Jun 16 2009
BRE Global, CSTB and CERTIVEA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of a pan-European building environmental assessment method
BRE Global in the UK and CSTB in France have both long been instrumental in setting best environmental practice standards in the construction sector through their respective assessment methods, BREEAM and HQE.
With the recent launch of the SB Alliance, the relationship between BRE Global and CSTB has increased in scope and strength and it is felt that further increased cooperation between both signatories could lead to the establishment of a system for assessing the environmental performance of buildings that is both nationally-effective and recognized on the global scale; and that is increasingly adopted in Europe and worldwide.
Therefore, BRE Global, CSTB and CERTIVEA have signed a MoU to initiate joint work with the overall objective of aligning the certification schemes delivered by the two institutes in the countries in which they operate. This will ultimately allow the development and promotion, at the European level, of a common assessment method and a common brand run by a European Council.
During the development period of this European scheme, signatories will offer their respective markets a one stop service. Therefore CERTIVEA, CSTB's subsidiary and certification organisation, will deliver BREEAM as an optional complement to the existing NF démarche HQE®.
These developments will be in line with the work on common metrics which is being undertaken by BRE Global, CSTB and other major organizations such as DGnB, VTT, NIST, ITC-CNR and FCAV within the SB Alliance, as well as the common carbon measurement to be established between BREEAM, LEED, and Green-Star currently being led by BRE Global.