Bureau Veritas and GBCI Sign Global Agreement for LEED Certification

In a recent signing ceremony, Bureau Veritas and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the certification body for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building program, finalized the terms of their exclusive global agreement to facilitate LEED certification internationally.

LEED is the world’s foremost program for the certification of design, construction, maintenance and operations of green buildings, with more than 1.85 million square feet of commercial building space certified daily. There are currently more than 69,800 LEED building projects located in more than 150 countries and territories, with approximately 44 percent of all square footage outside the U.S.

As part of the agreement, Bureau Veritas teams around the world will review LEED projects for conformity with GBCI’s strict standards for certification. Immediate plans for local LEED review teams have been drawn up for China, Brazil and India, where Bureau Veritas employs approximately 21,000 employees. Local review teams will enhance customer engagement and local support for LEED while advancing the goal for future site verification as part of the LEED certification process.

“GBCI and Bureau Veritas will be able to offer local touch points, local reviews, possible on site verifications and other resources for green building teams on the ground,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, chief operating officer, USGBC, and president, GBCI. “Through this collaboration, we will be able to more closely connect with our customers, which will help accelerate the adoption of green building practices and deliver their benefits to these key economies.”

Bureau Veritas is the world’s leading conformity assessment service provider in the Building & Infrastructure industry. The partnership enhances Bureau Veritas’ service offerings in this growing and important market. The first buildings to be certified by Bureau Veritas within this partnership are due to be delivered in late 2015.

“Our objective is a seamless customer experience for LEED users and project teams,” said Gerard Biessy, vice president of Building & Infrastructures at Bureau Veritas. “We are investing considerable resources into our local capacity building and the integration of GBCI processes.”

The growth of LEED reflects its global adaptability as the world’s most widely used and recognized system guiding the design, construction, operations and maintenance of green buildings. LEED is a critical tool in creating structures that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions; create healthier indoor environments for building users and lower utility bills for building owners through reduced energy and water use.