The Best-Known Global Green Building Certifications

It's no secret that buildings have a much higher standard of environmental performance and occupant health and comfort than they did in previous decades. Holistic green building assessments and performance rating schemes have played a big role in progress throughout the sector, continuously pushing for even higher standards.

Participating in a green building rating scheme can be costly and time-consuming, but their benefits for both new constructions and renovations make the investment more than worth it. Certifications help develop practices and solutions which contribute to the circular economy in construction. Other performance results include the reduction of carbon emissions, pollution, and operating costs, the use of upcycled construction components and recycled raw materials, increased property value, and improved user well-being.

Below, explore and compare four of the best-known green building certifications.

LEED Green Building Certification (v4.1)  

Managed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is one of the most well-known green building certifications in the world. Their highest level of certification, LEED Platinum, is a dream target for many architects and developers.

First piloted in 1998, LEED’s long history is a testament to its enduring relevance and preference within the industry.

Other quick facts about the LEED green building certification:^[1]

• The certification can be requested in most countries.
• There are more than 105 000 LEED-certified buildings in nearly 190 countries.^[2]
• The current version of LEED is v4.1; the next one, v5, is currently in its development phase and will be available for use in 2025.
• The latest introduction was greenhouse gas emissions as a metric of building energy performance.

LEED Certification Costs

For most project types, the registration fee for LEED certification is 1700 USD for organisational level members or non-members. The combined design and construction certification review per square foot varies depending on the project size, type, and review path, starting from 0.064 USD per square foot for smaller projects to 0.010 USD per square foot for larger projects.^[3]

At an extra cost, projects can also qualify for expedited review to reduce the review process from 20 to 25 business days to 10 to 12.

Please note: The LEED fees may be country-specific and are subject to change over time. For a more accurate pricing estimate, visit the official LEED Price Estimate calculator.

LEED Certification Levels

Projects pursuing LEED verification can earn points that are awarded after a verification and review process.

The four levels of LEED scores are:^[4]

• Certified
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum

BREEAM Green Building Certification  

Issued by the U.K.-based Building Research Establishment or national operators, BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is one of the leading science-based environmental certification schemes for buildings. BREEAM is especially popular in Europe as both a certification and reference for the best practices in green building.

Established in 1990, BREEAM boasts the title of the oldest and most prolific green building certification in use today.

The BREEAM certification covers all building types, including offices, schools, hospitals, industrial facilities, and more. Some examples of their available certifications are BREEAM New Construction, BREEAM In-Use, and BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-out.

Some quick facts about BREEAM:^[5]

• BREEAM is operated by the U.K.-based profit-for-purpose organisation BRE.

• Over 600 000 certifications and registrations have been granted in over 80 countries.^[6]

• There are country-specific local schemes that are BREEAM-affiliated. For example, the Dutch Green Building Council delivers BREEAM in the Netherlands.

• BREEAM International offers certification where country specific BREEAM operators are not available.

BREEAM Certification Themes

To acquire a BREEAM International New Construction certification, buildings and spaces need to meet specific requirements in the following key areas: Energy, Management, Health and Well-Being, Transport, Water Consumption and Efficiency, Materials, Waste, Pollution, Resilience, and Land Use and Ecology.

BREEAM Certification Levels

Excluding “Unclassified”, BREEAM certification has five rating levels:^[5]

• Unclassified
• Pass
• Good
• Very Good
• Excellent
• Outstanding

The rating scheme is according to BREEAM International New Construction Version 6 scheme. Each BREEAM score is additionally accompanied with a star rating.

WELL Certification (v2)

Launched in October 2014 by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the WELL Building Standard is one of the leading certifications for buildings, interior spaces, and communities seeking to support occupant health and well-being.

WELL mainly focuses on human-centric elements and building criteria and less occupied with environmental building performance than many other building certifications focused on sustainability. Nonetheless, the schemes complement each other in working towards a diverse set of sustainable development goals. In fact, WELL grants up to five points in their own certification system when a project achieves approved third-party certification, such as those from BREEAM, DGNB, and LEED.

The certification is well-known for its evidence-based approach for choosing performance metrics. According to IWBI Chief Commercial Officer Jessica Cooper, WELL v2 draws expertise from thousands of WELL users, practitioners, medical professionals, public health experts, and building scientists around the world.

Some quick facts about WELL:^[7]

• The certification is issued by the International WELL Building Institute, a public benefit corporation based out of New York.
• WELL v2 came to replace WELL v1 in 2018.
• The WELL building certification can be requested in most countries.

The WELL concepts are further subdivided into some 108 “features” which target specific well-being and health goals which are used to evaluate the overall score of a building or space. These features include excellent air quality, abundant natural light, and reduced noise pollution. Each feature is supported by evidence and is designed to contribute significantly to holistic occupant well-being.

WELL Certification Levels

Projects pursuing WELL Certification can earn points based on performance outcomes for various policy, design, and operational strategies. With that they can achieve one of four certification levels:

• Bronze
• Silver
• Gold 
• Platinum

WELL Certification Discounts

To make WELL certification accessible, IWBI offers (non-combinable) discounts for multiple project types:

• Small businesses: The applying organisation must have less than 50 employees and not more than 10 MUSD in annual revenue.
• Special sectors: A 35% discount is applied to healthcare facilities, senior and assisted living, low-income/affordable housing, non-profit, charitable organisations, schools, education facilities, and government/municipal buildings.
• Emerging markets: A 35% discount is also applied to projects located in countries included in the "lower to middle" and "low" income groups of the World Bank Atlas Method. An alternative qualifying requisite is that the project is one of the first five locations to register for WELL Certification in a particular country.
• Industrial locations: The program fees are reduced from 0.16 USD per square foot to 0.08 USD.

DGNB Green Building Certification (v6)

The DGNB certification is issued by the non-profit organisation German Sustainable Building Council that is based in Stuttgart, Germany.

For DGNB certification, the contractor needs to begin a contract with an official DGNB auditor who would supervise the entire process from registration to certification.

Some quick facts about the DGNB Green Building Certification:

• The DGNB certification can be applied to both new and existing buildings.
• For Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, and Croatia, national system operators manage DGNB certification.
• The latest version for new constructions is DGNB Version 6.

DGNB Certification Levels

Projects pursuing DGNB certification can earn points that are awarded through an independent certification process.^[8]

• Bronze
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum

Sources: 

1. ^{2020. “LEED Rating System.” Usgbc.org. USGBC. 2020. https://www.usgbc.org/leed.}
2. ^{Mission and vision | U.S. Green Building Council. (n.d.). Www.usgbc.org. https://www.usgbc.org/about/mission-vision “LEED Certification Fees | U.S. Green Building}
3. ^{“LEED Certification Fees | U.S. Green Building Council”. 2022. Www.usgbc.org. 2022. https://www.usgbc.org/tools/leed-certification/fees.}
4. ^{2020. “LEED Rating System.” Usgbc.org. USGBC. 2020. https://www.usgbc.org/leed.}
5. ^{BRE Group. 2022. “BREEAM - BRE Group.” Bregroup.com. February 23, 2022. https://bregroup.com/products/breeam/.}
6. ^{“Best of BREEAM 2022 Exceptional Sustainable Places and Project Teams.” n.d. https://files.bregroup.com/breeam/winner_brochure_breeam_awards_2022.pdf.}
7. ^{2022. “WELL Standard.” WELL Standard. 2022. https://v2.wellcertified.com/en/wellv2/overview.}
8. ^{“The DGNB System | DGNB System”. n.d. Www.dgnb-System.de. https://www.dgnb-system.de/en/system/.}