hemp construction services within the European Union. The associations point to a lack of mutual recognition of permits and qualifications as hindering the potential of sustainable hemp building materials.

“No harmonised European standards (HES) cover hemp building products, forcing manufacturers into lengthy ETA procedures (1.5 to 3 years). Revising existing standards to include bio-based products could take 4 to 5 more years. This gap disproportionately affects Small and Medium-sized Enterprises who cannot afford parallel certification in multiple Member States.” the associations wrote in a joint press release earlier this week.

“Standardised EU-wide site cards would benefit specialised hemp building professionals working across borders, for example French hempcrete applicators on German projects. Current inconsistencies create unnecessary friction.” they continued.

The organizations are urging the European Commission to adopt the following recommendations:

(1) Accelerate the development of harmonised standards for bio-based building materials, involving organisations such as EIHA (European Industrial Hemp Association) and Construire en Chanvre in the standardisation process

(2) Ensure that sustainability criteria (life-cycle carbon performance, material health, circularity) are integrated into any new framework for construction services. Hemp building materials offer carbon-negative performance (up to –194 kg CO₂-eq./m³ over the full life cycle) and full material transparency.

(3) Recognise that removing cross-border barriers for sustainable construction services directly contributes to the EU’s climate, housing, and industrial policy objectives.