27. September 2016

Glossary

Certification

Buildings raised in accordance with particularly sustainable criteria in regard to social, environmental and economic aspects may qualify for a “green label” certification. A variety of such labels exists that are subject to different national standards and available in several grades. In Germany, the DGNB German Sustainable Building Council issues four different certificates: “DGNB Bronze,” “DGNB Silver,” “DGNB Gold” and, since 2015, “DGNB Platinum.” The UK-based certification body BREEAM uses seven different ratings, ranging from “non-classified” to “outstanding.” Within the framework of its GreenBuilding Programme, the European Commission issues its EU Green Building Standard. The LEED certificate issued by the US Green Building Council uses a rating system of four levels, from “Certified” to “Platinum.”