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Standards & certifications
Environmental labels and sustainable development certification
Covivio uses various certification schemes and labels to guarantee the best standards by adapting to the specific features of its assets and the markets in which it operates.
Environmental certification and labels
Certification plays an important role in assessing and validating the social, societal and environmental performance of buildings.
Environmental certification provides essential support for the development of sustainable real estate, seeking to identify for each asset:
- Energy performance and greenhouse gas reduction: certified buildings consume less energy and generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions, thereby helping to combat climate change.
- Improving quality of life: environmental standards promote a healthy indoor environment, improving the comfort and health of occupants.
- Regulatory compliance: environmental certification ensures compliance with increasingly stringent sustainable development regulations and is recognised internationally.
- Commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Global environmental certification
Environmental certification covers the various themes related to sustainable development. It can be obtained for existing buildings with specific aspects related to the responsible management of the asset, or during construction or refurbishment projects, for example to incorporate project management practices aimed at limiting disturbance during construction.
The main environmental certification applied by Covivio is as follows:
| HQE Sustainable building | BREEAM | LEED | DGNB | |
| Meaning | High Environmental Quality | Building Research Establishment Assessment Method | Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design | Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (German Sustainable Building Council) |
| Country of origin / Creation date | France / 1996 | UK / 1990 | USA / 1998 | Germany / 2007 |
| Certification body | Certivéa – Cerqual | BRE | US Green Building Council | DGNB |
| Rating scale | Good – Very good – Excellent – Exceptional | Acceptable – Pass -Good – Very Good – Exceptional – Outstanding | Certified – Silver – Gold – Platinum | Bronze – Silver – Gold – Platinum |
| Use by Covivio | Construction Refurbishment France & Germany Tertiary Operation & Residential | Construction Refurbishment Tertiary Operation Europe | Construction Refurbishment Germany & Italy Offices | Construction Refurbishment Germany Offices |
| Covivio certified surface area at 2022 year-end* *Some assets or projects may hold dual building/operation certification. | Building: 455,000 m² + the entire German residential portfolio Operation: 70,000 m² | Building: 500,000 m² Operation: 1.1 million m² | Building: 300,000 m² | Building: 60,000 m² |
Specific environmental labels
ENERGY/CARBON LABELS
These labels applied during the development phase guarantee achievement of the highest standards in terms of energy and carbon emission efficiency. The main labels obtained for the Covivio portfolio are effinergie (linked to HQE), BRaVE (in Italy), BBCA (low-carbon building) in France, Low Carbon Building Initiative (LCBI) in Europe, and E+C-.
As part of its climate strategy, Covivio has committed to obtaining BBCA certification for 75% of new projects in France and 50% in Germany and Italy. Covivio is a founding member of the Low Carbon Building Initiative, which has created a pan-European low-carbon label now available in eight countries. Covivio has also initiated an ISO 50001 certification process for its multi-tenant office buildings in France.
WELL-BEING LABELS
Environmental well-being labels involve measuring and improving the consideration given to human factors during construction (WELL, OsmoZ) and management (Fitwel) of a building in order to optimise quality of life at work for occupants.
In keeping with its Purpose, Covivio has committed to obtaining accreditation for all new office projects.
CONNECTIVITY LABELS
As connectivity is a major issue for buildings, connectivity labels – R2S, Wiredscore – tackle the various aspects related to digital technology in buildings: infrastructure, on-site wireless connectivity and digital security.
At 2023 year-end, 87% of the office pipeline was seeking such accreditation.
BIODIVERSITY LABELS
Biodiversity labels – BiodiverCity®, Ecojardin – aim to ensure that biodiversity is taken into account at all stages of a project, including during operation. They are particularly relevant to projects involving extensive green spaces.
At 2023 year-end, 155,000 m² of tertiary surface area owned by Covivio held or was seeking to obtain a biodiversity label.
Environmental labels in the hotel sector
Hotel operators also seek to obtain specific labels tailored to their business. Hotel environmental labels focus on both asset performance and hotel operation, aiming to ensure that the assets achieve a high degree of social and environmental performance.
The main hotel environmental labels are:
- Planet 21 (Accor)
- GSTC (currently being applied by B&B HOTELS across its entire hotel portfolio)
- Green Key, Green Globe (Club Med)
- BioScore (NH Hotel Group)
At 2023 year-end, 91.2% of hotels owned by Covivio held environmental accreditation. Covivio has also begun the process of obtaining the Green Key label for its entire portfolio of hotel operating properties. Finally, and without this being taken into account in the calculation of the certification rate of Covivio’s assets, it should be noted that 26% of the hotels owned hold Green Leader status on TripAdvisor.
Reporting standards and frameworks
To ensure maximum transparency towards stakeholders, Covivio reports in line with regulatory requirements, in particular the European Non-Financial Reporting Directive, as well as referring to recognised international guidelines.
EPRA sBPR (Sustainability Best Practices)
Covivio complies with the EPRA sBPR, reaching Gold level since 2014.
GRI (Global Reporting Initiative)
SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board)
Covivio has followed SASB guidelines for the Real Estate sector since 2020.
TCFD
As a benchmark player in terms of climate reporting, Covivio has been an official supporter of the TCFD since 2021 and publishes its Climate Report in accordance with these recommendations.
Verification of corporate, environmental and societal information
Covivio commissions an independent third-party body to express a limited assurance conclusion on the compliance of the consolidated statement of non-financial performance. The letter is published in section 3.8.1 of the 2022 Report on Sustainable Performance.
