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IRICE — Independent certification body

Natural capital is critical infrastructure.
It demands a trust infrastructure.

The only independent certification body dedicated to real estate biodiversity. 200+ ongoing projects, active since 2009.

Discover our programmes Why certify

Three pathways to build your biodiversity strategy

Invest

Biodiversity risk, project selection, CSRD/SFDR/Taxonomy-compliant allocation, asset value and resilience.

Explore the pathway

Formulate

Specification clauses, agreements, enforceable reporting templates. Legal framework for green claims and public procurement 2026.

Access the clauses

Understand

Independence, accreditation and evidence. Biodiversity approach typology: self-declaration, voluntary external, accredited certification.

Read our framework
Developer Certify your projects Local authority Public procurement clauses Social housing Certify your portfolio Urban planner Project-scale certification Investor ESG decision pathway

September 2026: the end of unverified biodiversity claims

EU Directive 2024/825 comes into force on 27 September 2026. It requires that every environmental claim be verified by an independent body compliant with EU Regulation 765/2008. Penalties: up to EUR 1.5M for legal entities.

In parallel, CSRD/ESRS E4 reporting requires companies to document their biodiversity impacts and dependencies with auditable data. Public procurement is integrating mandatory biodiversity criteria from August 2026 (Art. 35 Climate & Resilience Act).

Understanding Directive 2024/825 → CSRD, SFDR, Taxonomy →

Three levels of biodiversity approach

Directive 2024/825 and Regulation 765/2008 require distinguishing the level of verification. Third-party involvement alone is not sufficient: the third party must be accredited on the specific scope of the claim.

Criterion Accredited certification Non-accredited third-party approach Self-declaration
Accreditation on the scope of the claim Yes — body specifically accredited for biodiversity No — the third party may be accredited for a different scope Not applicable
Regulation 765/2008 compliance Yes Not guaranteed No
Separation of assessment / decision (ISO 17065, §5.2) Yes — structurally separate functions Variable — often the same body designs and assesses No
Directive 2024/825 enforceability Yes To be demonstrated case by case No
CSRD/ESRS E4 structured data Yes — auditable, consolidable Variable No
Recourse and oversight Yes — complaints/appeals procedure, Cofrac oversight No oversight by an accreditation body None

Third-party involvement guarantees compliance only if the third party is accredited on the specific scope of the claim. It is the scope of accreditation — not the body's status — that determines admissibility.

See the full biodiversity approach typology →

IRICE Ecosystem

Biodiversity at the core, environmental performance in extension.

Three IRICE programmes cover the biodiversity and carbon cycle in real estate: a certification, an ESG scoring tool and a construction site carbon measurement tool. Only Effinature certification falls within the scope of accreditation — BPS and Efficarbone are operated with the same methodological rigour, outside the scope.

Biodiversity certification

Cofrac accreditation No. 5-0655, Product, process and service certification, scope available at www.cofrac.fr

Effinature

Effinature

Biodiversity performance certification — ISO/IEC 17065

110+ criteria, 6 requirement families (V2025). Certification at design and delivery stages. Three standards: NCO (new construction), EVO (renovation), HOR (urban development). HVE addendum for the operational phase.

From EUR 7,500 excl. VAT · approx. 0.06% of a project's turnover

Start certification on effinature.fr View the platform →

Assessment tools

Outside the scope of accreditation — Assessment and measurement tools

BPS

BPS

Biodiversity Performance Score — Assessment tool

70+ criteria, 6 themes, rating A to G. Consolidable at portfolio level. Feeds ESRS E4 and SFDR reporting.

From EUR 3,500 excl. VAT · Scientific committee of 40+ experts

Launch an assessment on diagnostic-biodiversite.fr View the platform →

Efficarbone

Construction site carbon measurement — Measurement tool

Measurement and rating of construction site carbon emissions. Traceable, comparable data, ISO 14044 aligned. Complementary to Effinature biodiversity certification.

Carbon tool, distinct from biodiversity

Request a demo on efficarbone.fr View the platform →

Complementary certification

IRICE is a BREEAM certification body for France

BREEAM New Construction

Comprehensive environmental certification — BRE Global

Multi-criteria certification of building environmental performance (energy, water, materials, ecology, health). Includes a biodiversity component (Land Use & Ecology). Effinature complements this approach with dedicated biodiversity certification delivered by IRICE.

