Level(s)

🌍 What Is Level(s)?

Level(s) is the European Commission’s voluntary framework for assessing and reporting the sustainability performance of buildings. It provides a common methodology and core indicators to evaluate environmental, social, and economic impacts throughout a building’s life cycle — from design to demolition.

Unlike certification systems like LEED, BREEAM, or DGNB, Level(s) is not a rating system. Instead, it offers a flexible structure for consistent sustainability evaluation across Europe.

🧭 Adoption Across EU27 + UK

🇪🇺 EU27

• Widely promoted by national green building councils (e.g., GBC Italia, DGNB Germany, IGBC Ireland)

• Integrated with EU policies like the EU Taxonomy, CSRD, and Green Public Procurement (GPP)

• Used in public tenders and renovation projects to align with climate goals and circular economy principles

• Supported by tools and eLearning from the European Commission to help professionals apply it effectively

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

• While no longer an EU member, the UK continues to align with Level(s) through organizations like the UK Green Building Council

• UK frameworks such as BREEAM and Home Quality Mark are increasingly referencing Level(s) indicators to maintain compatibility with EU standards

• UK professionals working on EU-funded or cross-border projects often use Level(s) to ensure consistency

🧱 Structure of Level(s)

Six Macro-Objectives:

1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions — full life cycle carbon footprint

2. Resource Efficiency & Circularity — materials, waste, reuse

3. Water Efficiency — consumption and management

4. Health & Comfort — air quality, lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort

5. Climate Resilience — adaptation to extreme weather

6. Life Cycle Cost & Value — financial sustainability over time

Each objective includes indicators with three levels of depth:

• Basic: for early design

• Intermediate: for detailed planning

• Advanced: for post-construction and operational phases

🔗 Integration with Other Systems

• CSRD: Level(s) indicators support ESG reporting for real estate portfolios

• EU Taxonomy: Helps demonstrate compliance with sustainable economic activities

• GPP: Public authorities use Level(s) to set sustainability criteria in tenders