Building certifications: Driving the green transformation in Europe
The race for the highest certification scores is over. Today, the focus has shifted towards creating buildings that are genuinely fit for the future – strengthening investment value, responding to climate change and aligning with evolving national and regional policies.
This requires anticipating future conditions, integrating policy developments early and enabling buildings to adapt over time. While the need for a single European sustainability standard for asset certification is evident to futureproof them through independent guidance, a common EU benchmark still does not exist. Our experts identified the need for an in-depth comparative analysis of the three most relevant green building certification schemes in Europe.
Informed by 海角视频鈥檚 extensive hands鈥憃n experience delivering certifications across Europe, the resulting report provides a clear and practical overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the three leading systems – DGNB, BREEAM and LEED – to support teams in determining which certification scheme to apply to a project anywhere in Europe. It is the first publication of its kind examining the most recent modifications of the schemes.
Key questions addressed:
- How can project teams identify the most suitable certification scheme when approaches differ so widely?
- Which parameters will futureproof assets?
- How can investors mitigate risk and ensure the right questions are asked from the outset?
Broadly, all three certification schemes assessed in this report are strongest in their latest iterations and contribute meaningfully to the overall quality of buildings. Regardless of the certificate achieved, the measures they promote collectively support better, more resilient and more future鈥憆eady buildings.
However, the DGNB certification scheme emerges as a leading benchmark due to its strong alignment with the EU Taxonomy and its clear focus on the requirements of investors, financiers and tenants. 鈥楳ade for Europe鈥� is set to become its defining characteristic in the years ahead. What began in Germany has now been fully adopted by several European Green Building Councils, including Austria, Denmark, Croatia and Spain, and continues to grow in relevance both domestically and internationally.
For holistic advisory to ensure investment value in response to climate change and policies, click the button below to get in touch with our head of sustainability and climate, Thomas Kraubitz.
