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Biodiversity certification for property developers
Effinature NCO — new construction

Your investors demand verifiable ESG data. Your buyers seek quality of use. Regulation requires enforceable evidence. Effinature NCO certification documents the biodiversity performance of your projects with the rigour of Cofrac accreditation.

Submit an NCO application View the NCO framework

Why certify the biodiversity of a new-build programme?

Biodiversity has become a decision criterion for investors, an attractiveness factor for buyers and a climate resilience element for asset managers. For a developer, biodiversity certification transforms an ecological commitment into documented and enforceable asset value.

0.06%

of project turnover — certification cost

110+

criteria assessed by the NCO framework

200+

ongoing projects supported

Asset valuation

An Effinature-certified programme benefits from a defensible green premium for buyers and investors. The certification documents quality of use (landscaped areas, functional biodiversity, stormwater management), climate resilience (heat island mitigation, adaptation to extreme events) and rental attractiveness (living environment, occupant well-being).

Anticipated regulatory compliance

Directive 2024/825 (September 2026) requires that environmental claims be verified by an accredited body. Communicating about a programme's "biodiversity performance" without accredited certification exposes the developer to penalties of up to 4% of annual turnover. Effinature certification anticipates this requirement.

ESG lever for investors

Investors subject to the CSRD ESRS E4 and SFDR demand auditable biodiversity data. Effinature certification produces that data. The BPS consolidates it at portfolio level.

The NCO 25.05 framework — new construction

The NCO 25.05 framework assesses the biodiversity performance of a new-build project across 110+ criteria covering three axes: ecological design (ecological corridors, vegetation layers, stormwater management), construction (protection of existing habitats, reduction of site-stage impact on fauna and flora) and handover (verification of compliance with the initial ecological programme).

The certification process structurally separates the technical assessment from the certification decision, in accordance with ISO/IEC 17065 section 5.2. The decision is made by the certification body's president following review of the assessment report — conditional on documented compliance, never granted in advance.

IRICE is accredited by Cofrac under No. 5-0655 — Cofrac Accreditation No. 5-0655, Product, process and service certification, scope available at www.cofrac.fr.

They certify their projects with Effinature

Kaufman & Broad, Eiffage Immobilier and Altarea have integrated Effinature certification into their projects. These major property developers chose accredited certification to document their biodiversity performance with enforceable evidence admissible for ESG reporting.

Frequently asked questions

The developer submits an Effinature NCO 25.05 certification application to IRICE, a Cofrac-accredited body (No. 5-0655), Product, process and service certification, scope available at www.cofrac.fr. The assessment covers 110+ criteria spanning design, construction and handover. The certification decision is made by the body's president following review of the assessment report.
An ISO/IEC 17065 accredited certification produces enforceable evidence of biodiversity performance. It is admissible for CSRD/SFDR reporting, can be specified in public procurement technical documents, and constitutes a documented asset valuation lever.
From EUR 7,500 excl. VAT, representing approximately 0.06% of a standard property development turnover. This cost covers the technical assessment, certification decision and compliance monitoring.
Yes. Effinature certification produces structured data that directly feeds ESRS E4 and SFDR PAI biodiversity indicators. For investors subject to the CSRD, it provides documented evidence of the ecological performance of assets.
A certified asset benefits from defensible asset valuation: enhanced rental attractiveness, documented climate resilience, anticipated compliance with 2026 regulatory requirements. This green premium is all the more robust because the evidence is enforceable.