Why only accredited
certification is sufficient
Independence, Cofrac accreditation, enforceable evidence: the three conditions that separate a claim from a certification
Voluntary labels, self-declarations and non-accredited assessments do not constitute enforceable evidence. In the face of Directive 2024/825 (transposition by 27 September 2026, penalties up to 4% of turnover), CSRD ESRS E4 and SFDR Article 8-9 requirements, only one mechanism produces a legally defensible biodiversity claim: certification issued by an accredited body.
This page explains why — by detailing the three structural conditions that separate a declaration from a certification: independence, accreditation and evidence. IRICE is the only body in France accredited by Cofrac for biodiversity certification of real estate projects.
Independence
Independence is a structural condition — not a rhetorical principle — executed through the separation of four functions:
1. Design and implementation
The parties who define environmental requirements and integrate them into their projects.
2. Support and consultancy
The firms and consultants who help developers meet the requirements.
3. Independent assessment
The third-party body that verifies compliance and renders a certification decision.
4. Decision
The competent authority (project owner, investor, specifier) that accepts or rejects the assessment outcome.
How IRICE separates functions
When a consultancy firm itself conducts the certification of its own work, or when a developer certifies its own compliance, the decision loses all credibility. Trust is established through a structural independence mechanism that prevents conflicts of interest.
IRICE never certifies a project it has designed or advised on. This separation of functions is an institutional architecture — it is the foundation of our credibility.
IRICE governance
No commercial interest in assessed projects — IRICE does not design, advise or sell preliminary studies.
Complete absence of consultancy activity on the files it assesses.
Separate committees — one for technical assessment, one for certification decisions.
Regular oversight by Cofrac — accreditation audits verify that this independence is effectively maintained.
Accreditation
Accreditation is a state-level qualification of assessment capability — it is a delegation of public responsibility that we hold from Cofrac, not a commercial label that we claim.
Accreditation
No. 5-0655
Product, Process and Service Certification — scope available at www.cofrac.fr
What accreditation covers
Impartiality
Verification that decisions are free from documented conflicts of interest.
Technical competence
Validation that auditors and experts hold the necessary qualifications.
Rigour of the assessment process
Audit of compliance with standards, documentation and traceability.
Complaints and appeals management
Verification of an accessible and fair arbitration mechanism.
What accreditation does not cover
- — Commercial claims (marketing, positioning)
- — Political positions or advocacy by IRICE regarding public policy
- — Overall scientific relevance of the standards (this falls under the purview of authorities and research)
Accreditation is a state-level qualification
A label declares: "This product is green". Accreditation certifies: "This body has the competence, independence and rigour to assess whether a product or project meets defined criteria". Accreditation guarantees that the conclusion was reached reliably by a qualified and independent third party.
Mandatory citation (Cofrac GEN REF 11)
Cofrac Accreditation No. 5-0655, Product, Process and Service Certification, scope available at www.cofrac.fr
This wording is the only permissible formulation (GEN REF 11). No variant is tolerated.
Evidence
Evidence, in the IRICE sense, is a certification decision rendered by an independent third party on the basis of explicit criteria, documented data and reproducible methods.
The five conditions of evidence
Traceability
Every element of the decision can be reconstructed: who decided what, on the basis of which data, applying which rules.
Comparability
Two different projects submitted to the same criteria receive assessments that follow the same logic.
Enforceability
The decision is legally defensible and can serve as the basis for contractual or regulatory clauses.
Temporal continuity
The evidence persists and remains valid throughout the project lifecycle (design, construction, operation).
Clarity of scope
It is explicit what is covered by the certification and what is not.
What does not constitute IRICE evidence
A score
BPS quantifies ecological performance — it is a diagnostic. It does not certify compliance.
A label
Labels declare a quality. They do not prove compliance with a rigorous assessment process.
An audit
Audits verify and report. They do not render an enforceable certification decision.
IRICE evidence is the fusion of three elements:
- A clear question: does the project meet the certification criteria?
- An impartial and documented process
- An answer: certified or not certified
What only accredited certification guarantees
Voluntary labels and non-accredited assessments fulfil none of these functions. Only accredited certification produces legally enforceable consequences for each player in the real estate market.
