Green Certifications: Which One is Right for Your Building?

We all know how important it is to be sustainable in as many areas of life as possible, which is why there is now increasing pressure on developers and designers to ensure that the buildings they create are green.

This is why so many are now striving to achieve green building certifications to verify their credentials against detailed criteria, allowing them to showcase to peers and stakeholders exactly how sustainable they really are.

In this article, dedicated M&E consultants, take a look at the green certifications on offer and help you decide which one is right for your building.

[edit] What are green certifications?

Green certifications are awarded to buildings or businesses that can demonstrate environmental responsibility and adherence to specific sustainability standards. They can relate to things like energy efficiency, water consumption and healthy indoor environments.

The green certification process was first established in the 1980s, but they are now becoming increasingly popular thanks to the growing importance of corporate social responsibility.

[edit] BREEAM: Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method

BREEAM certifications were established in the UK and are now applied in more than 87 countries across the world. This is thanks to the rigorous methodology and the involvement of an independent BREEAM assessor.

It covers a wide range of sustainability criteria and concentrates on things like resilience and the wellbeing of the building’s users.

It has become a comprehensive evaluation of the sustainable credentials of a building right from the initial planning stages through to completion and also looks at the economic, environmental and social benefits that it can provide for the people linked to the life cycle of the building. Holders of this certificate can be given a Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent, or Outstanding rating.

[edit] LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

The leading green building certification is LEED, which is a globally recognised symbol of excellence in green building. This certification ensures that there are electricity cost savings, lower carbon emissions and healthier environments in a building. In order to achieve LEED certification, a building needs to earn points by achieving certain prerequisites and credits that touch on carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality.

They are then given silver, gold, or platinum status depending on how many of these points they have met. In the UK, the LEED certificate is not as prevalent as BREEAM but does still offer a useful framework for improving the environmental performance, energy efficiency and occupant well-being of a building.

[edit] GRESB: Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark

The GRESB rating has been designed to provide ESG data and benchmarks for financial markets. It collects, validates, scores, and benchmarks ESG data to provide business intelligence, engagement tools and regulatory reporting solutions. The benchmarks involved are aligned with the international financial reporting frameworks, as well as goals set out in the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

[edit] Fitwel Standard

The Fitwel Standard also focusses on the health and well-being of the occupants of a building and so includes elements that aim to improve user experience and safety. It incorporates seven different health impact categories which measure the ability of the building to promote access to healthy food, decrease the risk of crime and increase physical activity. This has a star-based system with three stars being the highest available rating.

Green building certification can have a number of different benefits and can boost the reputation of a building and developer, but it is important to understand which ones you are trying to achieve. This should be taken into account from the earliest planning stages to ensure the building can meet all available criteria.

--BEMServices