Start a BREEAM certification

A trust infrastructure for natural capital

Natural capital exhibits the three properties of critical infrastructure: service continuity, systemic interdependence, irreversibility of degradation. These properties demand a certification framework that guarantees five conditions.

Traceability

Every data point linked to its source, method and date.

Comparability

One standard, one scale, regardless of the project.

Enforceability

Results legally admissible under regulatory frameworks.

Continuity

Ecological monitoring at design, delivery and operation stages.

Separation

Design, support, assessment and decision-making separated.

Independence, accreditation and evidence: the founding triptych →

200+ ongoing projects

A fast-growing portfolio driven by leading public and private buyers: Kaufman & Broad, Eiffage Immobilier, Altarea Cogedim, Immobiliere 3F, Groupama Immobilier, Toulouse Metropole Habitat, Promologis, ADIM Paris IDF, Prefecture du Nord, Region Bretagne, Departement du Tarn, Vallee Sud Amenagement, SORELI.

Europolia (Toulouse Metropole) has made Effinature certification mandatory for all its projects. First international certification: the Decathlon Anubhava campus (India).

200+

Ongoing projects

2009

Independent certification body

40+

Experts on the Scientific committee

4

Programmes (Effinature, BPS, Efficarbone, BREEAM)

Become a Biodiversity Partner

Qualification programmes delivered by Qualitel Formation (Qualiopi-certified) in partnership with IRICE, eligible for corporate OPCO funding. The curriculum is built around a common foundation, then two specialised tracks depending on the targeted tool.

Common foundation — prerequisite

BP-N1 — Awareness

Entry into the Biodiversity Partner network: biodiversity ESG framework, IRICE methodology, regulatory benchmarks. Prerequisite for all specialised tracks.

Effinature track — biodiversity certification

3 specialised levels

  • BP-N2 — NCO / EVO (new construction + renovation)
  • BP-N3 — HOR (urban development, ZAC, public spaces)
  • BP-N4 — HVE (High Ecological Value addendum)

Qualifies for work on Effinature certifications.

BPS track — biodiversity scoring

1 qualifying level

  • BP-BPS — Biodiversity Performance Score (assessment + design scoring)

Qualifies for work on BPS. Independent from the Effinature track: a Biodiversity Partner can hold both.

View the full catalogue and pre-registration Levels are not progressive: each corresponds to a specific scope.

Frequently asked questions

Third-party involvement alone is not sufficient. Directive 2024/825 and Regulation 765/2008 require the verifier to be accredited on the specific scope of the claim. A body accredited for one scope (e.g. overall building environmental performance) does not automatically cover another scope (e.g. biodiversity). It is the scope of accreditation that determines admissibility, not the body's general status.
No. BPS (Biodiversity Performance Score) is an assessment tool and Efficarbone is a construction site carbon measurement tool. Neither is a certification and they fall outside the scope of accreditation. Only Effinature (NCO, EVO, HOR standards) constitutes product certification within the meaning of ISO/IEC 17065.
IRICE is a certification body whose core business is biodiversity (Effinature certification). But real estate projects also involve broader environmental issues. BREEAM certifies overall building environmental performance. Efficarbone measures construction site carbon. These tools are complementary but distinct from biodiversity certification.
Effinature certification starts at EUR 7,500 excl. VAT for a construction project up to 2,500 m², with an additional EUR 0.76 per m² beyond. BPS assessment costs EUR 3,500 excl. VAT. Relative to a real estate project's turnover, the cost represents approximately 0.06%.
Data produced by Effinature certification and BPS assessment is structured to feed ESRS E4 reporting. BPS provides impact metrics (E4-4, E4-5). Effinature documents the transition plan and biodiversity actions (E4-1 to E4-3). Data is consolidable at portfolio level for SFDR Articles 8/9 needs.
These certifications include a biodiversity component within an overall environmental assessment. But for a standalone biodiversity claim, Directive 2024/825 requires verification by a body compliant with Regulation 765/2008 on that specific scope. Accreditation for overall environmental performance does not automatically cover a dedicated biodiversity claim.

Protect your projects. Certify your biodiversity.

Directive 2024/825 comes into force in 124 days.

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First consultation with no commitment