LCBI Label (Low Carbon Building Initiative)
The LCBI label certifies that a building has a low carbon footprint over its entire life cycle (from the extraction of raw materials to its end-of-life treatment).
The Low Carbon Building Initiative (LCBI) label, applicable to new-build projects in Europe, stands out for its innovative approach, which aims to calculate and then reduce carbon emissions over the entire life cycle of a building (via an LCA calculation), taking into account construction, operation and the end of the building’s life.
To date, the multiplicity of carbon measuring methodologies, the lack of data reliability and the absence of carbon performance benchmarks in Europe have been the main obstacles to the clear identification of low-carbon projects for investors wishing to commit to this segment.
The LCBI label proposes a harmonised European methodology, independent of national standards and regulations, to determine the carbon value of a building (including performance thresholds) and compare it with other assets in order to define a path towards decarbonisation.
The LCBI label is :
- based on a common indicator (kgCO2eq/m2) and European standards (Level(s), CRREM, RICS, SBTI)
- aligned with the European Taxonomy and future developments of the EPBD
- recognised by GRESB
It highlights buildings with exemplary carbon footprints, standardises data and makes it comparable across different European countries.
The standard was developed by BBCA, the Association for the Development of Low Carbon Buildings.
CERTIVEA is acting as verification body for issuance of this label.
The methodology is based on 3 criteria, based on existing European reference frameworks:
- Embodied carbon : assessing the carbon weight of construction products and equipment over a 50-year life cycle
- Operational carbon : assessing the carbon weight of the building’s operating phase, relative to all the energy sources used.
- Biogenic carbon : assessing the carbon stored in the building through the use of bio-based materials.
The LCBI label offers a dual rating scale that takes into account :
- the completeness of the scope of the analysis (for embodied carbon and operational carbon)
- the carbon performance achieved for each criterion via 2 performance thresholds
What are the benefits ?
- Proof of differentiation : enhancing the value of a commitment to a low-carbon strategy
- Evaluate low-carbon performance in the building process using a credible, unified method
- Marketing support : enhancing the value of property assets
- Anticipating regulatory changes (EPBD, etc.)
- A lever for alignment with the European Taxonomy
- A way for investors to direct capital towards low-carbon assets
- Getting teams familiar to LCA techniques and decarbonisation objectives
- Third party verification : a performance assessed through an external perspective
Correspondence with key indicators for public policy, business and investors :
Objectifs de Développement Durable (ODD) de l’ONU
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Objectives of the EU Green Taxonomy
Contributes to the ‘Mitigate climate change’ objective
EU LEVEL(S) indicators
Contributes to objective #1 Greenhouse gas emissions throughout the building’s life cycle
LCBI : When? How? What cost? What score?
Recommended phase for certification entry
- Design phase (but can be entered directly into the construction phase)
Relations with CERTIVEA during the certification process
E-mail or telephone contact with your CERTIVEA representative
Scoring scale
3 levels of overall building performance: Standard, Performance and Excellence
Communication on certification
- Once the building has been constructed, the label issued by CERTIVEA can be used for an unlimited period of time
Price paid to CERTIVEA for the certification process
- Depends on the project and the total surface area of the building
- 15,000 excluding VAT on average
- This price includes the cost of the auditor and his travel, an independent third party commissioned and paid by CERTIVEA, the right to use the mark and the link with the CERTIVEA teams.
LCBI label : the main stages in the certification process
