Background information
and studies

The DGNB has compared its System for New Construction, Version 2023 with the Assessment System for Sustainable Building. The comparison looks back on the individual development of both certification systems in recent years and provides a detailed overview at criteria level of how the two systems differ.

The DGNB commissioned an independent legal opinion from the law firm Franßen & Nusser in order to gain a better understanding of the situation regarding the sustainability rating of buildings in Germany. The 60-page report, written by lawyer Michael Halstenberg, highlights the urgency of implementing targeted measures for greater sustainability and climate protection in the building sector. It provides an overview of the most important legislation and initiatives for sustainable construction in Germany and the European Union. In doing so, he critically examines the many incompatible developments.

In March 2022, the EU Sustainable Finance Platform proposed taxonomy screening criteria for new construction and renovation of buildings that contribute to the circular economy. To evaluate the marketability of the proposed technical screening criteria, a study consortium consisting of the DGNB, the Spanish (GBCe), the Danish (DK-GBC), the Dutch (DGBC), the Croatian (CGBC) and the Bulgarian Green Building Council (BGBC) as well as the Swiss (SGNI) and Austrian Sustainable Building Council (ÖGNI), and CPEA launched a joint study. At a roundtable on 7 October 2022, the study consortium presented a first intermediate report with recommendations to representatives of the European Commission and of the Platform on Sustainable Finance so that these can be taken into account in the optimisation of the criteria. The final report is planned for January 2023.

Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is one of the most important current environmental policy goals. Targets for this were agreed worldwide within the framework of the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015. In Germany, the building sector has a significant share in CO2 emissions. In recent years, political and scientific interest has focused on the assessment of the operation of buildings and the associated emissions, but now the question of the assessment of the buildings themselves is increasingly being raised. In order to be able to classify and evaluate the building itself, there is currently still a lack of sufficient data. This is where the presented study comes in. Within the framework of the statistical evaluation of 50 eco-balanced buildings from the DGNB pool, benchmarks for greenhouse gas emissions [kg CO2e/m²*a] are derived.

Wood construction has been gaining momentum for several years. The discourse around climate protection is giving it a tailwind in politics, society and the media. Acceptance of the construction method is high. It has great potential for the urgently needed decarbonisation of the building sector and thus also for achieving the climate goals of the federal government, as well as for future building tasks such as centre developments and redensification. At the same time, wood as a material offers many starting points for new digital planning and execution processes due to its own planning culture. Due to extensive research and development work, for example on statics and fire protection, as well as the introduction of innovative, standardised timber construction products (e.g. cross laminated timber), the possible applications of the construction method have continuously expanded.

The DGNB has drawn up a comparison between its own certification system and the Sustainable Building Assessment System (BNB). The systems, which were originally developed together, have evolved in very different ways in recent years. The document compares the two certification systems from a wide variety of aspects. It provides a status quo on the respective developments and is intended to provide clarity on the applications for which the systems are suitable in each case.

In a background information, the DGNB has compiled essential facts on the topic of "Sustainable Finance" and the contents of the EU taxonomy. This describes in detail the most important aspects of the classification system and its application in the construction and real estate sector. The comparison of the criteria of the EU taxonomy with the requirements of DGNB certification is also presented in more detail in the document.

In the public perception, three of the world's leading systems for the certification of sustainable buildings - DGNB, LEED and BREEAM - are often mentioned in the same breath, equated and considered interchangeable. However, apart from the obvious similarities, there are some fundamental differences that do not justify comparability and thus interchangeability between the systems.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has published market figures on the international distribution of the LEED green building rating system. According to the USGBC's evaluation methodology, Germany is ranked 5th among international LEED markets outside the United States (measured by certified gross floor area). In a background information, it is presented how the figures communicated there can be classified in relation to the DGNB.