A closer look at Dutch sustainability labels

BREEAM-NL is the most complete sustainability label on the Dutch market; energy performance, health, environment, water, materials, waste management, land use, ecological footprint, pollution and even the management of the building must be measured for certification. The label can be applied to existing construction, new construction and areas and has been developed for use by governments, project developers and housing corporations. There are five score levels and the result is secured with a certificate.

LEED and GPR Gebouw have been developed for the same target groups and building types as BREEAM-NL, but these sustainability labels measure from fewer categories. LEED focuses mainly on health and environmental friendliness, while GPR Building also takes into account the quality of use and the future value of the object. LEED has four scoring levels; GPR Building assigns a number from 1 to 10. No certificate is issued at GPR Building. This is the case with LEED.

The Energy Label is the most limited option among the Dutch sustainability labels. The label is only intended for existing construction and only makes statements about the energy performance of a building; these are mapped from G to A ++ on a certificate.