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Why accredited biodiversity certification — and not just a label?
The 2026 regulatory framework

In 2026, the Green Taxonomy, CSRD ESRS E4 and Directive 2024/825 converge on a common requirement: environmental claims must be verified by an accredited body. What only an ISO/IEC 17065 certification can provide.

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The 2026 regulatory context: what is changing for biodiversity

Three European texts converge in 2026 to transform the legal status of biodiversity claims in real estate. Together, they impose a level of evidence that declarative commitments and association-based labels can no longer satisfy.

Directive 2024/825

27 September 2026

Environmental claims must be verified by an accredited body. Penalties can reach 4% of annual turnover.

Taxonomy DNSH objective 6

In force

Taxonomy alignment requires auditable documentation of the absence of significant harm to biodiversity.

CSRD ESRS E4 + SFDR PAI

Fiscal year 2025-2026

Biodiversity data integrated into reporting must be consolidatable, traceable and produced by a verifiable process.

For real estate stakeholders, the consequence is direct: communicating on the biodiversity of a project without relying on a certification issued by an accredited body exposes one to increasing legal risk. The regulatory framework now clearly distinguishes enforceable evidence from declarative claims.

What an ISO/IEC 17065 accredited certification guarantees

The table below summarises the structural differences between an association-based approach and an accredited certification under standard ISO/IEC 17065, verified by Cofrac.

Criterion Association-based approach ISO/IEC 17065 Cofrac Certification
National accreditation None Yes — Cofrac No. 5-0655
Reference standard Internal proprietary standard ISO/IEC 17065:2012
Separation of assessment / decision Variable, often absent Mandatory — §5.2
Periodic external oversight None Regular Cofrac audits
Regulatory enforceability None Yes — Regulation 765/2008
Insertable in technical specifications Litigation risk Yes — established legal framework
Admissible for CSRD / SFDR / Taxonomy Limited evidential value Auditable and consolidatable data
Standard transparency Variable Public and downloadable standards

The 4 questions every decision-maker must ask about a biodiversity approach

Before committing to a biodiversity approach, four structural questions allow you to assess the robustness of the proposed framework.

1. Is the certification body accredited by Cofrac?

Verifiable in two minutes at www.cofrac.fr. If the body appears in the directory with an accreditation number and a scope covering product certification in biodiversity, the certification is accredited. Otherwise, it falls under a private framework.

2. Are the assessment, consultancy and decision functions separated?

ISO/IEC 17065 requires that the certification decision be made by a person distinct from the assessor. The certifying body structurally separates certification from consultancy. This separation eliminates the risk of complacency.

3. Are the standards public and downloadable?

Transparency of assessment criteria is a condition of trust. A project owner must be able to verify in advance what is required, and third parties must be able to verify the consistency of the outcome.

4. Can the certification be included in technical specifications without litigation risk?

Only a certification resting on an established legal framework (Regulation 765/2008, Public Procurement Code) can be included in public procurement. Association-based approaches expose the buyer to risks of favouritism or unjustified restriction of competition.

Effinature: all 4 answers in a single framework

Effinature certification is issued by IRICE — Cofrac Accreditation No. 5-0655, Product, Process and Service Certification, scope available at www.cofrac.fr.

Cofrac accreditation

Cofrac No. 5-0655, verified through periodic audits. Scope available at www.cofrac.fr.

Public standards

NCO 25.05, EVO 25.05, HOR 25.05, HVE — downloadable and verifiable.

Structural separation

Technical assessment and the certification decision are carried out by distinct individuals, in accordance with §5.2 of ISO/IEC 17065.

Public procurement

Insertable in technical specifications — documented use case with Europolia.

For multi-asset portfolios, the Biodiversity Performance Score (BPS) produces consolidated scoring that directly feeds ESRS E4 and SFDR PAI indicators. The combination of Effinature (asset by asset) + BPS (portfolio) constitutes the complete ecological evidence chain, from design to extra-financial reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions

An ISO/IEC 17065 accredited certification is verified by Cofrac, guarantees the separation of assessment and decision, and produces enforceable evidence under Regulation 765/2008. An association-based label relies on a private framework without external oversight. From 2026, Directive 2024/825 requires environmental claims to be verified by an accredited body — only accredited certification satisfies this requirement. IRICE issues Effinature certification under Cofrac Accreditation No. 5-0655, Product, Process and Service Certification, scope available at www.cofrac.fr.
A label is a collective mark issued by an association under its own internal rules. An ISO/IEC 17065 certification is issued by a Cofrac-accredited body, subject to periodic audits, with structural separation of assessment and decision functions. The certification produces a presumption of conformity under Regulation 765/2008, is insertable in public procurement specifications and admissible for CSRD/SFDR reporting.
The EU Taxonomy (objective 6 DNSH) requires auditable documentation of the absence of significant harm to biodiversity. An association-based label may contribute to documentation, but its evidential value remains limited against independent verification requirements. Accredited certification produces data whose reliability is guaranteed by Cofrac — this is the level of evidence expected by sustainability verifiers.
A certification issued by a Cofrac-accredited body under ISO/IEC 17065 rests on an established legal framework (Regulation 765/2008, Public Procurement Code). It can be included in specifications without litigation risk. IRICE, accredited Cofrac No. 5-0655, issues Effinature certification under the NCO (new build), EVO (renovation), HOR (landscaping) and HVE (operation) standards.
The legal robustness of a certification rests on three criteria: accreditation by Cofrac (the sole national body), compliance with ISO/IEC 17065, and enforceability under Regulation 765/2008. In France, IRICE holds Cofrac Accreditation No. 5-0655, Product, Process and Service Certification, scope available at www.cofrac.fr — for real estate biodiversity certification through the Effinature standards.