Learning from the experience of bringing Level(s) to real Life

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

Level(s) — the European framework for sustainable buildings —provides a common language for assessing and reporting on the sustainability performance of buildings. It applies circular economy principles to the built environment, offering a tried-and-tested system for measuring and supporting improvements in the design to end of life of residential, office and school buildings.

 

Level(s) was introduced to help the building sector align with existing EU regulations and strategies which include requirements for new buildings to reduce energy use by 40% and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 36% by 2030. Despite the urgent need for developers and owners to adopt and report, there has been low uptake and practical implementation is still at early stage.

 

The More LIFE to Level(s) project will build on the Level(s)-compliant Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB) and Valoración de Eficiencia de Referencia de Edificios (VERDE) certification systems to determine how Level(s) is being applied across the EU building sector. The project consortium includes 4 Green Building Councils (GBCs) already using best practice sustainability certification schemes, some of whom were partners in the LIFE for LCA LCC Level(s) project (2019-22). 

OBJECTIVES

More LIFE to Level(s) will aim to answer building sector demands for simplified, unified processes and targets to reduce the impact of new buildings. It will test and evaluate the Level(s) Framework in 10 buildings in different contexts in a minimum of  5 EU Member States to understand how Level(s) is applied in residential, office and school buildings.

 

The resulting case studies will be published and distributed to promote the wider adoption of Level(s) and to support the European building and real estate sectors in their transition to an affordable, healthy, sustainable circular economy in line with climate, water and energy targets. The studies will also support the European Commission when drawing up future amendments of the Framework.

 

The project aims to give Level(s) the push needed to overcome market competition barriers, by encouraging experts, developers, financiers, society and the public to adopt a common European building sustainability reporting language. 

 

It will do this by:

 

• testing and evaluating the Level(s) Framework in 10 different types of buildings and contexts across a minimum of  5 Member States
  
• obtaining and evaluating results from other current and future building certifications, and applying those results to the case studies
• ensuring the Level(s) framework is fully integrated into the DGNB and VERDE certification schemes:
  • 2024: 10 VERDE and 30 DGNB certified buildings share their Level(s) report
  • 2025: 15 VERDE and 45 DGNB certified buildings share their Level(s) report
  • 2026: 30 VERDE and 70 DGNB certified buildings share their Level(s) report

RESULTS

The project’s expected results are:

 

• a high level of Level(s) adoption and acceptance across EU the building and real estate markets
• a harmonisation protocol to help other future projects using Level(s)
• promotion and integration of the Level(s) Framework into building policy and legislation
• 10 in-depth case studies available, and 200 case studies of Level(s) report by the end of the project