The European Commission has today launched the pilot phase of ‘Level(s)’, a new EU framework for sustainable buildings, which will help transform the building sector.

It is the first tool of its kind that has been developed for use across the whole of Europe, and has been launched during World Green Building Week.

Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said:

“Level(s) can help us develop an environment built sustainably across Europe and support our transition to the circular economy. We are releasing this framework for the sector during World Green Building Week demonstrating Europe’s global leadership. It marks an important step towards a more resource-efficient and competitive construction sector in Europe.”

Level(s) is the result of a broad consultation with industry and the public sector, and focuses on performance indicators across areas such as greenhouse gas emissions, resource and water efficiency as well as health and comfort. It aims to establish a ‘common language’ around what sustainable building means in practice – shifting the debate beyond energy performance.

It has been developed by the European Commission in close collaboration with key players such as Green Building Councils, businesses such as Skanska and Saint-Gobain, and the Sustainable Building Alliance.

The test phase for Level(s) is now being launched and will run until 2019. All building projects are invited to learn more about it and pilot the new tool.

James Drinkwater, Director of the World Green Building Council’s Europe Regional Network, said:

“This is a clear signal to the market that sustainable building practice is shifting from niche to norm. Having a common goal to deliver nearly zero-energy buildings across Europe galvanised industry-wide action, and now having a common language around ‘sustainable’ building helps us begin to really transform mainstream practice.”    

Two technical guidance reports have been released to support the pilot phase. The first technical report provides an introduction to Level(s) and how it works. The second technical report provides detailed guidance on how to make performance assessments using Level(s). The Commission will host a pilot workshop for organisations interested in testing Level(s) in Brussels on 4 December 2017.

To learn more about Level(s), visit the European Commission website or read this blog from Audrey Nugent, Senior Policy Advisor to the Europe Regional Network of WorldGBC.

To register your interest in attending the December Brussels pilot phase workshop, email europe@worldgbc.org.