For investors
An IRICE certification provides enforceable evidence of a project's ecological performance. This evidence documents compliance with SFDR, CSRD, and other ESG frameworks. It is defensible before supervisory authorities and information requesters.
Without independent third-party evidence, an ESG claim remains internal and vulnerable to greenwashing accusations.
For specifiers
IRICE accreditation enables them to draft legally defensible procurement clauses. A clause requiring IRICE certification rests on a state-recognised qualification. It is not an undocumented commercial preference.
This protects the specifier against appeals and procurement challenges.
For developers
An IRICE certification is evidence-based differentiation. It does not rely on marketing. It demonstrates that the developer has submitted its project to a rigorous and independent assessment process.
This strengthens credibility with institutional investors and public authorities.
For the sector
A credible standard prevents greenwashing and protects legitimate actors. When evidence is reliable and verifiable, the market functions. Investors trust, prices reflect true performance, and ecological innovation is rewarded.
IRICE is not a cost — it is a public market infrastructure.
Directive 2024/825 makes accredited certification essential
Directive (EU) 2024/825 amends Directive 2005/29/EC on unfair commercial practices. It comes into force on 27 September 2026 and imposes a structural change: all environmental claims must be substantiated by independent verification based on recognised scientific evidence.
Penalties
Up to 4% of annual turnover or EUR 1.5 million (whichever is higher). Member States may impose higher penalties.
Prohibited practices
Displaying a sustainability label not based on a certification scheme or not established by public authorities. Making a generic environmental claim without verifiable evidence.
What this means in practice
A "biodiversity" claim on a real estate asset — in a CSRD report, an SFDR prospectus, a commercial communication or a technical specification — must be based on a certification issued by a body accredited by a national authority. Non-accredited voluntary labels do not constitute compliant substantiation.
Effinature certification, issued by IRICE under Cofrac Accreditation No. 5-0655 (ISO/IEC 17065), meets this requirement.
How to verify an accreditation on Cofrac.fr
Accreditation is public and verifiable. Any client, investor or specifier can confirm the accreditation scope of a certification body in three steps.
Access the accreditation directory
Go to www.cofrac.fr and use the accredited body search engine.
Search by accreditation number
Enter the accreditation number (for IRICE: 5-0655). The result displays the body name, accreditation section and status.
Review the accreditation scope
The scope document details the covered standards, the types of products or services that can be certified, and the validity conditions. It is the public proof of the body's competence.
If a body does not appear on Cofrac.fr
A body that does not appear in the Cofrac directory is not accredited in France for the scope in question. Its assessments may be useful, but they do not constitute accredited certification within the meaning of ISO/IEC 17065 and do not meet the requirements of Directive 2024/825.
Frequently Asked Questions
Independence guarantees the impartiality of the certification decision. A body that both advises and certifies the same project is judge and party. ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation imposes a strict separation between consultancy and certification activities to protect the credibility of the claim.
No. Cofrac accreditation imposes a strict separation between consultancy and certification. IRICE provides no consultancy, support or design services. The project owner must engage an independent consultant (Biodiversity Partner or other project management assistant) for file preparation.
This accreditation attests that Cofrac has verified the competence, impartiality and operations of IRICE in accordance with standard ISO/IEC 17065 for the certification of products, processes and services. The scope of accreditation is available at www.cofrac.fr.
Directive 2024/825, to be transposed by 27 September 2026, prohibits unsubstantiated environmental claims without independent verification. Penalties can reach 4% of annual turnover or EUR 1.5 million. Only a certification issued by an accredited body under ISO/IEC 17065 constitutes compliant substantiation within the meaning of this directive.
Related pages
Why accredited certification
The legal framework making accredited certification essential.
En savoir plus →Certification vs label
The evidence hierarchy in environmental claims.
En savoir plus →Effinature
The Cofrac-accredited biodiversity certification.
En savoir plus →Claims and Directive 2024/825
Penalties and substantiation of claims.
En savoir plus →Property developer
Biodiversity certification for developers.
En savoir plus →Real estate fund and asset manager
Biodiversity evidence for real estate portfolios.
En savoir plus →Secure your biodiversity claims before September 2026
IRICE is the only body in France accredited by Cofrac for biodiversity certification of real estate projects. Submit an Effinature certification request.