BREEAM v7 vs Effinature: biodiversity certification

BREEAM version 7 now includes more explicit nature and ecology criteria. But comparing it to Effinature is a category error: BREEAM assesses a building's environmental performance, while Effinature certifies the ecological performance of the living site, accredited to ISO/IEC 17065.

Two recognised environmental certifications, but two distinct assessment philosophies

With the release of version 7 of the BREEAM standard, living systems take on a more visible role in international environmental certifications. Many therefore ask: is a BREEAM v7-certified project as demanding as an Effinature project on biodiversity? In reality, the two approaches assess neither the same thing nor with the same depth. BREEAM remains an overall environmental management system for the building, whereas Effinature is a scientific certification dedicated to the ecological performance of the site and its living systems, accredited to ISO/IEC 17065.

1. BREEAM v7: an overall approach to sustainable building

The BREEAM v7 standard (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is one of the most widely used environmental standards in the world. Its structure assesses the building across ten categories:

Management,
Health and Wellbeing,
Energy,
Transport,
Water,
Materials,
Waste,
Pollution,
Innovation,
and, more recently, Ecology (renamed Land Use and Ecology).

This last category, updated in BREEAM v7, draws on the Ecological Risk and Opportunity Framework. It aims to identify the site's ecological opportunities, limit the project's impacts and encourage a more integrated approach to biodiversity.

But within BREEAM, biodiversity is only one thematic component of the standard. The points obtained in this section contribute to the building's overall score, in the same way as energy or waste management.

2. Effinature: a certification dedicated to ecological performance

Unlike BREEAM, Effinature does not seek to assess the building as a whole, but exclusively the ecological performance of the site. Designed by IRICE and accredited to ISO/IEC 17065, it applies to all types of project — housing, offices, developments, mixed-use areas — by analysing the actual ecological functioning of the living system.

The Effinature standard is built around six core themes:

Preservation of living soil,
Development of plant heritage,
Support for local wildlife,
Reduction of the project's impacts,
User wellbeing,
Building skills and competences.

Each certification is based on audits carried out at three stages: design, construction and operation. The assessment covers 115 scientific criteria, ranging from living soil to night-time lighting, from the planting palette to the ecological governance of the site.

3. BREEAM and Effinature: two incomparable assessment frameworks

Dimension	BREEAM v7	Effinature
Type of approach	International environmental performance certification	Certification accredited to ISO/IEC 17065, focused on biodiversity
Main domain	Building (uses, comfort, energy, management)	Functional ecology of the site and living systems
Approach	Overall environmental management	Independent scientific assessment
Scope of biodiversity	1 component out of 10 (Land Use & Ecology)	The whole standard (6 ecological themes)
Method	Points system (scoring)	Compliance and evidence system
Audit	Documentary review by a BRE Assessor	Field audits by an independent body (IRICE)
Result	Overall rating (Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent, Outstanding)	Enforceable certificate of ecological compliance

BREEAM is aimed at international developers and investors wishing to demonstrate overall environmental performance. Effinature is aimed at stakeholders who want to demonstrate the actual ecological value of the site, measured in the field.

4. The limits of BREEAM's "Land Use & Ecology" section

Even in version 7, BREEAM's Land Use & Ecology section remains essentially based on intentions:

conservation of existing natural areas,
integration of green corridors,
appointment of a project ecologist,
differentiated management after construction,
basic ecological monitoring.

The project is rated according to accumulated points and a net biodiversity gain index, generally calculated using the UK DEFRA method. But these calculations are declarative and rarely verified by a third party accredited in the French sense of the term. They measure a trend rather than a proven ecological performance.

Effinature, by contrast, does not rely on a score: each criterion is mandatory and supported by documented evidence. The final audit in the operational phase verifies that the ecological balances announced at the design stage are concretely reflected in the management of the site.

5. Possible complementarity between BREEAM and Effinature

The two certifications are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, they complement each other:

BREEAM certifies the overall environmental quality of the building,
Effinature certifies the actual ecological quality of the site.

A BREEAM "Excellent" project can also be Effinature-certified to demonstrate that the building's environmental performance is matched by measured ecological resilience. This dual certification strengthens the project's credibility with investors, local authorities and European green funds.

6. In conclusion

BREEAM v7 and Effinature share a common ambition: to make real estate development more sustainable. But their methodological approach and level of verification differ profoundly.

BREEAM measures the responsible management of the building.
Effinature certifies the ecological performance of living systems.

The first approach is international and synthetic; the second, scientific and territorial. Together, they form a complete pairing: the performance of the building and that of living systems, environmental engineering and the biology of the site.

It is this dual reading — sustainable building / living site — that defines the new generation of genuinely ecological projects.