Certification process

Created in 2022, the Low Carbon Building Initiative (LCBI) promotes low carbon construction in Europe, with low carbon certification schemes.

Discover below how to register for the different LCBI Certification schemes.

Certification Across Europe

The LCBI label accounts for the entire life cycle of a building and measures emissions across three distinct categories of carbon emissions. Its methodology thereby accounts for embodied carbon released by building materials, operational carbon related to building use and activity, and biogenic carbon, stored.

Each criterion receives a score, and projects are then certified at one of three increasingly rigorous levels (Standard, Performance, or Excellence) based on the emissions reductions achieved. The methodology is applicable to various building typologies, including office, hotel, and multi-family residential.

The LCBI label can therefore harmonizes practices and sets clear pathways based on quantitative targets on an international scale. Currently, the label is available in 8 countries : Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, and the UK.

Phased Certification Process

The LCBI certification process supports projects throughout their development by conducting audits at each key stage. This approach ensures adaptability and flexibility by enabling applicants to adjust all through the certification process.

At the end of the technical design phase, an independent certification body may conduct a first audit and grant interim certification. This first step is discretionary, though allows for applicants to assess their final design and make relevant modification prior to the project’s construction.

Upon project completion, a second audit is carried out to confirm that all certification requirements have been met and grant the final LCBI label. The final audit may be engaged at any step of the project’s lifecycle.

Finally, applicants may, if they wish, conduct a final analysis of operations in the 5 years following certification. This ensures pursued operational performance and continued compliance to LCBI standards.

Apply for the LCBI Certificate

Bureau Veritas

With more than 82,000 employees located in nearly 1,600 offices and laboratories around the globe Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Created in 1828, it now helps its 400,000 clients improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.

Bureau Veritas’ commitment to sustainability is engraved in the projects it leads ; in the real estate sector, it helps developers, investors, and asset managers align their projects with the highest environmental standards of low-carbon practices. Bureau Veritas acts as one of LCBI certifier across Europe.

Access to the Bureau Veritas website

CERTIVEA

Subsidiary of the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CTSB), CERTIVEA enables its clients to enhance the value, sustainability, and appeal of their operations. By positioning clients to capitalize on key transitions in climate, energy, technology and green finance, it mitigates their risk of obsolescence by guiding them towards strategic and long-term allocation. CERTIVEA assists enterprises with its set of solutions that cover multi-thematic HQE (High Environmental Quality) certification, and in developing specialized labels. The labels are targeted in three specific realms, in the environment (energy, climate, biodiversity), quality of life (health and well-being), and in digital technologies.

CERTIVEA acts as one of LCBI certifier across Europe. Relying on the label’s methodology, conducts independent assessments grounded in LCBI reference frameworks. CERTIVEA stands as an industry leader in France, though operates around the globe with 6836 operations led in 21 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and America.

Access to the CERTIVEA website