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​Living Future Europe: Certifications / publications
Living Future Europe (LFE) Technical Advisory Group has supports ILFI's CORE and ZC certifications and published key reports to help investors with,
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​Mitigation of Short- and Long-Term Risks: ILFI certification ensures that buildings address short-term targets (2030) for operational and embodied carbon and are prepared for long-term climate neutrality (2050). This reduces financial and regulatory risk, supports investor confidence, and improves eligibility for EU and national funding programs.
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Market Differentiation and Future-Proofing: Achieving recognized sustainability certification signals leadership in carbon-neutral construction. For developers, municipalities, and material suppliers, it demonstrates proactive compliance with EU directives and regulations, enhancing project value and market competitiveness.​
CORE and Zero Carbon certifications are highly relevant for projects in light of the EU’s EPBD (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive) and EU Taxonomy targets.
EU Taxonomy:
The EU Taxonomy defines technical screening criteria for sustainable investments, requiring measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and alignment with climate mitigation objectives. Projects certified under ILFI CORE or Zero Carbon provide verifiable evidence of carbon-neutral design and construction, making them ready for green financing, ESG reporting, and EU Taxonomy-aligned investments.
Carbon Neutrality:
The revised EPBD emphasizes nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEB), improved energy efficiency, and lifecycle carbon considerations. Achieving ILFI Zero Carbon certification demonstrates compliance not only with operational energy limits but also with embodied carbon and whole-building lifecycle emissions, which are increasingly being recognized under EPBD reporting and national transpositions.
Scaling up the ESG to the regenerative level through LBC:
The intent of this new publication from the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) at Living Future Europe is twofold. On one hand, to provide a better clarity in the global conversation around the environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, which are typically used by investors to evaluate their choices. In particular, we will focus on some globally recognised frameworks with the aim to compare them and provide a better understanding on the criteria that are typically used.
On the other hand, the TAG aimed to define a crosswalk between these criteria and the Living Building Challenge (LBC) – developed by the International Living Future Institute – which is considered the most ambitious sustainability framework for the built environment.
Zero Carbon:
Zero Carbon certification is the only standard that actually measures the decarbonization, not just rewards carbon calculations or modest reductions. Zero Carbon buildings operate efficiently, phase out combustion, and use renewables. They are the safest properties when weather or energy markets shift. The world's largest companies, investors, and cities are already decarbonizing.
CORE Green Building:
The Core Green Building Certificationâ„ (Core) is a simple framework that outlines the 10 best practice achievements that a building must obtain to be considered a green or sustainable building. It puts the connection to nature, equity and the need for a building to be balanced with water, energy and material concerns.